About this episode

This episode explores leadership and innovation in dairy farming through the experiences of Four Cubs Farms.

For nearly 150 years, Four Cubs Farms in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, has been built on a simple principle: people matter. In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen sits down with Gary and Cris Peterson, their son Ben Peterson, and Dairy Manager Nathan Brandt to explore the leadership, culture, communication, and innovation that transformed a small family dairy into a thriving 1,000-cow operation. From succession planning and employee engagement to genomic testing, feed efficiency, and building trust across generations, this conversation offers valuable lessons for dairy producers looking to create resilient businesses that can thrive well into the future. Whether you're navigating farm transition, building a team, or looking for ways to strengthen your operation's culture, this episode delivers practical insights from a farm that has successfully blended family values with modern dairy management. This episode is sponsored by Compeer Financial. Compeer Financial is a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative serving and supporting agriculture and rural America. Their dairy team brings world-class expertise and tailored solutions to support dairy producers’ financial goals…

People in this episode

Host: Peggy Coffeen

Guests: Gary Peterson, Cris Peterson, Ben Peterson, Nathan Brandt

Topics covered

• leadership
• dairy business
• family values
• succession planning
• employee engagement
• innovation

Keywords

• dairy management
• farm transition
• team building
• trust
• feed efficiency
• genomic testing

Sponsors

Compeer Financial

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Four Cubs Farms

Places: Grantsburg, Wisconsin

More episodes of Uplevel Dairy Podcast

• 363 | Go All In: Lessons from an Idaho Dairy Nutrition Consultant · July 21, 2026 · 42 min
• 362 | Tax and Legal Strategies for Farm Transition with Menn Law · July 16, 2026 · 29 min
• 361 | The Biggest Mistake Families Make with Land with Will McKinley · July 15, 2026 · 23 min
• 360 | Why Farm Transitions Fail with Will McKinley · July 14, 2026 · 33 min
• 359 | Ask the Expert: Next-Level Dairy Cow Immune Support · July 9, 2026 · 11 min
• 358 | Making a $4 Million Impact: Dairy Cares of Wisconsin · July 7, 2026 · 22 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast podcast page.