What sets successful dairy professionals apart from those who are less so or not successful? It’s a question most anyone working in the dairy industry asks themselves at some point or another. It’s also the final question the hosts of The Dairy Podcast Show by Wisenetix ask at the conclusion of every program.
What follows is a sampling of answers that five guests – from dairy producers to veterinarians to educators – have shared with the podcast hosts this year. While the responses are edited for clarity, they can be heard in their entirety on each of the respective programs, which are available online at The Dairy Podcast Show
“What I would say is that the best of the best have a unique mindset. And the mindset is they do all the little things right. I think the way they do that is they bring to the table the expertise that they need. So, they’re going to bring in nutrition expertise, reproduction expertise, and genetic expertise. And when they gather around the table, they’re not arguing or fighting or blaming. They’re a team working together to try to get better.
“And these dairies are never, never happy with where they are. They always want to improve. I worked with a dairy group one time, and they looked at me and said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t tell us everything is OK. We don’t want advisors that say everything is OK. We want advisors that are going to push us to the next level.’ That’s a mindset. And those are the people you want to work with. And frankly, they’re hard to stay ahead of, because they’re right on the cutting edge. They adopt technology quickly, and so it’s a fun group to work with. It’s their mindset and how they use expertise and experience around them.” Paul Fricke, Professor & Extension Specialist for Dairy Reproduction, University of Wisconsin. Podcast Topic: Dairy Cattle Fertility Frontier
“Relationships are always very important. I think the other thing that has really helped me be successful has been figuring out what type of business model I was going to run for my dairy farm and then really sticking to that. A lot of other farmers that I’ve seen that have done a good job financially have done that, too. I’ve also seen plenty of farmers that thought they were following one business model, and then you could see by their decisions and how they’re spending their money that they were trying to run multiple different business models, and it wasn’t working. So, I think really understanding what you’re trying to do with your business is a very important aspect.”
Paul Windemuller, Owner of Dream Winds Dairy, LLC, Coopersville, Michigan. Podcast Topic: Adaptability in Modern Dairy Farming
“I think it is the little things done right that becomes a way of life, a life choice of how you do things. It’s everything from creating the mindset for the farm, for the employees, and taking pride in what they’re doing. So, it’s really about taking care of the little things, and not letting those slip away.”
Scott Carrick, DVM and Partner, Attica Veterinary Associates, Attica, New York. Podcast Topic: Monitoring Dairy Health
“I don’t think there’s one particular trait, but what comes to mind first and foremost is they have passion and enthusiasm for what they do. And then couple that with grit and perseverance, having good communication skills, both verbal and written. And then, you know, working well with a team and being collaborative. Sprinkle in a little bit of a servant attitude – serving others and wanting to build and boost team morale, looking out for the greater good of the group, rather than just your own agenda.”
Christen Burgett, Associate Teaching Professor, Iowa State University. Podcast Topic: Educating Dairy’s Next Generation
“When you look at what has differentiated those that are successful in their business, a lot of it just comes down to being really good managers of the resources that they have, the people, the cows, the land. They pay attention to the details. That’s what I believe kind of separates them, along with having a vision for the future. They look for ways to be innovative, and they’re not just going to sit back and say, ‘well, this is the way we’ve done it for last 20 years.’ They’re looking for ways to be innovative even when there’s some risk involved with it, but they’re also not taking unnecessary risks.”
Corwin Nelson, Associate Professor of Physiology, Immunology and Endocrinology, University of Florida. Podcast Topic: Vitamin D and Immunity
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