The Dairy Hour Podcast
Welcome to the Dairy Hour Podcast, where rural charm meets personal growth! Join us as we milk every moment for wisdom, self-improvement, and mental wellness. I’m your host, Val Lavigne, a rural dairy farming mom with a passion for filling hearts while never forgetting to fill my own cup. Get ready for insightful conversations, empowering tips, and a splash of fun and laughs off course! Let’s cultivate growth, nourish our minds, and embrace the journey together. This is the Dairy Hour Podcast – where every episode is a breath of fresh air and the inspiration you need to be your best self! If you love this podcast, please leave a review and share with a friend! To be considered as a guest on the show, please email at Dairygalval@icloud.com or inquire on www.dairygalval.com
Episodes
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
In this episode we welcome Special Guest, Wilko Brouwer de Koning from the Netherlands, a third-generation dairy farmer.
Discussing the significance of Holland as a dairy powerhouse globally and meeting Wilko at the World Dairy Summit in Chicago.
Farm Operation: Brief overview of Wilko's dairy farm, location, and the scale of operation.
Family Involvement: Mentioning Wilko's family, including his brother and three children.
Farm Size: Highlighting the farm's size compared to the average in Holland.
Detailing the milking routine, including sheds, milking robots, and grazing.
Grazing Importance: Discussing the significance of grazing in Holland and its impact on milk quality.
Community Engagement: Emphasizing the importance of connecting with neighbors and the community.
Challenges in Dairy Farming:
Land Restrictions: Explaining the challenges in starting a farm in Holland due to high land costs.
Quota System: Discussing limitations on phosphate and the challenges imposed by manure laws.
Future Challenges: Addressing upcoming challenges related to reducing the number of cows and managing manure.
Sustainable Farming Practices:
Innovations: Noting the presence of innovations on Dutch farms but challenges in their implementation.
Carbon Footprint: Discussing the need to address carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate levels on the farm.
Grassland Importance: Emphasizing the role of grassland in sustainable dairy farming.
Generational Transition:
Transition Story: Discussing the transition from the previous generation to Wilko and his brother.
Involvement of Previous Generation: Mentioning Wilko's father's continued support after retirement.
Global Dairy Industry:
Comparison with the U.S.: Comparing family farms in Holland with the diverse sizes in the U.S.
Global Dairy Trends: Highlighting the alarming rate of dairy farm retirements worldwide.
Fun Questions!
Closing Statements
You can follow Wilco on X @boertercoulster on LinkedIn @Wilco Brouwer de Koning and on Facebook @Wilco Brouwer de Koning
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via http://www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Lets head back to England and head a bit north of London to a dairy farmer and sustainability lover. Ruth, a multigenerational dairy farmer, is one of 33 farms that ship their milk to Long Clawson Dairy, maker of the world famous Blue Stilton cheese, among a few other delicious blends. This episode will leave you craving blue cheese! You can find Ruth on Instagram @RuthDairyFarmer
This episode is brought to you by @ZISK App
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Halfway around the world, you will find the dairy powerhouse of New Zealand! Here on the North Island, as a shareholder farmer you will find Richard McIntyre and his family working hard on the farm and representing NZ farmers on a national and world stage! You will learn a lot about dairying on the other side of the world and in a completely different way. You can find Richard on Facebook @Richard McIntyre
This episode is brought to you by @SupervisorSystems
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
This week we travel across the Atlantic to the south of England and chat with Gabby Emery, whom has a great diverse background in many different types of agriculture. She also has a wonderful passion for what she does and is a blast to chat with! You can find Gabby on Instagram @gjemry
This episode is brought to you by @BoviSync
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Wednesday Dec 27, 2023
Join Katie Dotterer and I as we talk about her life, and how one day it was all turned upside down with the big bad D word! She talks about how hard it is to go through a divorce as being a woman in agriculture with a farm and how she found her passion again and is still connecting to agriculture in a huge way! This episode has some tough conversation in it, however if you are going through a hard time, it may help you see the light on the other side of the tunnel.
This episode also embraces the new year with some inspiration to help you bloom as a person and inspire you to do those big things you have been dreaming of! You can find Katie on Social Media as @the_agvokate or www.agvokate.com
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
Wednesday Dec 20, 2023
Join me as I have the honor to sit down and chat with Jim Mulhern, Retiring CEO and President of the National Milk Producers Federation. Jim is known throughout the dairy industry as a hard worker and huge advocate for our US Dairy Industry and it was my honor to have him on and talk about some of the great pieces of legislation he was a part of, as well as more about Jim's life and how he ended up being such a policy powerhouse for the dairy industry. This interview was a huge honor for me and we wish Jim nothing but the best with his upcoming retirement!
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
Wednesday Dec 13, 2023
Let's chat with Emily Reuschel about growing up with small town dreams and then ending up in a completely different path than you planned on! Buckle up, this is a fun episode talking with Emily and sharing fun stories an moments of life. It also ends with a little bit of inspiration to get those goals in gear for the upcoming new year and how to set yourself up for success! You can find Emily on Social Media @emilyreuschel and on her website emilyreuschel.com
This episode is brought to you by 4-D Ag Fashion & 4-D Ag World!
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
Wednesday Dec 06, 2023
This week we are chatting with Royalty!! Join me as I chat with Jenna Howlett, the current Miss Vermont USA, and also the daughter of a dairy farmer! Learn more about the great things she is using her platform to speak to people about as well as how the daughter of a dairy farmer set her goals on the crown. You can follow Jenna at @missvtusa and @jenna.howlett on Instagram and @Miss Vermont USA on Facebook!
This episode is brought to you by Down to Earth Jewelry!
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Wednesday Nov 29, 2023
Join me as I chat with Hannah Woodhouse this week on the podcast! We get a little bit "sciency" but in a fun and easy to understand way talking about her research project getting her PHD, as well as about all the fun of living in Canada and growing up on a small dairy. You can find her on Instagram @hannahwoodhouse1 and on LinkedIn @Hannah Woodhouse (where you can also find links to her research)
This episode is brought to you by ZISK App!
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal ! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
Wednesday Nov 22, 2023
This week I sat down with Peggy Coffeen of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast! Instead of her doing the interviewing like we are all accustomed to, this is an opportunity to get to know the energetic woman on the other side of the mic and we had a ton of fun! You can find her on Facebook and Instagram @UplevelDairy !
This episode is brought to you by Supervisor Systems!
Please, if you like this episode, please share it on social media or with friends and tag @DairyGalVal !
You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube @DairyGalVal and you can contact me via www.dairygalval.com