The Curds of Wisdom Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This episode contains some laughter and lots of smiles from the new Master Breeders.  We also have so much to learn through the words of wisdom from these accomplished breeders.  Thanks to Robert & Katherine Velthuis, Mitch Kieffer, Jim Christy and Roger Haag for joining us!

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Send us Fan Mail Christmas has just come and gone, and the New Year is upon us.  Pastor Dan joins the boys to talk about Christmas, play some holiday trivia, and there is even some cow talk near the end of the episode.  Happy 2023!

Send us Fan Mail Donny Schwartz of Quality Holsteins and his brother David, formerly of Quality Holsteins, join with Adam Hunt, James and Cole to talk about how things used to be at the Royal.  The Schwartz brothers grew up going to the Royal every year and have countless stories to share.

Send us Fan Mail Kyle and Cole are joined by surprise guests Russell and Dr. Tim to discuss the National Show, the livestream broadcast, the cows (of course) and the people.  Discussion also takes place about calving cows younger, reproduction and farm employees.  Dr. Tim lends some insight into the veterinary proceedings at the Royal.

Send us Fan Mail Russell Gammon joins the boys for the entire episode to talk about cow size, mobility, the World Dairy Expo and much much more.

Send us Fan Mail The three guys go guestless to wrap up the dog days of summer.  Weather, shows, old bulls, and so much more.

Send us Fan Mail DFO board member Bart Rijke of Eastern Ontario joins Kyle and Cole to discuss the ins and outs of the DFO board, how marketing and incentive days decisions are made, and the logistics vs the demand of promoting and producing A2 milk.

Send us Fan Mail Adam responds to the bull contract buzz from the last episode.  He also discusses many bulls and some great cow families.

Send us Fan Mail On this episode Kyle and Cole welcome Tony van Lith to talk about how he got into genetics, built his genetics program and landed bulls in AI units.  The discussion continues into the world of bulls that don't get claimed by units that are sired by bulls from the elite genetics programs that AI units offer.  Tony doesn't hold back when discussing his experience with one...

Send us Fan Mail Bryan Cook of Cropland Consulting joins Cole and Kyle to talk about crops and soil.  They discuss the benefits of manure, solid vs liquid and timing of application.  They discuss the difference between livestock farms and cash croppers.  They discuss the benefits and drawbacks of planting soybeans in 30" rows, and much more!

Send us Fan Mail The boys discuss the highlights of the national convention including somewhat of a breakdown of the national show.  Some meetings with fans

Send us Fan Mail Thank-You to our new sponsor NEW LIFE MILLS!  We are joined on this episode by Sara and Kristin who chat about the rising cost of feed and how we can manage our feed to bring input costs down.  Dr. Sleeth discusses vaccine protocols and rare diseases and injuries.

Send us Fan Mail Dylan Stewardson, owner and manager of Stewardson Dairy Farms which recently earned the #1 Herd Management Score in Canada award joins Kyle and Cole to discuss the best ways to manage your herd.  Calving interval, age at first calving, etc... the guys leave no stone unturned.

Send us Fan Mail Ikea trivia, stories about cows getting out and an interview with the new GM- Pam Charlton!

Send us Fan Mail Elain Froese,  CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) and Award-winning Author & Coach, recipient of the 2018 Wilson Loree Award for Excellence in Farm Management joins Kyle, James and Cole on this episode to talk about working with family, managing personalities, and mental health in farming. Folks can get free gifts at https://elainefroese.com/farm-family-coach/ Mental Health...

Send us Fan Mail Kyle, James and Cole are joined by Conservative MP Michael Barrett who discusses the Freedom Convoy, supply management and the CUSMA trade agreement. Kyle and Cole are then joined by the Crovalley owners and management team: Justin and Ryan Crowley.  They discuss age at first calving, using genomic bulls vs proven bulls, the new show classes, and much more.

Send us Fan Mail The boys go guestless due to an unexpected illness.  They chat about the NFL, which veterinary products have changed herd management the most, the recent changes that Holstein Canada made to show classes, and whether Holstein USA has made the same changes, as well as some talk about State Fairs.  A little more on down cows rounds out the episode. 

Send us Fan Mail Kyle and Cole interview Dr. Jeff Sleeth (50:00) who may just become the HOPCast's resident veterinarian.  Jeff gives out repro tips, and advice about treating cows with mastitis.  Before the interview gets started the 3 hosts discuss New Year's Resolutions for personal life and for their farms.   **We're still adjusting to our new audio equipment so forgive the inco...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Dan (Dave) joins us to talk about everything related to Christmas.  Traditions, gifts, bad theology and of course the truth.  Then the boys discuss the apparent evils of paperwork, ProAction and DFO's Dairy Code of Practice.  Are these good or bad programs? Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings....love to all you HOPTarts!

Send us Fan Mail Friend of the show, Dann Brady, joins the boys as they discuss the new proof releases, the differences between Canadian and US proofs and how some bulls do well in one country but not the other.  

Send us Fan Mail Cole, James and Kyle analyze the millionaire sires and try to determine whether they deserve the prestige of having sold a million doses.  What impact did these sires have on the breed? It's all in this episode of the HOPCast.

Send us Fan Mail James, Cole and Kyle discuss heifer shows, inbreeding, some the millionaire sires and have some fun with Holstein trivia

Send us Fan Mail Sean Smith of Clanman Jerseys from Manitoba joins the pod to enlighten James and Cole and the rest of the world regenerative agriculture practices.  On this episode the guys discuss "everything but the kitchen sink"

Send us Fan Mail Holstein Ontario director Kyle MacLeod joins Cole and James for the entire episode.  Kyle is owner and manager of Darcroft Farms - recent Master Breeder Shield winner.  Kyle has also done a lot of work picturing cows and shares some of his experiences doing that, ranks the breeds of dairy cattle and solves the world's low cattle market prices issue.