Hello, Bullvine listeners. Welcome to another
episode of the Bullvine Podcast. I'm your host
today, and I've got an incredible story to share
with you, one that truly embodies the passion,
perseverance, and innovation that defines great
dairy breeding. Picture this with me. morning
sun streaming across Wisconsin pastures, dew
still fresh on the grass, and Josh Hushen moving
among his prized Brown Swiss cattle. What began
back in 1991 as a humble 4 -H project has evolved
into Brothers 3 Brown Swiss, one of the country's
most respected Brown Swiss breeding operations.
The Brothers 3 story didn't begin with generations
of dairy farming knowledge or an established
Brown Swiss herd. They were complete novices
when they began. As Josh told me, we are first
generation into Brown -Swiss and even into showing
at all, so being open -minded and learning from
people we look up to is ingrained into us. We
didn't know anything about Brown -Swiss when
we started in 1991, so there was no, this is
our breeding philosophy, to help or hold us back.
I love that blank slate approach. It might have
actually been their greatest advantage. Without
preconceptions about how things should be done,
The Hushon family approached every challenge
with humility and adaptability. Josh remembers
how his parents had to find mentors just to learn
showing techniques so they could pass that knowledge
to their children. I think that's why we've never
been afraid to ask the people we respect for
help. We watched mom and dad do that constantly
as kids. This philosophy of continuous learning
has defined their success. Josh has a saying
I find particularly powerful. To know the road
ahead, Ask those coming back. The Brothers Three
have consistently sought guidance from industry
figures like Luke Peterson, who helped them turn
a $1 ,200 purchase into a third -place finisher
at World Dairy Expo and an honorable mention
All -American. What I find fascinating about
Brothers Three is how they balance distinct roles
while maintaining a unified vision. Though it's
never been anyone's full -time job, their passion
for brown Swiss cattle drives their collaborative
approach. Each brother contributes according
to their strengths. Jake leverages his role at
New Generation Genetics to make most mating decisions,
bringing industry -wide genetic insights. Josh
and Casey manage day -to -day development and
merchandising, determining which animals to show
and invest in. And Joe, whose career has taken
him toward agronomy, remains critical during
World Dairy Expo. helping balance careers and
brothers three responsibilities a pivotal moment
came in 2014 when josh and casey purchased a
small farm and began rebuilding their operation
josh told me from 2009 until then we had dwindled
our numbers and were only boarding a few with
the tops in ohio without a major change the brothers
three prefix might have become history This move
allowed them to strategically rebuild their herd
by acquiring animals from their favorite cow
families in both Brown Swiss and Ayrshire breeds.
And folks, let me tell you, this isn't your romanticized
version of full -time farming. Josh describes
their operation as a morning, evening, weekend,
and any other spare moment that Casey and I can
find kind of job. They maintain 10 to 15 show
heifers at their small farm. with milk cows owned
in partnership with the Neals and Wolf families
or boarded at quality operations like Boojohn
and Smithcrest. At the heart of Brothers Three's
success is their commitment to breeding cattle
that excel both in the show ring and the milking
parlor. As Jake explains it, we have always bred
for both type and production, even though we
don't have our own dairy. It was always important
to us that our cattle be productive in the milk
string for the dairymen or partners who milk
them, as well as competitive in the show ring
for us. Their breeding program builds upon the
foundation established by their father, who emphasized
four key elements, type, udders, cow families,
and milk production. But here's where it gets
interesting. About a decade ago, brothers three
began experiencing reproductive challenges in
their herd drawing on jake's experience with
new generation genetics customers they pivoted
to prioritize daughter pregnancy rate dpr in
their breeding decisions this was a forward -thinking
move that anticipated industry trends josh shared
with me one of their most successful matings
woodford with deluxe now if you look at deluxe's
linear he's negative stature and only plus 0
.2 on type not what many would pick for an elite
show mating. But he fit because of his high DPR,
and they believed maternal lines matter tremendously
in the Brown Swiss breed. The results? The first
three daughters from that mating have three All
-American nominations in just two years, plus
a fourth that sold for $30 ,000 as the second
high seller at a recent sale. Let's talk about
how Brothers 3 embraces cutting -edge technology.
They've strategically used in vitro fertilization,
IVF, in partnership with Crave Brothers for embryo
implantation, which has been instrumental in
rapidly rebuilding their herd quality. But genomic
testing? That's been the real revolution in their
breeding approach. Jake told me, genomic testing
has had a massive impact on our breeding program.
We started to test all females to get a glimpse
into the future of each heifer. Just as each
animal is designed with a specific nutrition
program to maximize potential, genomics allows
us to maximize genetic potential through our
matings. Their two -pronged genomic strategy
is brilliant, testing all females to assess their
genetic potential and selecting bulls that both
maximize positive traits and address genetic
weaknesses simultaneously. This has accelerated
their genetic progress significantly. allowing
them to make more informed breeding decisions
than would ever be possible through traditional
visual assessment and pedigree analysis alone.
Every great herd has a foundation female, and
for Brothers Three, that's Brothers Three Whisper,
2E92, a granddaughter of Top Acres EJ Whistle.
Twice named All -American, Whisper was Junior
Champion at World Dairy Expo in 2001 and Grand
Champion of the Junior Show in Madison in 2003.
Her genetic impact has been extraordinary. 25
classified daughters, 21 of which are very good
or excellent. Josh proudly shared that almost
half of their 50 All -American nominations belong
to her and her offspring. Their success in the
show ring is impressive. 10 All -Americans and
7 Reserve All -Americans, 5 Honorable Mention
All -Americans, 36 total All -American nominations.
the 2023 Intermediate Champion at World Dairy
Expo with top B3 Woodford and successful entries
in both Brown Swiss and Ayrshire breeds. Oh,
listeners, if you want a story that embodies
perseverance, you need to hear about Woodford.
I can hear the emotion in Josh's voice when he
tells this story. Standing in a pasture in late
spring 2022 with tears in my eyes as they confirmed
that top B3 Woodford had lost her calf and was
open, I could never have imagined in a million
years that she would be Intermediate Champion
at World Dairy Expo 16 months later. Woodford
had shown promise as a heifer, earning Reserve
All -American Summer Yearling honors. After losing
her calf, Josh feared his dreams for her were
delayed, if not derailed. Yet against all odds,
she calved at 2 years and 11 months, and by August
was named Intermediate and Reserve Grand Champion
at the Wisconsin State Show. Her rise continued
at World Dairy Expo 2023, where she claimed the
intermediate championship. Josh's words about
her still give me goosebumps. I tell people that
I love that cow more than you should love a cow,
and she's broken my heart more than once, but
I will keep putting my heart out there. She is
my once -in -a -lifetime cow. The Brothers Three
approach to show preparation is fascinating.
Rather than focusing solely on show -ready condition
year -round, they prioritize growth during winter
months. As Josh explains, I think one of the
things that sets us apart is that we feed them
to grow through the winter. And if they come
into the spring carrying more weight than ideal
for showing, we're fine with that. I joke that
I am the guy that got the junior champion airsure
from Madison Beat last year at Spring Show and
was perfectly fine with that. because I believe
these heifers need that mass and growth to make
the distance to Expo. For yearlings needing to
lose condition, their regimen can be intensive.
Josh recalls walking two yearlings a mile daily
after dinner, with each heifer completing this
route more than 40 times between August and September.
One of these animals went on to become Junior
Champion Ayrshire at World Dairy Expo. What makes
the Brothers Three story particularly unique
is Josh Hushon's dual identity as both a passionate
brown Swiss breeder and a corporate strategist
at Cargill. Since March 2020, Josh has served
as strategic dairy marketing lead for North America
at Cargill. As Josh explains, at Cargill, I am
the director for strategy, marketing, and technology
for our dairy nutrition business in the U .S.
and Canada. and I see several mutual benefits
to this dual role with my cattle. Working at
Cargill gives me access to some of the best nutrition
minds in the world. This knowledge exchange works
both ways. Being a customer at Cargill and spending
my social time with other dairy producers keeps
me grounded in a reality that makes our work
more impactful to our customers. As a marketer,
having daily real -world insight helps our team
remain practical and innovative. Josh brings
valuable insights from Cargill's sustainability
initiatives to his farm operation. In a recent
podcast, he highlighted the dairy industry's
significant progress in reducing its environmental
footprint. A gallon of milk now compared to 10
years ago to 60 years ago is probably 60 to 70
percent smaller carbon footprint in that time
frame, which is amazing progress as an industry.
Josh's industry involvement extends well beyond
Brothers 3 and Cargill. After moving to Wisconsin
in 2003, he quickly found community in the Wisconsin
Brown Swiss Association, where his significant
contributions led to his 2025 Wisconsin Service
Award. As the World Dairy Expo representative
for the Wisconsin Brown Swiss Association, Josh
bridges his passion for the breed with organizational
leadership. He has chaired two national Brown
Swiss conventions, and been instrumental in consolidating
Wisconsin spring shows and Wisconsin state shows
into all breeds events in Madison. His brother
Jake has also established himself as a respected
cattle judge. When approaching a class of Brown
Swiss cattle, Jake emphasizes, in cows the udder
is by far the most important trait, and it takes
something truly special for the best uddered
cow in each class not to be in first. Let me
share some key advantages Brown Swiss have in
today's market. Higher butterfat and protein
percentages compared to Holstein's higher total
milk volume, superior heat tolerance when compared
to Holstein's, greater productive lifespan, superior
carcass value for crossbred calves, high percentage
of A2 genetics, and good feed converters with
strong components. Looking ahead, Brothers 3
balances tradition with fresh perspective as
they consider the next generation. The four boys
who make up what they call B3 Gen 2, with a fifth
on the way in July 2025, represent potential
future leadership. Jake identifies two key opportunities
for the breed, its growing popularity in the
show ring, with high -profile breeders adding
brown Swiss to their operations, and its economic
advantages in commercial settings. As Jake observes,
In economic terms, our breed fights for stall
spaces and uterus slots on large dairy farms
today with many dairy breeds, European red breeds,
and now beef semen. Two things Brown Swiss can
and must capitalize on are the high payment for
fat and the sale carcass value of the beef calves
out of Brown Swiss cattle versus a Holstein or
Jersey at market. Add in A2, which there is a
large percentage of, and our opportunity to become
a mainstream breed in the USA like they are in
Europe is here. Josh acknowledges the impact
of industry consolidation. We certainly feel
consolidation as we see smaller farms exit that
were longtime brown Swiss breeders, and we find
more of our show calf market being driven by
hobbyists like us or even Holstein breeders looking
to diversify with the brown Swiss. As we wrap
up today's episode, I want to share five key
breeding strategies from Brothers 3 that you
can apply to your own operation. Prioritize fertility.
Select for positive daughter pregnancy rate to
ensure reproductive success. Balance show appeal
and commercial viability. Breed for type, udders,
and strong cow families while maintaining milk
production. Leverage genomic testing. Test all
females to guide mating decisions and accelerate
genetic progress. Focus on maternal lines. Build
upon proven cow families for consistent genetic
transmission. Form strategic partnerships. Create
co -ownership relationships to access elite genetics
and share risk. The Brothers 3 journey from novice
4 -H participants to respected breeders of champion
brown Swiss cattle truly embodies the best of
American agriculture. Innovation, dedication,
and a willingness to learn from both success
and setback. As Josh reflects on his journey
with Brothers 3, His words capture the essence
of their success. To know the road ahead, ask
those coming back. By honoring tradition while
embracing innovation, Brothers 3 and Josh Hushon
have not only found their road, they're helping
chart the course for brown Swiss breeders everywhere.
That's all for today's episode, folks. I hope
you enjoyed this incredible story of passion,
perseverance, and smart breeding. Until next
time, this is the Bullvine Podcast. celebrating
the best of dairy breeding and the people who
make it happen thanks for listening