Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast. Today, we're
tackling dairy's billion -dollar question. Can
a controversial 90s tech solve 21st century climate
challenges? Spoiler, the answer's hiding in a
Wisconsin barn. Join us as we unpack how bovine
somatotropin, BST, is making an unlikely comeback.
slashing emissions while boosting milk yields
you'll hear from farmers who've cracked the code
scientists defending the data and even a rebel
eu dairy producer running a black milk operation
grab your earbuds this isn't your grandpa's sustainability
chat all right everyone welcome back we're diving
headfirst into a topic that's been generating
a lot of buzz in the dairy world lately buzz
more like a whole herd of Holsteins stampeding
through the pasture. That's one way to put it.
I think a lot of dairy folks out there are feeling
that stampede, especially when it comes to this
whole sustainability push. You know, trying to
meet those ever -tightening environmental targets
while at the same time just trying to keep the
farm afloat financially. It's a real tightrope
walk, isn't it? You said it. It's like trying
to juggle three milk pails at once while riding
a unicycle. You're bound to spill something eventually.
Exactly. And today, We're going to really dig
into something that's been kind of a controversial
figure in the dairy industry for a while now,
but might actually hold some surprising solutions
for this whole sustainability dilemma. Bovine
somatotropin, better known as BST. Yeah, BST.
It's been a bit of a lightning rod, hasn't it?
A lot of strong opinions swirling around that
one. For sure. I mean, think back to the 90s.
It was practically a four -letter word in some
circles. But now we're seeing a real shift in
how folks are looking at it, especially through
this lens of environmental responsibility. It's
almost like we've come full circle. Something
that was demonized is now being looked at as
a potential climate hero. It's a fascinating
turn of events. It really is. And for this deep
dive, we've gathered a whole stack of research
articles, even some firsthand accounts from farmers
who've been using BST, all to get a clearer picture
of what it is, how it works, and most importantly...
how it could potentially be a game changer for
both the environment and your bottom line. Yeah,
because at the end of the day, that's what really
matters, right? We can talk all day about sustainability
goals, but if it doesn't make economic sense
for the farmer, it's not going to work. 100%.
So let's start by laying out the challenge, the
kind of sustainability trap that a lot of dairy
farmers are feeling caught in these days. Right.
It's like you're being squeezed from all sides.
On one hand, you've got these global climate
agreements pushing for significant reductions
in greenhouse gas emissions. We're talking about
that net zero target by 2050, which feels like
it's just around the corner. Yeah, come 50 sounds
far off, but it's really not when you think about
the changes we need to make. And look, we all
know that dairy. isn't exactly a tiny player
when it comes to emissions. True that. In the
U .S., the dairy industry contributes around
2 % of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Now,
that might not sound like a huge number on its
own, but... There's a big but coming, isn't there?
Always. The but is methane. Methane is the main
culprit in those dairy emissions, and it's a...
Potent little bugger. We're talking about 25
times more effective at trapping heat in the
atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide. So that
2 % actually packs a much bigger punch than it
initially seems. Yeah, like a Jersey bull calf
that thinks it's a Holstein. Small but feisty.
Perfect analogy. And so you've got all this pressure
to clean up those methane emissions, and there
are solutions out there, but they don't come
cheap. That's what I keep hearing. A lot of the
approved green technologies are just plain out
of reach for a lot of farms, financially speaking.
I was reading a comment from a dairy farmer in
Wisconsin the other day, and it really stuck
with me. He said something like, they keep talking
about these climate solutions, but the price
tag on some of them is higher than my entire
annual income. Yeah, I've heard similar things.
You're looking at anaerobic digesters, which
can cost upwards of... $1 .2 million to install.
Solar panels, those are great, but we're talking
$4 ,500 per cow equivalent to get those up and
running. Then you've got all these fancy precision
feeding systems with all the bills and whistles.
$10 ,000 or more, easy. And that's not even factoring
in the cost of actually hiring someone to help
you navigate all this, like a carbon consultant.
You're looking at $450 an hour for that kind
of expertise. Ouch. It's a lot to swallow, especially
when you look at the milk price, which, let's
be honest, hasn't exactly been setting any records
lately. Still hovering around that $20 per hundred
weight mark, give or take. Right. It's a tough
equation. You're trying to do the right thing
for the environment, but you also need to, you
know, stay in business. Exactly. And that's where
I think BST might be able to step in and offer
a different approach. Something that could...
potentially move the needle on both the environmental
and the economic front. Okay, so let's talk about
BST. For folks who might not be totally familiar
with it, can you give us a quick crash course?
Sure. BST, or bovine somatotropin, is a protein
hormone that's naturally produced by cows. It
plays a big role in growth and, importantly for
us, milk production. Now, the supplemental form
we're talking about here is called recombinant
BST or RBST. Recombinant? Sounds a bit sci -fi,
doesn't it? Like something out of Jurassic Park.
Maybe a little, but it's really not that complicated.
Basically, RBST is an identical twin to the BST
that a cow naturally produces. It's made in a
lab, but it's structurally the same thing. It's
not some kind of foreign substance we're pumping
into our cows. Got it. So it's like a boost of
something their bodies are already making. Exactly.
Now, the interesting part is how it works. You've
probably heard of the dilution of maintenance
effect. Dilution of? Ah, remind me again. Think
of it like this. a cow just like any living creature
needs a certain amount of energy Just to exist.
Just to keep all her systems running. That's
the maintenance. It's like the energy she needs
to keep the lights on in the barn, so to speak.
I get it. The basic overhead. Right. And scientists
estimate that about 35 % of a cow's total feed
energy goes towards that maintenance. So that's
35 % that's not going toward making milk. What
BST does is it kind of shifts that energy balance.
It helps the cow use less energy on just being
a cow and more on producing milk. So it's like
telling her... Hey, let's focus a little less
on just hanging out and a little more on filling
the tank. Precisely. And when you look at the
cellular level, it gets even more fascinating.
BST actually binds to receptors in the mammary
gland. This binding essentially tells those milk
-producing cells to stick around longer to extend
their productive lifespan. And what's really
cool is that this can potentially prolong that
peak lactation period by up to 41%. Whoa, 41%.
That's like getting an extra month of top dollar
milk checks. Exactly. More milk, same cow, same
basic feed bill. Now, before anyone jumps down
my throat about pushing cows too hard, let's
talk about what this actually looks like in practice.
We see those maintenance energy requirements
dropping when cows are supplemented with BST.
So instead of 35 % of energy going to maintenance,
it goes down to about 28%. That's a pretty significant
chunk of energy that's now freed up for milk
production. Right. And that translates into a
14 % improvement in feed efficiency, which is
huge. It's like getting almost one and a half
free meals per day for each cow. Same feed going
in, more milk coming out. Talk about making the
most of every bale. And on top of that, we see
milk production increasing by anywhere from 6
to 15 pounds per cow per day, often without having
to increase their feed intake proportionally.
So you're telling me we could get more milk without
shoveling in a mountain of extra feed. Where
do I sign up? Hold your horses. We're getting
there. But first, we need to address the elephant
in the parlor. Why isn't every dairy farmer using
BST if it's so great? I think there's this lingering
perception that it was banned because it was
somehow dangerous. Yeah, that myth has stuck
around like manure on a boot. The truth is, the
FDA here in the U .S. approved BST way back in
1993 after a very, very thorough 12 -year review.
They looked at it from every angle and their
conclusion was clear. Milk from cows treated
with BST is indistinguishable from milk from
untreated cows. There's no scientifically significant
difference, period. So it wasn't a safety issue
that led to its decline. What happened then?
Well, it was a bit of a perfect storm really.
You had some early challenges with how it was
being implemented on farms. Some of those early
trials in the 90s, they did see a temporary increase
in mastitis cases. It wasn't unmanageable, but
it became this big talking point for groups that
were already opposed to the technology. Mastitis
is a big deal. It's not something any dairy farmer
wants to mess around with. Right. And it created
this opening for those who were already skeptical.
And then you had this very effective activist
campaign that really played on those fears and
concerns. We're talking RBST free, labels popping
up everywhere, consumer boycotts, the whole nine
yards. It put a lot of pressure on farmers to
stop using it, even if they didn't necessarily
have any issues with it themselves. So it was
more about public perception and marketing than
any real scientific evidence of harm. That's
an important distinction to make. 100%. It was
a case study in how powerful those marketing
campaigns can be. All right, so now that we've
debunked that myth, let's talk brass tacks. What
could using BST actually mean for your dairy
operation? Let's break it down. If you look at
a typical 500 -cow dairy, the potential financial
impact is pretty substantial. We're talking about
feed cost savings in the neighborhood of $120
,000 a year. Wait, hold on. $120 ,000 just from
using BST? That's what the numbers are showing.
And then you add in the increased milk production,
which could generate an extra $59 ,000 in revenue
annually. Okay, now we're talking. That's almost
$180 ,000 straight to the bottom line. You could
buy a new tractor with that kind of money. Maybe
even two. It's a significant boost, no doubt.
And all this translates to a net profit margin
improvement of about 3 .5 percentage points.
So if you're currently operating at, say, an
8 .6 %... profit margin, BST could bump you up
to a much healthier 12 .1%. And these aren't
just theoretical numbers, right? These are based
on real -world data. Absolutely. These numbers
come from real dairy farms that have continued
to use BST, they stuck with it, and they've seen
these kinds of financial gains. That's really
encouraging to hear. It's one thing to talk about
potential benefits, but it's another thing entirely
to see actual farms succeeding with it. For sure.
And to put it in even more relatable terms, that
kind of profit boost, that extra $180 ,000 a
year, that's enough to buy a brand new robotic
milker every two years, debt -free. Think about
that kind of impact on your operation. Now you're
talking my language. Yeah. A new robot milker
every two years. Sign me up. Right. It's a pretty
compelling argument. And that's just the economic
side of things. We haven't even gotten into the
environmental benefits yet. Which is why we're
really here. Right. This whole sustainability
push. Yeah. So let's talk about the environmental
math that maybe those high priced carbon consultants
aren't exactly advertising. Right. So we've got
a mountain of research, including these really
comprehensive studies called life cycle assessments.
And they're all pointing to some pretty impressive
environmental benefits associated with BST. OK,
give us the highlights. All right. Buckle up.
For starters, we're seeing an 8 .1 % reduction
in total feed requirements per kilogram of milk
produced. Less feed. That means less land needed
to grow that feed, less water used, less fertilizer
runoff. It all starts to add up, doesn't it?
You got it. And it gets even better. We're also
looking at a 7 .3 % reduction in methane emissions
per unit of milk. That's a big deal, especially
when you consider how much more potent methane
is compared to carbon dioxide. Yeah, any reduction
in methane is a win in my book. What about manure?
Isn't that a major environmental concern with
dairy? It is, and BST delivers on that front
too. We see about a 6 .8 % reduction in manure
output per unit of milk, which can make a real
difference in managing those waste streams. And
then there's the issue of nutrient runoff, which
can impact water quality. We're talking about
a 9 .1 % reduction in nitrogen excretion and
an even bigger 11 .8 % reduction in phosphorus
excretion. Okay, so less feed. Less methane,
less manure, less nutrient runoff. It sounds
like BST is ticking all the boxes on the environmental
scorecard. But what about land use? You mentioned
earlier that BST could have a significant impact
there. Right. The research indicates that by
using BST, we could potentially reduce the land
needed for dairy production by a whopping 219
,000 hectares for every million cows. To put
that in perspective, that's an area larger than
New York City. Wow, that's a lot of land. You
could grow a whole lot of alfalfa on that. You
could. And to give you another powerful analogy,
if we implemented BST across the entire U .S.
dairy herd, the resulting reduction in methane
emissions would be the equivalent of taking 1
.2 million gas -guzzling cars off the road every
year. That's a pretty mind -blowing image. So
it's not just about reducing our negative impact,
but also about potentially freeing up resources
for other important uses. Now, I know a lot of
folks think that organic dairy is the gold standard
for sustainability. What does the research say
about that? Well, it's not as simple as organic
equals green. There was a really interesting
study done in Germany that compared the environmental
impacts of conventional, organic, and BST -enhanced
milk production. What they found was that organic
milk actually had a higher methane footprint
per gallon than conventional milk. Hold on, higher?
You're telling me organic milk produced more
methane than conventional? That's surprising.
It was a bit unexpected, but the numbers don't
lie. Organic came in at 112 % of the conventional
baseline, while the BST enhanced milk had the
lowest methane footprint at 92 .7%. Interesting.
What about land use? I would think organic would
have an advantage there. Not necessarily. In
that same study, organic actually required 130
% of the land to produce the same amount of milk
compared to the conventional system. BST enhanced
came out on top again, using only 81 .9 % of
the land. Huh. So BST wins on methane and land
use. What about synthetic fertilizers? That's
a big differentiator between organic and conventional.
Well, organic obviously doesn't use any synthetic
fertilizer, so it gets a gold star there. Conventional
was the baseline at 100%, and BST enhanced came
in at 84%. So while it doesn't eliminate the
need for fertilizer, it does significantly reduce
it compared to conventional production. So it's
not as black and white as some folks might think.
There are trade -offs with every system. What
are some of the reasons behind these findings?
Why is organic... not necessarily the greenest
option. Well, one of the biggest factors is that
organic systems often have lower milk yields
per cow. This means you need more cows to produce
the same amount of milk, which generally leads
to higher overall emissions. Right. More cows,
more mouths to feed, more methane. Makes sense.
Exactly. And the forage -based diets that are
common in organic systems, those can actually
lead to higher methane emissions per cow. The
type of fiber they're digesting can produce more
methane in their rumen. And while carbon sequestration
in organic soils is a good thing, it doesn't
seem to fully offset those higher emissions from
the larger herds. So it's a complex equation.
There's no easy answer. And that brings us to
another tricky topic. This whole idea of natural.
BST often gets slapped with the unnatural label.
What are your thoughts on that? Honestly, it's
a bit of a loaded term, isn't it? I mean, how
much of modern agriculture is truly natural?
We've been selectively breeding animals and plants
for centuries. We manage their environments,
their diets, their breeding cycles. It's all
about maximizing efficiency. Yeah, if we're being
honest, modern dairy farming, whether it's organic,
conventional, or somewhere in between, is pretty
far removed from a cow just grazing in a field.
Exactly. So where do we draw the line? The argument
for BST is that it's actually optimizing a natural
biological process that's already happening inside
the cow. It's not some foreign substance. It's
about helping her be more efficient at what she
already does, produce milk. And this increased
efficiency means we can produce more milk with
fewer resources and, importantly, lower emissions
per unit of milk. So more milk with less impact.
That's the goal. Yeah, that's the holy grail
of sustainable intensification. And when you
compare BST to some of the other sustainability
technologies out there, it really stands out.
Let's take methane digesters, for example. Okay,
those are the big systems that capture methane
from manure, right? Right. They can offer a bigger
methane reduction than BST, but the cost is astronomical.
We're talking about an average cost of $1 ,200
per cow for a digester and it takes years to
recoup that investment. BST on the other hand
costs around 47 cents per cow per day and you
typically see a return on investment within about
six months. So it's much more affordable and
has a much faster payback. What about feed additives
like 3 -NOP? Those are supposed to reduce methane
too, right? They do, but they're even more expensive
than BST. We're talking $2 .10 per cow per day
and it takes about a year to see a return on
that investment. Plus, the methane reduction
with 3NOP isn't significantly different from
BST. So BST wins on cost and speed of return,
and it's competitive on methane reduction. What
about solar? A lot of folks are investing in
solar panels. Solar is great, but it's primarily
addressing your farm's energy use, not directly
targeting the methane emissions from the cows
themselves. And again, there's a big upfront
investment. We're talking $4 ,500 per cow equivalent
for solar. And the payback period is typically
around eight years. Okay, so it sounds like BST
offers a pretty unique combination of affordability,
a quick return on investment, and significant
environmental benefits. But we can't ignore the
animal welfare question. How does BST affect
the cows themselves? That's a valid concern,
and I think it's where a lot of the hesitancy
around BST comes from. But the data coming from
countries where BST is still being used suggests
that with proper management, it doesn't have
a negative impact on cow welfare. In fact, it
might even be beneficial. Really? Can you elaborate
on that? Sure. There's longevity data coming
out of Israeli dairy farms, for example, that
shows BST treated cows actually have a slightly
longer productive lifespan compared to cows in
conventional and even organic systems. Longer
lifespan. So it's not wearing them out faster.
Not according to this data. And there's research
from the Netherlands showing that cows treated
with BST analogs actually have higher levels
of play behavior and are more likely to interact
with enrichment devices in their environment.
So potentially happier cows. That goes against.
That's the common narrative. It does. The theory
is that BST, by helping the cow optimize her
metabolism and energy use, actually reduces physiological
stress, which could lead to those positive behavioral
changes. That's fascinating. And what about mastitis?
We talked earlier about how that was a concern
in the early days of BST. Right. Those early
trials did show a temporary spike in cases. But
those were primarily due to management practices
not keeping up with the increased milk production.
So it wasn't the BST itself causing the problem.
Right. And the protocols for using BST have evolved
significantly since then. We now have better
teat sealant products, more sophisticated monitoring
technologies to catch problems early, and a better
understanding of how to adjust diets to support
those higher -producing cows. So it sounds like
the key is good management, regardless of whether
you're using BST or not. Well, 100%. A well -managed
herd is a healthy herd. period. And I think that's
the message we need to get across to folks. BST
isn't some magic bullet. It's a tool that can
be incredibly effective, but only when it's used
responsibly and as part of a holistic management
system that prioritizes cow health and well -being.
Okay, so let's move on to some real -world examples.
You mentioned that some countries are successfully
using DST, even today. Tell us about those success
stories. Sure. Let's start with Brazil. They
really dialed in a system that combines BST supplementation
with high RUP diets, meaning diets that have
a higher percentage of rumen -undegraded protein.
Okay. And how's that working out for them? The
results are pretty incredible. They're seeing
a 15 .2 % increase in milk yield per lactation
compared to conventional systems. And that's
not all. They've also achieved a 15 .5 % reduction
in methane intensity, meaning less methane produced
per kilogram of milk. Plus, their profitability
per hectare is 62 % higher. Those are some serious
gains. It sounds like they've cracked the code.
What are they doing differently in terms of their
management practices? Well, they're really focused
on precision feeding. They're making sure those
cows are getting exactly the right balance of
nutrients to support that higher level of production.
They're also using BS2 strategically, typically
administering it every 14 days. And many farms
are incorporating real -time methane monitoring
systems so they can track those emissions reductions
directly. So it's a combination of technology
and good old -fashioned management savvy. What
about Israel? You mentioned they're doing some
really innovative things with BST. Yeah, they've
gone all in on the high -tech route. They're
integrating BST with artificial intelligence,
sensor technologies that track everything from
methane emissions to cow behavior. The whole
works. Wow, it sounds like they're running a
space -age dairy operation. Pretty much. And
the results are impressive. Their methane emissions
are significantly lower in BST -treated herds.
They're also achieving some incredible feed efficiency
numbers, producing 21 .4 kilograms of milk per
cow per day, which is 37 % higher than the European
average. So more milk with less feed, less methane,
and they're incorporating cutting -edge technology.
What's not to love? Right. But what about consumer
perception? How are they addressing that? They're
going for radical transparency. They're actually
putting QR codes on their milk cartons that allow
consumers to see the real -time data on the environmental
impact of that specific carton of milk. That's
pretty cool. So you can scan your milk and see
how much methane was emitted to produce it. Exactly.
They're not shying away from the fact that they
use BST. They're embracing it as part of their
commitment to sustainable dairy farming. And
it's paying off. They're seeing faster returns
on investment for those robotic milking systems.
They're freeing up land for other uses. And they're
building trust with their consumers. It's a great
example of how transparency and clear communication
can really make a difference. Okay, let's talk
regulations. We know there's a real patchwork
of rules and perceptions around BST globally.
What's the current state of play? It's a bit
of a mess, to be honest. Canada banned BST back
in 1999, mainly over animal welfare concerns,
even though human safety wasn't really the issue.
The EU followed suit with restrictions of their
own. Here in the U .S., it's still approved,
but those market pressures and consumer campaigns
we talked about earlier have largely pushed it
to the sidelines. It's interesting that Canada
banned it, but could still be importing dairy
products from the U .S. that potentially came
from BSD -treated herds. It's one of those weird
regulatory contradictions. And it highlights
the economic consequences of these bans. Canada,
for instance, is facing some tough choices about
how to meet its climate targets. They might have
to significantly reduce their dairy herd, which
could cost them billions of dollars. BST could
potentially help them avoid that. So there's
a real opportunity to revisit these regulations,
especially in light of the environmental benefits
PST can offer. Exactly. And it's not just a Canadian
issue. We've seen different approaches to RBST
-free labeling here in the U .S. at the state
level, with some states trying to restrict such
labels while others have considered requiring
disclaimers. It's a regulatory minefield. But
the science is pretty clear. All the major global
regulatory bodies, including the FDA, the World
Health Organization, and the American Medical
Association, have all concluded that milk from
BST -treated cows is safe for human consumption.
Right. The science is there. Now it's a bringing
the regulations and public perception in line
with that science, especially as we face these
mounting environmental challenges. Okay, so for
the dairy farmers listening who might be thinking
this is all well and good, but how do I actually
implement BST on my farm? What's a practical
roadmap for success? I'm glad you asked. Based
on those success stories we've seen around the
world, here's a five -step plan to get you started.
First, update your farm management protocols.
Make sure you're using the current best practices
for BST administration, which typically involves
a dose of 500 milligrams per 100 kilograms of
body weight every 14 days. Okay, so every two
weeks. Got it. What else? Crucially, you want
to pair that with a high RUP diet. That's key
for maximizing those methane reductions. And
you need to be on top of your monitoring game.
Use technology to track cow health and make sure
those girls are thriving. So it's not just about
injecting the ST and hoping for the best. It's
about a whole system approach. Exactly. Step
two is all about building transparency. Think
about creating a climate smart dairy certification
or something similar that clearly shows the emissions
reductions you're achieving. Use QR codes on
your products to give consumers access to real
time data on your farm's environmental footprint.
And consider getting third party verification
of your animal welfare practices. So be open,
be honest and let people see what you're doing.
Exactly. Step three is about collaboration. Form
working groups with other dairy farmers and industry
experts to share knowledge and best practices.
Partner with companies that offer complementary
technologies like those robotic milking systems,
which we saw can have a faster return on investment
when paired with BST, and look into those emerging
carbon markets. There might be opportunities
there to get paid for those emissions reductions.
Share knowledge and explore new revenue streams.
What's next? Step four is about being proactive
on the regulatory front. Document those environmental
improvements you're making. Use that data to
challenge labeling restrictions. Make the case
that BST milk is actually better for the environment.
Don't be afraid to fight for what you believe
in. Right. And finally, step five is all about
communication. We need to change the way we talk
about BST. Ditch the loaded language like growth
hormone and start using terms like metabolic
optimizer. Focus on the positive environmental
benefits, not just the production increases.
So it's about shifting the narrative. Exactly.
Position BST as a climate solution. Help consumers
understand that it's a way to produce the milk
they love in a more sustainable way. Okay, so
we've covered a lot of ground here, but before
we wrap up, let's zoom out for a minute and talk
about why this whole conversation about BST matters
beyond just our individual dairy farms. It really
gets to the heart of some big questions about
how we're going to feed a growing population
while also protecting the planet. BST is a perfect
example of how we can use technology to enhance
natural processes and make food production more
efficient and sustainable. Right. It challenges
that false dichotomy between natural and technological.
Exactly. And it highlights the economic realities
of sustainability. We can't just expect farmers
to shoulder the entire burden of environmental
improvement. Solutions need to be economically
viable or they're not going to work in the long
run. That's a crucial point. And finally, with
climate change becoming an increasingly urgent
issue, how does BST fit into that larger global
picture? It's a tool in our toolbox, and it's
one we can't afford to ignore. Those emissions
reductions, the land savings, the increased efficiency,
those are all things that can contribute to a
more sustainable food system. So what's the bottom
line here? We're facing unprecedented challenges,
but we also have unprecedented opportunities.
BST is a scientifically proven, safe, and effective
technology that can help us navigate those challenges.
It's time to take a fresh look at it with open
minds and a focus on the future. Well said. And
to our listeners out there, I'll leave you with
this. Are you going to stick with the status
quo? Or are you willing to explore how BST could
fit into your farm's future and contribute to
a more sustainable dairy industry for all of
us? It's a question worth pondering. Well, that
wraps up another deep dive. What a fascinating
conversation. It really highlights how important
it is to stay informed and be open to new ideas.
The dairy industry is constantly evolving and
we need to evolve with it. 100%. Yeah. And as
we face these growing pressures from the market,
from consumers, and from the environment, we
need to be willing to consider all the options,
all the tools at our disposal. Absolutely. We
can't let outdated perceptions or fear of the
unknown hold us back. Exactly. So as you head
back out to the barn, take a moment to think
about what we've talked about today. Think about
those farmers in Brazil and Israel who are successfully
using BST to make their operations more sustainable
and more profitable. And ask yourself, could
this be part of the solution for my farm, for
my future, for the future of the dairy industry?
It's a question worth asking. Whether BST becomes
dairy's climate hero or remains its misunderstood
outcast, one truth is clear. Feeding 10 billion
sustainably demands tough choices. For show notes
with Mike Peterson's ROI calculator and the full
Journal of Dairy Science study, visit thebullvine
.com. This is the Bullvine Podcast, where tradition
meets tomorrow's tech. Until next time, milk
smarter, not harder.