The Livestack Podcast

🇺🇸 Happy Fourth of July, and here's to the next 250 years! As we celebrate Independence Day, we're reminded why we do what we do: supporting farmers, advancing animal welfare, and helping build a stronger future for agriculture. Our new AgriGates song captures that purpose perfectly: "With innovation, care, and heart... AgriGates, we're opening the way, for healthier herds and brighter days." Here...

In this episode, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds are joined by Dr. Michelle Schack, Dairy Veterinarian and Co-Founder of DairyKind, to explore how structured, consistent training on farms directly shapes animal welfare, team performance, and culture. Dr. Schack shares how her platform has delivered over 76,000 on-farm training sessions across the U.S., helping teams not only meet audit standards b...

Exploring the Hidden Forces Behind Animal Welfare Decisions In this thought-provoking episode of the LiveStack Podcast, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds explore the foundational, but often overlooked, forces that shape how we treat animals in agriculture. From the mysteries of consciousness to the evolution of ethical frameworks and the undeniable influence of money, this episode invites listeners...

In this episode, Daniel Foy is joined by Dr. Jim Reynolds for a deep dive into the evolving understanding of animal welfare. The conversation starts with Jim’s recent trip to Africa, where he reflects on the profound respect he observed for animals and ecosystems, setting the tone for a discussion about the historical, ethical, and scientific shifts in animal welfare. The discussion centers around...

In the evolving landscape of food animal agriculture, measuring behavior is no longer just about observation, it’s about precision, scale, and measurable impact. In this episode, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds examine how behavior data has progressed from handwritten field notes to high-frequency, sensor-driven systems powered by machine learning. This transformation has redefined how we understa...

Before welfare became a scientific field and audit programs became standard, there was a time when farm assessments were built on instinct and good intentions rather than research and rigor. In this episode, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds return to the early 2000s to unpack the formation of the first on-farm food animal welfare audits in the United States. They revisit how environmental failures...

Episode 24: The History of Contemporary Welfare – 30 Years of Change LiveStack Podcast with Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds Over the past three decades, food animal welfare has undergone a profound transformation. In this episode, Daniel Foy and Dr. Jim Reynolds trace the arc of this shift, beginning with the industry’s earliest confrontations with welfare, from undercover videos in U.S. slaughter...

In this new format for the LiveStack Podcast, co-hosts Daniel Foy (Co-Founder & CEO of AgriGates) and Dr. Jim Reynolds (Veterinarian and Professor Emeritus in Livestock Welfare) kick off by introducing themselves and laying the foundation for a thoughtful, ongoing discussion on food animal welfare and the transformative role of technology. Jim shares his personal journey from practicing dairy...

In this episode, Daniel Foy and Jim Reynolds sit down with Matt Dobbs, CEO of AgSense, to explore the intersection of animal welfare, production efficiency, and agricultural technology. Matt, a veterinary surgeon and lawyer by training, shares his journey from clinical practice to leading AgSense, a UK-based AgriTech company focused on enhancing dairy cow welfare and sustainability.  The discussio...

Welcome to Episode 21 of the LiveStack Podcast! In this episode, we dive into insights from three pivotal conferences held in Italy this summer: the Welfare Assessment of Animals at the Farm Level (WAFL), the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP), and the EU Precision Livestock Farming (EU-PLF) conference. The discussion centers around advancements in agritech, the development of data stand...

Welcome to Episode 20 of the LiveStack Podcast! As we wrap up Cybersecurity Month, we’re bringing you key insights and actionable tips to strengthen your digital defenses on the farm. This month, Daniel is joined by Dr. Lucas Alcantara, an expert in agricultural data management and security. Lucas holds a Ph. D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics and serves as Research Centre Data Manager at the Univ...

Welcome to Episode 19 of the LiveStack Podcast! In this episode, we dive into the intriguing world of agricultural data with a discussion titled “The Three Seasons of Agriculture Data: Shall We Talk About the Fourth One? The Value of Data.” Joining us are three exceptional doctoral candidates from the EnTrust Doctoral Network, who bring fresh perspectives on the value of data in agriculture. These...

Welcome to Episode 18 of the LiveStack Podcast! In this special episode, we’re thrilled to introduce AgNotate, our cutting-edge machine-learning software designed to revolutionize the way researchers and companies annotate animal behavior, events, and welfare indicators.  AgNotate streamlines the data annotation process, saving valuable time while enhancing the welfare and health of food animals i...

Welcome to Episode 17 of the LiveStack podcast.   Alana Lee joins Daniel (Co-founder and CEO of AgriGates) in this month's episode. Alana is a student at Texas A&M University, where she is completing her bachelor's degree in animal science. With a background in beef production, Alana discovered her passion for dairy cattle as a freshman at TAMU. During her time as an undergraduate, she has par...

Welcome to Episode 16 of the Livestock podcast, where in this episode, we explore “The Kipster Journey: Welfare and AgriTech in Poultry Farming." Our guest joining us for this episode is Ruud Zanders, the founding partner at Kiptster. Kipster is a Revolutionary Vision for Modern Farming. Building the most animal-friendly and environmentally-friendly poultry farm in the world.  This is an important...

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Livestock podcast, where we will discuss Data awareness in Dairy and at the Farm Level. Joining this Episode with Daniel is Dr Liliana Fadul. Dr Fadul is an animal scientist currently working as a Data analyst for Lactanet, Montreal, Canada. Liliana completed her Ph. D. at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada). There, she recognized the potential use of data science techni...

Welcome to Episode 14 of the LiveStack podcast, where we discuss the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR) and Data Standards in Food Animal Agriculture. Joining Daniel in this episode by Marie-Agnes Mourot de Lathyle, who has taken up the role of ICAR Executive Director in the last five months. She has almost 15 years as CFO/COO for a membership global organization of market, social...

Welcome to Episode 13 of the LiveStack podcast, where we dive deep into the world of "Food Animal AgriTech in the Keystone State." In this engaging conversation, we are thrilled to have Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Science at Pennsylvania State University, as our guest. Agriculture in Pennsylvania holds a significant place, contributing substantially to tax receipts....

Welcome to Episode 12 of the LiveStack podcast, where we will discuss “Food Animal Welfare Audits and AgriTech.” In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by Matt Jones Vice President of Operations for Validus. In this episode of the LiveStack Podcast, Matt, Jim, and Daniel explore Food Animal welfare audits, and expectations from different parts of the supply chain and consumers, while final...

Welcome to Episode 11 of the LiveStack podcast, where we discuss all things Precision Livestock Farming and AgriTech research from the European Federation of Animal Science (EAAP) 2023 conference in Lyon France. In this episode, Daniel Foy is delighted to be joined by Dr. Michael Odintsov Vaintrub , COO and Co-founder at Regrowth, Italy, and Adrien Lebreton , PLF project manager at the Institut de...

Welcome to Episode 10 of the LiveStack podcast, where we delve into ‘Dairy Calves and AgriTech.’ In this episode, we are delighted to be joined by Dr. Melissa Cantor, Assistant Professor of Precision Dairy Science at Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Cantor spearheads an extramurally funded research initiative focused on harnessing data from precision technologies to improve decision-making and e...

Join in and listen to Episode 9 of the LiveStack podcast discussing “Digital, Data, and Durable Skills in Dairy Science. Joining in on this discussion is Dr. Sushil Paudyal, from the Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University. Dr. Paudyal’s research interest focuses on using herd and animal-level data for decision-making in dairy farms. His research utilizes innovative technologies to...

Join in and listen to Episode 8 of the LiveStack podcast discussing “ML and AI in Food-Animal Agriculture; What’s Essential to Make it Work.” Back joining in on this discussion is Dr. Micheal Odintsov Vaintrub, Veterinarian and COO of Regrowth, an AgriTech start-up based in Italy. This podcast discusses and explains AI and what it means in food animal agriculture, exploring the Micro (devices at t...

Join in and listen to episode 7 with Dr. Micheal Odintsov Vaintrub, Veterinarian and AgriTech COO, and Daniel Foy from AgriGates as they talk about “ Food Animal AgriTech in Italy: Small, Smart, and Sustainable.”   Michael grew up in Israel and moved to Italy in 2011 to study veterinary medicine at the University of Teramo (Abruzzo region), which he completed in 2017. He followed the studies with...

Dr. Laura Boyle is a senior research officer with Teagasc – The Irish National Agriculture and Food Development Authority, with over 25 years of research expertise in farm animal behavior and welfare science. Laura is an associate member of the European College of Animal Welfare and Behavioral Medicine (sub-specialty Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law), President of the Health and Welfare Comm...