DairyVoice Podcast

In this episode of DairyVoice, Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires, continues his ongoing series The Evolution of the Great Cow in a conversation with Bruce Smith, Dr. Liz Lahmers and Hayden Ackley of Select Sires. They discuss why the health status of bulls in AI is so important and the critical health tests that block bulls from coming into stud. They also talk about how bull collection has changed over the past 5 years and common problems they see on bulls that come in.

In this episode of the Showbox Sires series The Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett talk with Terry Smygwaty of Smygwaty Holsteins in Ontario. They review the newest bull in the Showbox Sires line up 744HO18213 ETERNITY.

The group talks about Eternity’s amazing pedigree, Sire stack and female family. And, they discuss how you could use Eternity going forward. Eternity’s offers an eye-catching linear profile and well-rounded production to boost a herd’s type and performance. Eternity Is available through your Select Sires representative.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Film interviews John Ellsworth for his quarterly report. John Ellsworth of Success Strategies talks about the rough start to 2026, but overall we are looking for a great rest of the year. He talks about where we’ve been and some scenarios as to where we might be going, as an industry this year. John’s advice and report is, as always, very insighful.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires sits down with Bonnie Ayars, Brian Kelroy, and Madison Dyment to discuss judging. In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, They talk about the importance of dairy cattle judging and the importance for young people to develop skills in communications and public speaking, emphasizing that the relationships developed in judging lasts the rest of a person’s career. A focus on celebrating a youth’s individual success and learning how to work as a team will help them to do better in their lives. Our dair...

In this episode of the Showbox Sires series, The Evolution of the Great Cow, hosts Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett talk with Glen Gordon of Gorbro Holsteins in Australia. They discuss Showbox Sires latest release bull Royal Red 644HO18212. They talk about Royal Reds linear family and what impact Doc 8784 can have in the reds. Royal Red is one of the most anticipated releases of 2026 and offers a unique, Delta-Lambda-free pedigree for compatibility with today’s showing-focused bloodlines. For availability, contact your Select Sires distributor.

In this episode, DairyVoice Host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films by Connor AgriScience talks with Tyler Dickerhoof. Tyler, who grew up on a farm, is an author who just released his book, The Things We Hide. His approach is to have a fresh take on leadership - one rooted in grit, faith, and real-world wisdom. 

The book explores what many leaders quietly wrestle with: insecurity, identity, and the internal patterns that shape how we lead, build relationships, and show up in life. This especially relates to our dairy farmers and early feedback on his book h...

In this episode of the New England Holstein Association’s Podcast, Host Betsy Bullard of Brigeen Farms in Turner, Maine Speaks with Emily Syme and Justine Allyn of Farm Credit East. Betsy discusses their Holstein activities and education and how these activities influence their work with Farm Credit East today.

Both Emily and Justine talk about what advice they would have for the NEHA youth members, as they have fairly recently made the transition to full-time careers. Plus, they talk on what role they see Farm Credit East playing with New England members.

Please note th...

In this episode of DairyVoice podcast, host Mike Opperman of Black Dirt Communications talks with Katie England, Technical Support Analyst with DRMS. They discuss the HerdHQ platform and the new RapidReports and BovineBio products, both introduced this year. Because speed and accessibility are such a big deal in herd management, DRMS has introduced RapidReports and BovineBio, which connects together naturally with HerdHQ. Both products will support a better solution for herd management.

For more information, you can go to https://www.drms.org/HerdHQ/What-Is-HerdHQ.

In this DairyVoice episode of Showbox Sires, The Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett talk about their latest bull release Dagger 744HO18211. He is the Hulu son of Lamba Danika from Doc 8784 and has over 3000 for TPI and over 1100 for milk! Dagger has nearly 3 points of type and nearly 2 1/4 points of udder, which are some of the better health and wellness traits you can find.

For more information on this and other bulls, go to ShowboxSires.com.

Dr. Todd Bilby leads the U.S. dairy technical services team at Merck Animal Health. His areas of expertise includes dairy reproduction, cow comfort and transition management, all grounded in his university research and extension background. In this episode of DairyVoice, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with Dr. Bilby about the evolution of dairy reproduction over the years. 

Dr. Bilby discusses Targeted Reproductive Management (TRM), which is based on the idea that when a producer uses monitoring technology, they can take advantage of those cows that show a strong natural heat. He explains h...

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with Steve Harnish about how herd data fits into the daily workflow on his operation. Steve shares how using Dart, the proven herd management system built on standardized data, helps organize herd information, monitor performance, and support informed decisions across the farm.

The conversation also explores how connected technologies, mobile tools like PocketDairy, and collaboration with local DHIA service affiliates help bring herd data together and keep management aligned across the operation.

To learn more about Dart herd management software from...

In this episode of DairyVoice, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with John Ellsworth of Success Strategies on Quarter 1 and what comes next. They discuss interest rates, tariff’s and the Iran war. What impact will these and other things have on the dairy farmer - listen and find out.

In this episode of the New England Holstein Association podcast, host Betsy Bullard of Brigeen Farms in Turner, Maine speaks with Keenan Thygesen. Keenan, of Farmstead Genetics, is one of the driving forces behind the Springfield Showcase Sale and has been recognized a Holstein USA Distinguished Junior Member. Betsy talks with Keenan about his Junior Holstein activities and how they influence him in his work today. 

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires, continues his series The Evolution of the Great Cow and talks with Joan Seidel of Pennsylvania, Rory Timlin of Ireland, and Brent Sayles of Ontario. 

Holstein show fitters, also called clippers, are skilled individuals who groom dairy cattle using specialized clippers, brushes, and adhesives to highlight their best features for competitions like the World Dairy Expo, focusing on creating level toplines, smooth body coats, and well-styled legs and tails, with techniques involving blow-drying against the hair and clipping in precise patterns to enhance breed conformation and o...

In this episode of the Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires talk with 70th winner of the Klussendorf Award, Joel Kietzman of Waunakee, Wisconsin. They discuss the new bull release Enrich-P 744H018394. Kietzman discusses the best traits of the elegance family and Mike Duckett gives the key highlights of this bull’s genomic data and the sire stack behind the bull. They also talk about what bloodlines Enrich could be used on. Enrich is available worldwide through your Select Sires representative.

In episode 13 of the New England Holstein Association podcast series, Betsy Bullard talks with Maddy Poitras, Will Bullard, and Sydney Bullard. They discuss the junior program and the various activities junior members enjoy. The junior’s activities, contests, traveling and opportunities to meet others from around the country are invaluable. In their own words, the junior board members talk about what the program means to them.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Kate Ziehm of Morning Ag Clips talks with Gary Lezak, Founder and CEO at Weather 20/20, Jordan Wollenberg of Agri-Service Agency and Dairy Farmer Justin Ohlde of Ohlde Family Farms in north central Kansas. They discuss risk management as it pertains to the weather and how we prepare our dairy farms, how to minimize these risk factors, and several new products to help. The podcast covers everything from minimizing milk loss due to weather events to weather intelligence to open risk windows, so farmers can plan accordingly.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films by Connor Agriscience, interviews Matt Fox & Patty Larkin of Agricultural Consulting Services (ACS). They discuss their new product TWINE.AG. Twine.Ag is a fully geo-referenced tool that is designed to put field and crop data at the farmer’s fingertips. The ACS team consists of crop consultants who handle the crop side of a dairy farmer’s business, and they are environmental planning consultants who handle the CAFO or LFO regulatory side of things. Twine.Ag enables growers to record their own planting and manure application reco...

In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires talk about their new bull Release REASON RC 744HO18232. Their guest for this episode is Trent Hendrickson of Trentway Genetics who talks about the family behind REASON RC. His dam is one of the most talked about cows in the world today due to the great pictures he posts of her. Trent talks about the sire of REASON and how cool it is to have this bull in the Red White population.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films by Connor AgriScience interviews Brittany Moorse from a 4th generation dairy farm in Minnesota. They discuss Midwest Dairy’s Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership program, known as the DEAL program. The DEAL program is a leadership program for young dairy farmers from across Midwest Dairy’s region.This 18-month program provides an excellent opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the dairy checkoff, learn how to engage consumers, conduct media interviews, and network with industry leaders and peers.

Brittany describes her experience with the prog...

Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires talk with Jeff Benedict of Premier Select Sires on the newly released bull Alonzo Red 744HO18070. They discuss the story of Alonzo’s dam and how she was acquired and what it is about this bull that is so interesting. The three also talk on what bloodlines Alonzo Red will work well on.

In this unique episode of DairyVoice, host Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires talks with Dr. Dennis Sanders, his Oncologist for the past 25 years, about the many aspects of this disease. They discuss Tim’s attitude and desire to battle the disease, the importance of gaining education and science that has developed over the past couple decades. They give advice on what a person should do when they or someone they know is diagnosed with cancer and what the future of treatment may look like.

In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires introduce their latest bull Siri 744HO18214. Siri is son of Unix Sally and one of the most popular bulls in the world. In the podcast, they talk with Eddy Bue of Milk Source and Bob Sabo, one of the owners of Unix Sally about this release and they discuss what the bull looks like.

For more information, go to showboxsires.com.

In this episode of The New England Holstein Association podcast series, Betsy Bullard talks with Beth Kennett and Beth Hodge, both Eastern Expo Trustees. They discuss what’s unique about this expo and what it has meant to them, along with the many hats they wear. The New England Holstein Association is a member association dedicated to encouraging the breeding and raising of Registered Holsteins.

In this DairyVoice episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires interviews Marco Quaini of Castelverde Holstein in Italy. Marco and Castelverde are among the biggest names in the global holstein business and Tim digs into Marco’s breeding philosophy, discussing what traits that he looks for. And, Marco tells what advice he would give to young breeders around the world. Mike Duckett, Tim’s partner at Showbox Sires just returned from a visit to Castelverde and was very impressed.

In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow by DairyBusiness News and DairyVoice, Tim Abbott of Showbox Sires talks with Clark Woodmansee, recent winner of the Klussendorf Award. They discuss their combined passion for the industry and Tim dives in to Clark’s history, farm, and some of Woodmansee’s top cows in the industry. Clark Woodmansee tells us what he attributes to his success as a breeder and farmer, plus what advice he would give to someone that is starting in the business. Here’s a hint… put yourself in a position to be lucky.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Connie Kuber, of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films by Connor Agriscience, speaks with John Ellsworth of Success Strategies. They discuss what was a pretty good year in the dairy industry and how 2026 may look going forward. There are a lot of concerns going in to 2026, especially the first 6 months. John gives us an idea on the important things to do to measure and manage your dairy farm going forward. 

For more information on John Ellsworth, you can go to success-strategies.com.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Kate Ziehm of Morning Ag Clips spends some time with Jody Neal and his two sons, along with the team at Udderways. Udderways has a new brushless technology called the Vortex. This system is used to stimulate cows while cleaning and drying the teats. The Vortex provides quicker and faster milk letdown, reduction of towels, and eliminates cross contamination.

Their journey illustrates how a small team, rooted in hands-on farming experience, can produce innovations that challenge industry norms and deliver measurable improvements. This is a wonderful product story but also a great...

In this episode of DairyVoice podcast, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films by Connor Agriscience talks with Wendy Hushon of Uplevel Wellness. They discuss the goal of helping our farmers live a healthier life, both physically and mentally. Among other topics, Connie and Wendy explore nutrition, physical health and mental health aspects for farmers to evaluate and feel better about themselves and their relationships. 

To find out more about Uplevel Wellness, go to https://uplevelwellness.org.

In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, Showbox Sires announces the release of their latest bull FANWELL RC 744HO18071. Tim Abbott speaks with Mike Duckett and Marco Quaini of Castelverde Holsteins in Italy about the red carrier son of Footloose EX-97. FANWELL*RC will combine the extreme style of Hulu*RC with the incredible power of Footloose. Mike and Marco talk about What pedigrees they think FANWELL will work well with and what this bull can bring to the business.

FANWELL RC is now available exclusively through your Select Sires Inc. representative. 

In this episode of DairyVoice podcast, Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films interviews Dr. Chris Cifelli of Dairy Management Inc.’s National Dairy Council (NDC). They talk about research on whole milk and whole milk dairy foods, plus what sort of consensus has been reached in this research. Chris discusses some of the findings and what is involved in this research, giving us a better understanding of the NDC, the work they do, and how the work connects to dairy farmers’ priorities.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Tim Abbott with Showbox Sires continues his series Evolution of the Great Cow with an interview of Meino Annema of Holstein International. They discuss Meino’s role with HI and her background in the dairy world. Tim asks many questions surrounding HI’s print magazine and they talk about several of the key ingredients for a successful advertising campaign. Meino finishes with a look at the future of farm and genetic promotion, along with a few success stories in the business.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Dr. Gabriela Acetoze and Dr. Brian Lammers of ADM talk with DairyVoice host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Film about ADM’s Nexulin. They explain how Nexulin supports cows during the transition period - a critical window for influencing lactation outcomes, for sure. The feedback from dairy producers who have used Nexulin is very good and several research trials have resulted in compelling findings regarding impact on lactation performance.

In this episode of DairyVoice, Mike Opperman from Black Dirt Communications speaks with Dr. Robert Fourdraine, the Assistant Director of Product Development for DRMS. They discuss the new Fresh Cow Index (FCI) and why it’s so important. Dr. Fourdraine explains what makes FCI different from other transition cow KPIs and shares herd scenarios that stand out since FCI was released. The Fresh Cow Index from DRMS could shape transition cow management in the future.

For more information on the Fresh Cow Index, you can go to https://www.drms.org/HerdHQ/What-Is-HerdHQ.

In this episode of DairyVoice, host Mike Opperman talks with Lucas Fuess, Senior Dairy Analyst at Rabobank. They discuss Rabobank’s Global Dairy Top 20 Report and what to look forward to in 2026 for the dairy economy. There have been significant change recently and Lucas takes us through it and focuses on the broader trends in the global industry.

This is one of the more well-known reports each year and not only covers reporting on the largest dairy companies, it dives in to analytical insights. This is a fantastic clear and concise podcast, and gives a lot of in...

In this Showbox Sires episode on DairyVoice, Tim Abbott talks with Jeff Ziegler and Bruce Smith of Select Sires about the latest release bull Kings Ransom Donatelo 744HO17933.

Donatelo is right out of the alligator 95 point Daze cow at Kings Ransom and people are taking note. In the podcast, Tim, Jeff and Bruce discuss why this bull is so important right now and how it can be used. Donatelo is available  through your Select Sires Rep.

In this episode, Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires speak with Bruce Smith and Jeff Ziegler of Select Sires about their latest release bull DAX RED 744HO17932. They talk about his pedigree and why this bull is so unique. It is felt that this will be the ‘next biggest thing in red and whites’.

Episode 11 features  a conversation with Ashley Randle, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. Host Betsy Bullard talks with Ashley about the Eastern States Expo and the role those events have in the larger agriculture community in Massachusetts and throughout the New England States.

Tim Abbott and Mike Duckett of Showbox Sires talk with Max Petitclerc of Ferme Petitclerc in Quebec about the newest Showbox Sires bull release 744HO17931 Slugger. In this episode of The Evolution of the Great Cow, they introduce one of the first bulls in A.I. that traces back to the great “S” family at Ferme Petitclerc in Quebec with almost 3 points of type and 2 points of udder composite. The bull is available immediately through Select Sires.

Just in Time for World Dairy Expo, John Ellsworth, of Success Strategies, talks about Q3 and his insights dairy farmers need to think about before the end of the year.

In this episode, host Connie Kuber of Sealpro Silage Barrier Films talks with John, who is a welcome voice to navigate the financial, as well as the day-to-day management, of our dairy farms. He emphasizes that farmers need to not only look at their goals today, but also where they want to be in the next few years. This, along with the impact of past inflation issues...