The Dairy Podcast Show

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Samantha Reighard, Dairy Nutrition and Management Consultant at Standard Dairy Consultants, shares how data-driven tools improve cow health, transition management, and feed consistency. She explains how activity monitoring, rumination trends, and proactive nutrition strategies help reduce variation and prevent health issues. Samantha also discusses dry-off management and heat-stress strategies. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Data is superior to experience, and decisions should be based on measurable facts rather than assumptions.”

Meet the guest: Samantha Reighard earned her B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Spanish from Iowa State University. She serves as a Dairy Nutrition and Management Consultant at Standard Dairy Consultants, focusing on feed consistency, transition management, herd monitoring, and data-driven decision making. Samantha works closely with producers to improve cow longevity, productivity, and operational efficiency.

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What you'll learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:26) Introduction
(05:50) Data-driven nutrition
(10:36) Activity monitoring tools
(13:55) Transition cow management
(15:26) Dry off strategies
(17:41) Heat stress nutrition
(25:34) Final Questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* CowManager

* Evonik
* Priority IAC
* Agri-Comfort
* Jones-Hamilton Co.
* Adisseo
* Afimilk
- Agrarian Solutions
- Berg + Schmidt
- BoviSync
- dsm-firmenich
- Protekta
- Natural Biologics
- AHV
- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
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In this special re-run episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, marking International Women's Day, we bring back our conversation with Tara Vander Dussen, a fifth-generation dairy farmer and environmental scientist, who discusses the critical issues surrounding sustainability in dairy farming. Tara shares her unique journey from environmental consulting to podcasting, highlighting water use, sustainability practices, and how dairy farmers can balance environmental concerns with production. Learn about the latest challenges in water conservation, the importance of educating consumers, and how small management changes can make a big impact. Listen now on your favorite podcast platform!

"Water use in dairy is not just about big projects. Sometimes it's the small management changes that make a big difference."

Meet the guest: Tara Vander Dussen is an environmental scientist and fifth-generation dairy farmer in eastern New Mexico, with a B.S. in Soil Water and Environmental Science from the University of Arizona. Her work has focused on dairy environmental compliance, water use, and manure management, while also translating complex sustainability topics for broader audiences through digital media. 

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What you'll learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:44) Introduction
(05:04) Environmental science
(07:19) Water conservation
(15:53) Educating consumers
(23:23) Consumer-driven in dairy
(27:59) Digital media
(28:59) Final three questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Afimilk
* CowManager
* Evonik
* Priority IAC
* Agri-Comfort
* Jones-Hamilton Co.
* Adisseo

- Natural Biologics
- AHV
- DietForge
- Agrarian Solutions
- Berg + Schmidt
- BoviSync
- dsm-firmenich
- Protekta

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Dairy Podcast Show
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LinkedIn: The Dairy Podcast Show

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Joey Bray from Jones-Hamilton Co.  Animal Nutrition & Health explains why ammonia is a major challenge in dairy facilities and how pH influences pathogen pressure and infection risk. He introduces sodium bisulfate as a practical tool for lowering pH, sharing calf research results and broader dairy applications, including calf housing and footbath systems. Learn practical strategies to improve air quality, animal welfare, and productivity in dairy operations. Listen now on all major platforms!

"When ammonia stays consistent in the environment, it leads to respiratory issues and damage to respiratory tissues."

Meet the guest: Dr. Joey Bray earned his BS and MS in Animal Sciences from Stephen F. Austin State University and his PhD in Poultry Management from Texas A&M University. After more than a decade in academia as a professor and department chair, he transitioned into industry. He currently serves as a Technical Support Representative at Jones-Hamilton Co.  Animal Nutrition & Health, focusing on environmental pH management, ammonia control, and practical solutions for animal health.

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What you'll learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:49) Introduction
(03:55) Ammonia formation
(07:56) pH and moisture
(10:55) Sodium bisulfate
(16:12) Calf research
(23:10) Footbath use
(32:07) Final three questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Jones-Hamilton Co.

* Lallemand
* CowManager
* Afimilk
* Evonik
* Priority IAC
* Adisseo
* Agri-Comfort
- dsm-firmenich
- Protekta
- DietForge
- BoviSync
- Berg + Schmidt
- Natural Biologics
- Agrarian Solutions
- AHV

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Dairy Podcast Show
Instagram: The Dairy Podcast Show
LinkedIn: The Dairy Podcast Show

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Alex Benoit, PhD student at Cornell University, discusses research evaluating the interactions between amino acids and fatty acids on milk production and milk composition in lactating dairy cows. She explains current knowledge on how these nutrients influence milk fat, milk protein, and energetic efficiency, and why balancing them matters for modern dairy systems. Alex also shares why this research is critical for supporting future nutrition strategies and outlines the next steps in her research program. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The mammary gland is full of protein, and one of the hypotheses is that amino acids may support synthetic activity, enzyme structures, signaling mechanisms that direct nutrients, or act as an energy source through oxidation."

Meet the guest: Alex Benoit is a PhD student in Animal Sciences at Cornell University, with an MS from Michigan State University and a strong background in dairy cattle nutrition research. Her work focuses on interactions between amino acids and fatty acids and their role in milk fat and protein synthesis. 

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!
Dr. Charlie Elrod: Viral Combat Strategies | Ep. 99
Dr. Adrian Barragan: Managing Transition Period Inflammation | Ep. 106
Dr. Chris Chase: Gut Health’s Impact on Cattle | Ep. 114

What you'll learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(02:02) Introduction
(03:09) Research focus
(05:39) Milk components insights
(08:32) Economics and balance
(14:19) Energetic efficiency
(20:50) Industry impact
(24:47) Final three questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Natural Biologics

* Adisseo
* Agri-Comfort
* Jones-Hamilton Co.
* Lallemand
* CowManager
* Afimilk
* Evonik
* Priority IAC
- Agrarian Solutions
- AHV
- dsm-firmenich
- Protekta
- DietForge
- BoviSync
- Berg + Schmidt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Dairy Podcast Show
Instagram: The Dairy Podcast Show
LinkedIn: The Dairy Podcast Show

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Karun Kaniyamattam from Texas A&M University breaks down how decision modeling and artificial intelligence can support real-world dairy management. He shares practical examples of how data streams, genetic indices, and modeling tools can improve disease control, labor efficiency, and long-term profitability without adding unnecessary complexity. Listen now on all major platforms.

"Decision modeling helps evaluate trade-offs that occur when balancing animal health, productivity, environmental responsibility, and farm profitability."

Meet the guest: Dr. Karun Kaniyamattam is an Assistant Professor of Livestock Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence at Texas A&M AgriLife Research. Trained as a veterinarian, he focuses his work on decision modeling, artificial intelligence, and sustainable dairy cattle systems. His research integrates animal health, economics, and production to support better farm-level decisions. 

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you'll learn:
(00:00) Highlight
(01:43) Introduction
(12:16) Decision modeling
(14:45) Systems thinking
(17:43) Computing power
(19:50) AI definition
(23:47) Surprising insights
(28:01) Final three questions

The Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Priority IAC
* Adisseo
* Agri-Comfort
* Jones-Hamilton Co.
* Lallemand
* CowManager
* Afimilk
* Evonik

- BoviSync
- Berg + Schmidt
- Natural Biologics
- Agrarian Solutions
- AHV
- dsm-firmenich
- Protekta
- DietForge

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Dairy Podcast Show
Instagram: The Dairy Podcast Show
LinkedIn: The Dairy Podcast Show