Feature Articles

• The Great Holstein Shakeup: How 16 Years Rewrote Breeding Rules
  How Holstein breeding flipped from show-ring beauty to farm profitability: The 16-year revolution that's transforming dairy genetics forever. E208 The Great Holstein Shakeup: How 16 Years Rewr | RSS.com Do you know what blows my mind? How completely different Holstein breeding looks today compared to just 16 years ago. Seriously. We've been digging through Holstein Canada registration data from 2008 to 2024, and wow—the transformation is nothing short of revolutionary. If you've been in the Hols […]
• Michael Heath’s Enduring Legacy: How One Man’s Passion Redefined Dairy Excellence
  Two years gone, but his legacy thrives: How Michael Heath's unparalleled eye for cattle and generous spirit continue to shape the dairy industry today. E207 Michael Heath’s Enduring Legacy: How One Man’ | RSS.com It's hard to believe it's been two years since we lost him. I can't help but reflect on the enormous void Michael Patrick Heath left in our dairy community when he passed away in 2023. You know, Michael was just a day shy of his 59th birthday when that terrible farm accident happened at […]
• How Smart Dairy Farmers Are Slashing Methane While Boosting Profits
  Climate zealots call your cows climate criminals, but savvy dairy farmers are turning methane reduction into cold, hard cash. Here's how they're doing it. E206 How Smart Dairy Farmers Are Slashing Methane | RSS.com The climate crusaders have dairy in their crosshairs, but savvy farmers aren't waiting for the regulatory hammer to drop. While environmental zealots paint cows as climate criminals, innovative producers are discovering that fighting methane isn't just about appeasing the green lobby— […]
• The Cow That Built an Empire: Comestar Laurie Sheik’s Unstoppable Genetic Legacy
  How an unassuming cow built a global dairy empire. Discover how Laurie Sheik's genetics dominate barns worldwide—40 years later. E205 The Cow That Built an Empire: Comestar Laurie | RSS.com A pivotal moment in Holstein history as a young Comestar Laurie Sheik VG-88 23* claims second place in the Senior 2-Year-Old class at World Dairy Expo. What makes this moment especially significant is that this unassuming cow would go on to become one of the most influential matriarchs in Holstein history, pr […]
• Bird Flu Bombshell: Dairy Cows Losing a Full Ton of Milk with No Recovery
  Bird flu bombshell: One cow loses 900kg milk, never recovers, costs $950. Cornell’s study reveals that 76% of infections are invisible. Is your herd next? E204 Bird Flu Bombshell: Dairy Cows Losing a Full | RSS.com The dairy industry just got hit with cold, hard proof of what smart producers have feared all along: bird flu isn't just another disease—it's a financial wrecking ball that obliterates production and profits alike. Cornell researchers have confirmed the nightmare scenario: cows lose a […]
• GENETIC GIANTS DETHRONED: How Dairy Farmers and Beef Upstarts Hijacked 75% of the Beef-on-Da…
  Traditional genetics companies are caught sleeping while dairy farmers and beef upstarts steal 75% of the booming beef-on-dairy market. Who's winning? E203 GENETIC GIANTS DETHRONED: How Dairy Farmers a | RSS.com The titans of dairy genetics have been caught with their pants down, and they're scrambling to cover up as a new breed of competitors eats their lunch. While most of the big dairy genetics companies were busy selling premium dairy semen and collecting awards for high TPI bulls, an entire […]
• Bull in a China Shop: How Juan Moreno Turned the Dairy World Upside Down
  This Colombian farm kid didn’t just enter dairy’s china shop—he deliberately smashed outdated breeding practices and rebuilt the entire industry. E202 Bull in a China Shop: How Juan Moreno Turned | RSS.com Juan Moreno, CEO of STgenetics, stands at the forefront of his company’s facilities where revolutionary genetic technologies are developed. Under his visionary leadership, Moreno has transformed the dairy breeding industry through innovations in sexed semen technology and genomic testing that […]
• Transform Your Dairy Economics: How Beef-on-Dairy Crossbreeding Delivers 200% ROI
  Turn bull calves into profit: Beef-on-dairy crossbreeding delivers 200%+ ROI through strategic breeding. Capitalize on historic cattle shortages now! E201 Transform Your Dairy Economics: How Beef-on-D | RSS.com With 72% of progressive dairies now strategically breeding beef sires and crossbred calves commanding premiums of $350-$700 per head, your breeding program represents a massive untapped profit center in today's market. As U.S. cattle inventory sits at a 73-year low and beef prices maintai […]
• The $3.5 Million Buffer Bombshell: How Rumen pH Management Is Revolutionizing Dairy Profits in 2025
  Is heat stress draining your dairy profits? Discover how strategic buffer solutions are helping producers combat this challenge while improving animal welfare. Your competitors are already implementing this science—are you? While you are watching your feed costs and milk prices, a silent profit killer lurks in your cows' rumens, potentially costing your operation significant revenue over time; heat stress is not just making your cows pant—it is decimating your bottom line by crashing rumen pH an […]
• The Maternal Mastermind: How Douglas Dunton’s Breeding Philosophy Revolutionized Holst…
  How did one Canadian farmer's obsession with "breeding warm" create maternal lines so powerful they still dominate Holstein genetics eight decades later? E199 The Maternal Mastermind: How Douglas Dunton’s | RSS.com Douglas Dunton (center) with sons Earl (left) and Ralph (right) at Glenvue Farm in Brampton, Ontario. This multi-generational partnership earned their second Master Breeder shield in 1964 as D.S. Dunton & Sons, exemplifying the family commitment to developing influential Holstein […]
• Transforming Dairy Fertility: Machine Learning Isn’t Just the Future—It’s Here Now
  Dairy's AI revolution is here: Learn how machine learning doubles conception rates, slashes hormone use, and transforms farm profitability. E198 Transforming Dairy Fertility: Machine Learnin | RSS.com Look, I'm going to cut right to the chase. If you still rely on visual heat detection alone in 2025, you're leaving money on the table. The numbers don't lie—automated monitoring systems powered by back-propagation neural networks deliver 21-day pregnancy rates above 30% in progressive herds while […]
• FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: The Unstoppable Journey of Holstein Legend Nico Bons
  From tragedy to global Holstein glory: Nico Bons built a dairy dynasty through resilience, Canadian mentorship, and family legacy. E197 FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH: The Unstoppable Jour | RSS.com A moment of triumph as the judge Marc Rueth (left) announces Bons-Holsteins Koba 245 as Reserve Grand Champion at the Holstein Show. The Doorman x Jasper daughter from Nico Bons’ renowned breeding program in Ottoland, Netherlands stands poised in the spotlight while her handler celebrates the achievement. T […]
• Dairy’s 81-Day Reckoning: 3 States That Win, 5 Facing Financial Bloodbath
  81 days till dairy chaos: Midwest farms face $56k losses as processors gain. Who survives the 2025 pricing overhaul? Time’s ticking. E196 Dairy’s 81-Day Reckoning: 3 States That Win, | RSS.com The most significant dairy pricing overhaul in a generation will fundamentally transform American milk markets starting June 1st. The return to the "higher-of" Class I formula corrects a catastrophic 2018 Farm Bill experiment that cost producers an estimated $725 million during pandemic market disruptions. […]
• Lucky or Calculated? The Surprising Truth About Genomics and Luck in Dairy Breeding
  Can genomics eliminate luck in dairy breeding? Discover how chance shaped Holstein’s history and why unpredictability still impacts your herd today. E195 Lucky or Calculated? The Surprising Truth Abo | RSS.com I've always been fascinated by that eternal question in dairy breeding: can science and technology eliminate the role of luck? With April 2025's genetic evaluation updates just around the corner, it feels like the perfect time to dig into whether our fancy genomic tools have truly kicked c […]
• The Heart of Excellence: Getting to Know the Family Behind Kingsway Holsteins
  Discover how, through passion, precision, and community roots, Kingsway Holsteins, a small family farm, became one of Canada’s top breeders of Excellent cows. 194 The Heart of Excellence: Getting to Know the F | RSS.com Gord, Morgan, Ethan, and Emma proudly showcasing their Holsteins in the ring—a true family effort that embodies Kingsway Farms’ dedication to excellence. Ever wonder what it takes to become one of Canada's elite Holstein breeders? Let me tell you about Kingsway Holsteins, a famil […]
• Revolutionizing Calf Rearing: 5 Game-Changing Nutrition Strategies That Deliver $4.20 ROI fo…
  Revolutionize your calf program: Learn five game-changing strategies that boost ROI by 420% and slash disease costs in half. Your competitors are already on board—are you? E193 Revolutionizing Calf Rearing: 5 Game-Changing | RSS.com I couldn’t believe the numbers when I first saw them. Modern calf nutrition strategies deliver a whopping $4.20 return for every dollar invested! We’re talking about techniques that cut disease costs in half while boosting future milk production by 12%. Yet here’s th […]
• Women Shattering Dairy’s Glass Ceiling: Leadership, Innovation, and the Fight for Equa…
  Women are shattering dairy's glass ceiling, but the industry's gender gap persists. Discover how female leaders are reshaping the future of milk production. E192 Women Shattering Dairy’s Glass Ceiling: Leade | RSS.com As International Women's Day 2025 approaches, a powerful transformation is reshaping the dairy landscape. This transformation challenges century-old perceptions and proves that milk isn't the only thing flowing through modern dairy operations. Behind milking parlors and research la […]
• The $4,300 Gamble That Reshaped Global Dairy Industry: The Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief Story
  The $4,300 gamble revolutionized dairy farming: How one bull's genes reshaped the Holstein breed and transformed global milk production forever. 191 The $4,300 Gamble That Reshaped Global Dairy I | RSS.com Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief didn't just change dairy breeding—he completely rewrote what was possible for milk production in Holsteins. Born on May 9, 1962, this extraordinary bull revolutionized milk production capabilities worldwide, fundamentally altering the economics and genetic landscape o […]
• Where Will Tomorrow’s Dairy Herds Come From? U.S. Farmers Navigate Historic Heifer Crisis
  U.S. dairy faces a perfect storm: 47-year low heifer counts, $4,000 springers, and beef-cross mania. Will farmers pivot fast enough to avoid milking herd collapse, or will the next decade’s dairy aisles dry? Dive into the crisis and the fightback strategies. E1190 Where Will Tomorrow’s Dairy Herds Come From? | RSS.com The numbers don’t lie: America’s dairy farms run on fumes. With heifer inventories cratering to 1978 levels and beef-cross calves now outselling some used Teslas at $1,200 a pop, d […]
• Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra: The Swiss Holstein Queen Who Conquered the World
  Decrausaz Iron O'Kalibra: The Swiss Holstein who dethroned North American champions, rewrote breeding history, and proved European cows could dominate globally. E189 Decrausaz Iron O’Kalibra: The Swiss Holstein | RSS.com For decades, the pinnacle of Holstein breeding excellence seemed firmly anchored in North America. Madison’s colored shavings and Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair were the stages where dairy legends were crowned, with European cows often regarded as supporting characters in the globa […]