The Canadian Podcow

In this episode, a conversation between Steven Roche, an animal health researcher from Acer Consulting and Holger Schwichtenberg, a second-generation dairy farmer in the eastern Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Holger is actively involved in environmental stewardship and has implemented various practices to improve soil health, biodiversity, and water management on his farm. Holger will share hi...

This episode examines the importance of biosecurity, the commitment to maintaining good animal health, and the potential impact of infectious diseases on farms and the dairy industry. We present to you Dr. Herman Barkema, a veterinarian and researcher at the University of Calgary, in conversation with animal health researcher Steven Roche about the significance of biosecurity, strategies for farme...

The Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has not been detected in dairy cattle or other livestock in Canada, but it has been in the US. It is a rapidly evolving situation. Are we prepared? Should we be worried? We are taking a closer look to proactive measures to be taken on the farm regarding HPAI.

People across the globe come together to mark International Women's Day, a significant occasion dedicated to honoring the achievements of women, challenging biases, and advocating for equality. This annual event serves as a vital platform for reflection and discussion on the status of women in various fields, including the dairy industry. As the Canadian Podcow marks International Women's Day, Kar...

How can we, aggregate quality data from the farm level for the improvement of food animal welfare and dairy production while enabling farm data ownership and governance? The intersection of food sector innovation and technology can bring progress to the farm. Data can help to advance our understanding of animal welfare and sustainability within livestock production systems. WIth the advent of Arti...

Rory Christie of Dourie Farming in Scotland will tell us his approach to remain competitive, to continue growing a profitable business for the future generations. He will tell us more about his keen interest in the supply chain, innovation, equality and bringing businesses together to help overcome the rural and urban divide and meet the Net Zero objective.

In this episode , we are on location at DFC's Annual Policy Conference. We get a Global and National perspective on the Dairy Market for the upcoming year.

He is known as the Squeaky Cheese Guy, the Cheese Poet, and of course, the Canadian Cheese Ambassador. David Beaudoin was born and raised in Quebec City. As a child, he loved to talk aabout food. His passion evolved after he moved to the Okanagan in 2005, where he launched his Squeaky Cheese distribution, education, and pairing experience business. Just in time for the Holidays, find out more abou...

The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing brings together leaders in the agricultural mental health field to conduct cutting-edge research to develop evidence-based community-informed programming and education to address wellbeing-related challenges amongst Canadian farmers. Is it possible to enable mental health professionals to view farmers in their specific cultural context, Can we deliver...

After years of collaboration and ground-breaking research by Lactanet and Semex, Canada became the first country to introduce official Methane Efficiency evaluations in the Holstein breed, with the aim of reducing methane emissions in dairy cattle. The Canadian Podcow’s Sarah Sache and Andrew Campbell are interviewing Brian Van Doormaal about this new development.

In this episode, we interview the new President of Dairy Farmers of Canada, David Wiens. We ask him about his experience and what lays ahead for the industry.

The updated Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Dairy Cattle was released in March 2023. It provides critical guidance for the care and handling of farm animals, including sound management and welfare practices for housing, care, transportation, and other animal husbandry practices. In this episode, we explore the changes that will impact dairy producers.

Dairy Farmers of Canada recently released their Best Management Practices Guide to Mitigate Emissions on Dairy Farms . We will explore what can be done to reduce emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and improve overall environmental sustainability.

Torsten Hemme, CEO of the International Farm Comparison Network shares his perspective on the Global Dairy Market Outlook.

In this episode, we have a discussion about the impact of heifer rearing related to the sustainability and profitability of dairy farming operations.

Dairy Farmers are in this business because we love our animals, we love producing delicious, quality milk. But it is also a business and we have to make it sustainable and profitable! In this episode we thought we would reach out to an expert to figure out what are the Secrets to profitable milk. In the current economic context, it is vitally important to look at all the tools and techniques avail...

Today on the Canadian Podcow, we will look at how dairy producers can manage their farms through times of operational change. We will look at how these decisions affect dairy producers when considering large adjustments, like implementing a new rotary or parlour, and the emotional cycle of change they go through when making these decisions.

In this episode, we are joined by Sebastien Pouliot, economist at Farm Credit Canada, to look at what is on the economic horizon. Inflation, interest rates, job market and economic growth : what should we expect for the months and year to come?

In this episode, we have a bit of a special edition for our listeners as we will focus on the federal Conservative leadership race to replace Erin O’Toole. We heard through the grapevine that the leading Conservatives leadership candidates were meeting with the leadership of Dairy Farmers of Canada. CEO of Dairy Farmers of Canada Jacques Lefebvre had a one on one discussion with Leadership candida...

Today, we have a very special episode for you. The Dairy Farmers of Canada just held their annual general meeting in Ottawa and co-host Sarah Sache was there, live on location. This episode includes an update from Annie AcMoody, Senior Director, Policy, Trade and Sustainability and Korb Whale, from Clovermead Farms about Dairy Farming Forward to reach Net Zero by 2050. We also hear from Nick Thurl...

In this episode, we are talking about proAction, the national quality assurance program for the Canadian dairy sector, but with the promotion angle in mind. proAction is mandatory on all Canadian dairy farms. It provides a framework for high standards of farming so that consumers can be confident that the Canadian milk used in their favourite dairy products was produced under some of the world’s m...

In this episode we are talking about business planning and succession planning for dairy farmers. Our guest has helped countless farmers and their families as they plan for the next stage of their operations. Margaret May is a regional program lead with the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association and is covering the regions of Elgin, Essex, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Brant, Haldimand,...

In this episode, we will talk about Mental Health, just in time for Mental Health Week which is the first week of May. We’ll specifically talk about the mental wellbeing of Canadian dairy producers and of all producers. We do not talk about this enough. It has been a couple of tough years for everyone, dealing with the pandemic, dealing with the floods, dealing with the droughts. Our guest, Megz R...

International Women's Day will take place on March 8 as every year, and we're excited to dedicate an episode of the Podcow to celebrating women in dairy. We have two guests today, Becky Perry from Perryhill Farms in Havelock, New Brunswick and Mickey Aylard, from Brackenhurst Farm on the Saanich Peninsula.

At the beginning of February, Dairy Farmers of Canada unveiled an ambitious goal: to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from farm-level dairy production by the year 2050. Sustainability is so important. So we’ll have a look at what this actually means, how we got there and where we are going as an industry.