Seen & Herd

In this episode of Seen & Herd, Western United Dairies welcomes Paul Sousa in his new role as Interim CEO. After 21 years serving as WUD's Director of Regulatory Affairs, Paul steps into this leadership position as California dairy producers face significant regulatory developments. Paul joins the podcast to break down the latest updates on air quality, water quality, nutrient management,...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , we sit down with Jeremiah Morris of Central California Power (CCP), a Western United Dairies business sponsor, to talk about equipment, service, and keeping dairies running when something goes down. Central California Power has been serving the Central Valley for more than 40 years, working with engines, generators, repairs and repowers. More recently, CCP has...

A quick note before we get started: This episode was recorded a few weeks ago, while Anja Raudabaugh was still CEO of Western United Dairies. Since this conversation was recorded, Anja has left WUD and joined the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as Deputy Commissioner for Policy. California’s Healthy Rivers and Landscapes program is facing new uncertainty as the Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands Water...

California lawmakers wrapped up a consequential week in Sacramento with major budget decisions and legislation that could have lasting implications for agriculture. In this episode of Seen & Herd , Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh joins us to break down what happened and what dairy farmers need to know. The conversation begins with AB 2253, legislation connected to California’s singl...

Bird flu tested a lot of things in California dairy country. Biosecurity. Worker safety. And, it turns out, farmers' basic right to privacy. In this episode of Seen & Herd, the host sits down with Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh to unpack the final ruling in California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA) v. CDPH, the case that could have forced the state to hand over the names, addres...

California lawmakers are entering the final weeks of the legislative session, and several unresolved budget decisions could directly affect dairy farmers. Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh joins us with an update on the budget trailer bills now taking shape in Sacramento. She explains what Western is watching related to water, methane, clean air, Proposition 4 climate bond funding, and th...

The California Department of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for the final round of Dairy Plus funding, a grant program that helps dairy farmers invest in advanced manure management technology. In this episode of Seen & Herd, host Amanda Russell sits down with Western United Dairies' Director of Environmental Services and Regulatory Affairs, Paul Sousa, to break down what Da...

Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh joins the podcast to cover three pressing topics: a confirmed New World Screwworm detection in Texas and what it means for California dairy operations, two new State Farmer Field Representatives joining the WUD team, and a quick read on the state budget and what's moving and stalling in Sacramento. New World Screwworm: What You Need to Know A confirmed ca...

BioFiltro is back on Seen & Herd, and a lot has changed since their last conversation with Paul Sousa, Western's Director of Environmental Services and Regulatory Affairs. Steve Rowe, BioFiltro's board chairman, and Sanjar Taromi, their livestock lead, return to give a ground-level update on where vermifiltration stands in California's Central Valley and why the timing of this epis...

Amanda sits down with Paul Sousa, WUD's Director of Environmental Services and Regulatory Affairs, to review the environmental presentation delivered at the recent Board of Directors meeting. California Air Resources Board (CARB) & Dairy Methane CARB is now actively developing dairy-specific methane regulations. Rule development begins in 2025, with regulations coming to the board by 2028...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , Tiffany LaMendola is joined by Katie Burgess of Ever. Ag to break down the growing role of Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) in today’s dairy economy—and why more producers are paying attention. With calf and cull cow values near record highs, livestock income has become an increasingly important piece of the dairy revenue puzzle. Katie walks through how LRP work...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh joins the show for a wide-ranging policy and advocacy update. The conversation covers California’s growing budget deficit, key legislative priorities impacting dairy farmers, and the ongoing fight to secure funding for water quality and groundwater recharge projects. Anja also breaks down Governor Newsom’s new statewid...

In this episode, we break down key regulatory and policy updates from recent WUD board discussions and February CDFA meetings that California dairy producers should have on their radar. We cover truck compliance deadlines with CARB, changes to water rights reporting through CalWATRS, groundwater and CV-Salts updates, and what’s next for Dairy Plus funding. We also walk through the latest Producer...

The beginning of the year brings a wave of reporting deadlines for California dairies, and missing one can mean delayed registrations, penalties, or bigger compliance headaches down the road. In this episode of Seen & Herd , we’re joined by Paul Sousa to break down several key reporting requirements dairies should be paying attention to right now, including Clean Truck Check compliance, Low-Us...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , Paul Sousa breaks down the two biggest water-quality regulatory shifts coming for Central Valley dairies: the State Water Board’s Remand Order and the CV-SALTS process. He explains what’s changing, why it matters, and how producers can start preparing now—from nitrogen tracking and lagoon requirements to the new whole-farm balance approach. If water quality rul...

This week on  Seen & Herd , Western United Dairies’ Paul Sousa joins the show to unpack California’s new  Clean Truck Check  rule — a regulation catching many dairy producers by surprise. The program, managed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), now requires most heavy-duty diesel trucks to complete regular emissions testing to stay registered with the DMV. Paul walks listeners throug...

In this episode, the team breaks down AB 411 , also known as the C.A.T.T.L.E. Act —the new law allowing California dairy producers to compost animal mortalities on-farm once safety standards are in place. Governor Newsom’s recent signature on the bill marks a major step toward more flexible, sustainable mortality management. But what exactly does the law do? When can dairies start composting? And...

In this episode, we recap the September 22 Producer Review Board (PRB) meeting held at CalExpo in Sacramento — a six-hour marathon session with no breaks and plenty of discussion on key dairy issues. Kayla sits down with Western United Dairies’ Paul Sousa to unpack everything from board turnover to ballot delays and funding updates. Paul's written recap -  https://westernuniteddairies.com/2025...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , host Amanda Russell is joined by WUD CEO Anja Raudabaugh to unpack the latest on bird flu in California dairies. They discuss the current status of quarantines, the push for a dairy cow vaccine, Western’s proactive efforts to provide over 4.6 million pieces of PPE, and the regulatory challenges posed by OSHA petitions. Tune in for insight into what these develo...

Western United Dairies CEO Anja Raudabaugh joins Amanda Russell for a legislative update covering three big issues: AB 411, the “Cattle Act” allowing mortality composting; SB 601, a water bill with major litigation risks for dairies; and AB 1264, a school nutrition bill that could have impacted dairy’s place on student lunch menus. They also touch on federal policy priorities, the farm bill, and o...

Anja Raudabaugh is joined by Dr. Michael Payne to discuss the re-emerging threat of the New World screwworm, a dangerous pest spreading northward through Mexico that prompted U.S. import suspensions. Dr. Payne breaks down how screwworms infest warm-blooded animals, the telltale signs of infection, and the historic success of the sterile fly eradication program—plus what’s being done now to control...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , Paul Sousa, Director of Environmental Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at Western United Dairies, recaps a significant "doubleheader" of meetings held on Cinco de Mayo—a CDFA hearing on Stop QIP Petition #5 and an afternoon Producer Review Board (PRB) meeting. He breaks down procedural updates, introduces new board members, discusses quota admini...

This week on Seen & Herd, we have a bonus episode. In this episode, Tiffany LaMendola and Katie Burgess from Ever. Ag who discuss Livestock Risk Protection (LRP)—a timely and flexible insurance program designed to help dairy producers protect revenue from calves, crossbreds, and even cull cows. Learn how LRP compares to DRP, what changes are coming on July 1st, and how to take action to get pr...

In this episode of Seen & Herd , Paul Sousa sits down with Steve Rowe, Chairman of Biofiltro, and Sanjar Taremi, Livestock Lead, to dive into a solution that’s gaining traction among California dairies: vermifiltration. This natural, low-tech system uses wood chips and worms to significantly reduce nitrogen loads and methane emissions from dairy wastewater, at little to no cost for producers....

Join us for an insightful episode of Seen & Herd as we welcome back Paul Sousa, Western United Dairies’ Director of Environmental Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs. Paul dives into the latest regulatory updates, including recent changes to CARB’s air quality rules, ongoing water quality discussions, and what dairy producers should prepare for in the coming years. Plus, we highlight the upc...