WEBVTT 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:14.039 Creeping across the pasture land. Got dirt on 00:00:14.039 --> 00:00:18.719 the boots and a working hand. From the milk house 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:24.000 home to the auction call. These are the folks 00:00:24.000 --> 00:01:02.329 standing strong and tall. Yeah, this is... Hey 00:01:02.329 --> 00:01:05.290 dairy folks, and welcome back to the Bullvine 00:01:05.290 --> 00:01:08.930 Podcast. I'm your host, and today I've got a 00:01:08.930 --> 00:01:11.689 story that's going to blow your mind. It's about 00:01:11.689 --> 00:01:13.989 a woman who literally raced for chocolate milk 00:01:13.989 --> 00:01:17.430 as a kid and ended up revolutionizing milk quality 00:01:17.430 --> 00:01:20.629 research across Canada. Meet Hannah Woodhouse, 00:01:20.849 --> 00:01:24.629 the Dairy Queen herself. And trust me, by the 00:01:24.629 --> 00:01:26.829 end of this episode, you're going to understand 00:01:26.829 --> 00:01:29.329 why her story is everything we love about this 00:01:29.329 --> 00:01:32.750 industry. So picture this. Hannah grows up as 00:01:32.750 --> 00:01:34.849 the oldest of four sisters on a family dairy 00:01:34.849 --> 00:01:38.370 farm in Ontario. But here's the kicker. Her mom's 00:01:38.370 --> 00:01:40.409 a veterinarian who met her farmer dad during 00:01:40.409 --> 00:01:43.829 a herd check. Hannah jokes it was love at first 00:01:43.829 --> 00:01:46.829 sight. And honestly, is there a more perfect 00:01:46.829 --> 00:01:50.390 dairy love story than that? From day one, Hannah 00:01:50.390 --> 00:01:53.170 was completely immersed in farm life. We're talking 00:01:53.170 --> 00:01:56.890 11 years in 4 -H. Involvement with Gay Lee Foods. 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:00.060 participating in agricultural societies. This 00:02:00.060 --> 00:02:02.879 girl was dairy through and through. She loved 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:06.299 those evening chores after school, feeding calves 00:02:06.299 --> 00:02:10.080 and eventually milking. With her mom being a 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.620 vet, she got to watch her care for the herd and 00:02:12.620 --> 00:02:15.500 learn about all the treatments. But here's what 00:02:15.500 --> 00:02:18.560 really gets me. Their farm would host a day at 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.020 the farm trips for grade two classes from her 00:02:21.020 --> 00:02:24.030 school. Can you imagine little Hannah showing 00:02:24.030 --> 00:02:26.669 off the farm to her classmates, teaching them 00:02:26.669 --> 00:02:29.069 where their milk comes from? She'd take cows 00:02:29.069 --> 00:02:31.770 to local events with her dad, educating the public 00:02:31.770 --> 00:02:34.810 about our industry. That pride in what we do, 00:02:34.909 --> 00:02:38.229 that's what this industry is all about. Now, 00:02:38.289 --> 00:02:40.770 here's where the story gets absolutely fantastic. 00:02:41.669 --> 00:02:44.349 In grade 8, Hannah discovered competitive running, 00:02:44.490 --> 00:02:48.389 but not in the way you'd expect. Each year, the 00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:50.189 dairy farmers in the Gray -Bruce County area 00:02:50.189 --> 00:02:52.699 would sponsor a school run, giving chocolate 00:02:52.699 --> 00:02:55.800 milk to all the finishers. Hannah's parents always 00:02:55.800 --> 00:02:58.699 volunteered, helping hand out that precious chocolate 00:02:58.699 --> 00:03:02.099 milk. Hannah would participate for fun, usually 00:03:02.099 --> 00:03:05.060 running and walking with her friends. But then 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:08.099 came grade 8. Her parents approached her before 00:03:08.099 --> 00:03:11.280 the race with some devastating news. They were 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:13.560 running out of chocolate milk, and only the top 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.680 10 finishers out of about 100 kids would get 00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:19.800 one. Hannah wanted that chocolate milk badly. 00:03:20.439 --> 00:03:23.340 So instead of her usual casual approach, she 00:03:23.340 --> 00:03:26.719 actually raced this time. And guess what? She 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:30.379 finished fourth. Her parents were shocked. She 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:32.800 was shocked. But she got her chocolate milk, 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:35.099 and that moment launched an incredible running 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:37.120 career that would take her to represent Canada 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.099 internationally. To this day, chocolate milk 00:03:40.099 --> 00:03:43.199 is still her go -to recovery drink. I mean, come 00:03:43.199 --> 00:03:46.060 on, you can't make this stuff up. Hannah was 00:03:46.060 --> 00:03:49.080 always athletic. Swimming, gymnastics, horseback 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:52.139 riding. figure skating, hockey, shooting, you 00:03:52.139 --> 00:03:55.039 name it. But she focused on running in high school, 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:57.759 and get this, part of her training involved running 00:03:57.759 --> 00:03:59.719 up the hill behind their barn in heavy rubber 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.379 boots to fetch cows for milking. She quickly 00:04:03.379 --> 00:04:06.560 improved, making it to provincials, then nationals 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.139 within a year. By grade 11, she made her first 00:04:10.139 --> 00:04:13.180 Canadian team and competed in Colombia and China 00:04:13.180 --> 00:04:17.100 for the World Cross Country Championships. Throughout 00:04:17.100 --> 00:04:19.910 all this heavy training and competition, she 00:04:19.910 --> 00:04:22.670 still made time for training her 4 -H calf and 00:04:22.670 --> 00:04:25.790 helping at the barn. That was her happy place. 00:04:26.050 --> 00:04:27.810 Now here's where the story takes an interesting 00:04:27.810 --> 00:04:31.410 turn. Hannah was serious about academics because 00:04:31.410 --> 00:04:34.430 universities were recruiting her. She thought 00:04:34.430 --> 00:04:36.910 medical sciences would best fit her running aspirations, 00:04:37.430 --> 00:04:39.750 so she headed to the University of Guelph for 00:04:39.750 --> 00:04:43.829 biomedical sciences, basically pre -med. But 00:04:43.829 --> 00:04:46.629 you know what happened? After just a month or 00:04:46.629 --> 00:04:49.019 two away from the farm, She missed agriculture 00:04:49.019 --> 00:04:53.160 desperately. The pull was just too strong. As 00:04:53.160 --> 00:04:55.420 part of her academic scholarship, Hannah had 00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:58.120 a paid summer research position. She decided 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:01.100 to approach Dr. David Kelton, this renowned dairy 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:04.000 professor, and ask if he had a project for her. 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:07.540 Picture this scene. She walks into his office 00:05:07.540 --> 00:05:10.759 at the Ontario Veterinary College building, and 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:13.040 there are cows at the research barn just outside, 00:05:13.420 --> 00:05:16.300 vet students walking around in coveralls and 00:05:16.300 --> 00:05:20.560 boots. She knew she was in the right place. Dave 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:23.019 told her about this issue of non -foaming milk 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:26.779 in BC coffee shops. Hannah was doing a nutrition 00:05:26.779 --> 00:05:30.160 minor at the time, and this was intriguing. The 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:32.660 perfect fit. That conversation launched her dairy 00:05:32.660 --> 00:05:34.759 research journey that would lead to her master's 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:38.180 and PhD. So what exactly was Hannah researching? 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:41.399 She tackled this fascinating problem in Canada's 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:44.639 dairy industry. Elevated free fatty acids, or 00:05:44.639 --> 00:05:48.240 FFAs, in milk. These compounds form when milk 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.660 fat breaks down and cause all sorts of quality 00:05:50.660 --> 00:05:54.259 headaches. As Hannah put it to me, if you're 00:05:54.259 --> 00:05:56.680 paying good money for your fancy Starbucks latte 00:05:56.680 --> 00:05:59.420 with that perfect milk foam, it's a big deal. 00:05:59.579 --> 00:06:02.160 When consumers want froth and you deliver milk 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:04.519 that doesn't foam properly, they immediately 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:07.439 call their supplier to complain. But it's not 00:06:07.439 --> 00:06:10.259 just about frothing. High FFA levels can make 00:06:10.259 --> 00:06:13.339 cheese coagulation go wonky, cause rancid flavors, 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:17.040 and shorten shelf life. in canada's supply managed 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:19.620 dairy industry where we live and die by consumer 00:06:19.620 --> 00:06:24.060 satisfaction this is critical stuff here's what 00:06:24.060 --> 00:06:26.740 i love about hannah's approach she didn't just 00:06:26.740 --> 00:06:29.779 sit in a lab she visited 300 dairy farms across 00:06:29.779 --> 00:06:34.959 ontario and british columbia 300. she was incredibly 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:37.860 thorough measuring every inch of pipeline looking 00:06:37.860 --> 00:06:40.959 at all the turns and elevated sections analyzing 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:45.069 milk flow examining countless farm factors Her 00:06:45.069 --> 00:06:47.250 dedication went beyond just the fieldwork, though. 00:06:47.509 --> 00:06:50.350 She did these adorable amateur experiments using 00:06:50.350 --> 00:06:52.829 milk from her family's farm, testing samples 00:06:52.829 --> 00:06:55.170 in her frother at home to see which cows produced 00:06:55.170 --> 00:06:58.269 the best frothy milk. Her friends started calling 00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:00.810 her the Dairy Queen, and every Christmas they'd 00:07:00.810 --> 00:07:04.490 give her new frothing gadgets. I mean, how perfect 00:07:04.490 --> 00:07:07.790 is that? Hannah's research revealed that FFA 00:07:07.790 --> 00:07:10.740 issues come from multiple factors. She found 00:07:10.740 --> 00:07:13.439 that organic and grass -fed herds typically have 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.839 higher FFA levels than conventional farms. There 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:20.339 are interesting seasonal patterns, too. FFA concentrations 00:07:20.339 --> 00:07:23.100 peak in late summer and fall compared to spring 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:26.420 and winter. Improperly maintained milking systems, 00:07:26.680 --> 00:07:28.939 especially in automated operations with high 00:07:28.939 --> 00:07:31.660 milking frequencies, often contributed to elevated 00:07:31.660 --> 00:07:35.240 problems. Farms with automated milking systems 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:37.939 milking cows three times daily showed substantial 00:07:37.939 --> 00:07:41.500 increases in FFAs. But here's the great news 00:07:41.500 --> 00:07:44.720 Hannah emphasized. These farms can manage most 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:47.199 of these factors with relatively quick and easy 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:50.399 fixes. Hannah developed this really practical 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.399 set of recommendations. She suggests limiting 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:56.339 late lactation cows' visits to robotic milkers, 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:59.379 ensuring proper plate cooler installation, especially 00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:02.540 in tie stall operations, and changing milk filters 00:08:02.540 --> 00:08:05.930 at every milking. As she explained, a dirty filter 00:08:05.930 --> 00:08:07.990 not only creates a breeding ground for bacteria, 00:08:08.230 --> 00:08:10.529 but also puts more stress on the milk trying 00:08:10.529 --> 00:08:14.009 to pass through. Her research found a significant 00:08:14.009 --> 00:08:16.949 increase in free fatty acids for farms that milk 00:08:16.949 --> 00:08:19.350 frequently, but change filters infrequently. 00:08:20.449 --> 00:08:23.350 And here's a critical point. Maintaining proper 00:08:23.350 --> 00:08:26.769 milk temperature. Freezing and thawing milk can 00:08:26.769 --> 00:08:30.629 substantially increase FFAs. Temperature fluctuations 00:08:30.629 --> 00:08:33.769 damage the milk fat globule membrane. allowing 00:08:33.769 --> 00:08:36.470 lipase enzymes to break down fat into free fatty 00:08:36.470 --> 00:08:39.750 acids that's why consistent cooling to four degrees 00:08:39.750 --> 00:08:43.509 celsius without freezing is essential her work 00:08:43.509 --> 00:08:46.169 didn't go unnoticed hannah won the top student 00:08:46.169 --> 00:08:49.490 poster award at the 2023 international dairy 00:08:49.490 --> 00:08:52.490 federation's world forum in chicago beating out 00:08:52.490 --> 00:08:57.110 89 submissions from over 20 countries when i 00:08:57.110 --> 00:08:59.049 asked her what made her research stand out globally 00:08:59.049 --> 00:09:02.220 she said milk quality is a common concern no 00:09:02.220 --> 00:09:04.200 matter where you're producing milk around the 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:07.720 world. High levels of free fatty acids impact 00:09:07.720 --> 00:09:12.460 everyone. Producers can receive penalties, processors 00:09:12.460 --> 00:09:15.860 get complaints, distributors hear from unhappy 00:09:15.860 --> 00:09:19.299 customers, and consumers aren't satisfied with 00:09:19.299 --> 00:09:22.480 the products. The fact that Europe and Canada 00:09:22.480 --> 00:09:24.940 are the only ones testing and reporting this 00:09:24.940 --> 00:09:27.820 to farmers made her work particularly valuable 00:09:27.820 --> 00:09:31.210 internationally. What makes Hannah's story even 00:09:31.210 --> 00:09:33.490 more remarkable is how she balanced everything. 00:09:34.009 --> 00:09:36.990 While pursuing her PhD, she continued representing 00:09:36.990 --> 00:09:39.690 Canada internationally. She made the national 00:09:39.690 --> 00:09:43.629 team again in 2019 and still runs competitively 00:09:43.629 --> 00:09:46.230 today, though she took some time to focus on 00:09:46.230 --> 00:09:49.549 academics during her studies. Her athletic background 00:09:49.549 --> 00:09:52.970 shaped her methodical approach to research. That 00:09:52.970 --> 00:09:55.450 discipline from training, including those runs 00:09:55.450 --> 00:09:58.620 up the barnhill in rubber boots, translated directly 00:09:58.620 --> 00:10:02.019 into her systematic research methodology that 00:10:02.019 --> 00:10:05.340 earned international recognition hannah completed 00:10:05.340 --> 00:10:09.080 her phd in september 2024 and immediately moved 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:11.419 into the next chapter as a contractor for dairy 00:10:11.419 --> 00:10:14.600 farmers of canada in sustainable production she's 00:10:14.600 --> 00:10:17.500 integrating her passions academic research and 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:19.720 writing skills to make a difference on a broader 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:24.519 scale Her role aligns perfectly with Dairy Farmers 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:27.000 of Canada's ambitious goal of working toward 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:29.940 net -zero greenhouse gas emissions from farm 00:10:29.940 --> 00:10:33.960 -level dairy production by 2050. As Hannah notes, 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:37.799 farmers are the most practical people, and implementing 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:40.779 science -based solutions requires clear communication 00:10:40.779 --> 00:10:44.980 and practical applications. Hannah represented 00:10:44.980 --> 00:10:47.820 Canadian dairy on a Young Producers panel discussing 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:50.419 future of dairy farming around the globe at that 00:10:50.419 --> 00:10:54.200 International Dairy Federation Summit. She highlighted 00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:56.720 DFC's initiatives to improve sustainability, 00:10:57.059 --> 00:11:00.240 engage young producers, and enhance consumer 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.919 awareness of high -quality dairy products. What 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:05.320 makes her so valuable is her ability to bridge 00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:08.220 scientific research with practical farm implementation. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:11.740 By improving milk quality and addressing consumer 00:11:11.740 --> 00:11:14.419 preferences, her work directly contributes to 00:11:14.419 --> 00:11:17.080 the sustainability and marketability of Canadian 00:11:17.080 --> 00:11:20.960 dairy products. Aside from her work with DFC, 00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:23.940 Hannah continues writing both scientific and 00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:26.519 producer -friendly articles about FFA control. 00:11:26.899 --> 00:11:29.860 She gives presentations nationwide, passionate 00:11:29.860 --> 00:11:32.740 about speaking and engaging directly with producers 00:11:32.740 --> 00:11:36.639 at various events. But here's what really excites 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:39.450 her. mentoring the younger generation in the 00:11:39.450 --> 00:11:42.549 dairy industry that's where i see my role as 00:11:42.549 --> 00:11:45.129 an academic advisor or professor coming into 00:11:45.129 --> 00:11:48.710 play one day she told me she envisions guiding 00:11:48.710 --> 00:11:50.929 students through their own agricultural research 00:11:50.929 --> 00:11:54.470 journeys she also continues advocating for dairy 00:11:54.470 --> 00:11:57.149 in the sports industry promoting milk's nutritional 00:11:57.149 --> 00:12:01.129 benefits for athletic recovery Her personal experience 00:12:01.129 --> 00:12:03.669 with chocolate milk as both her running origin 00:12:03.669 --> 00:12:06.549 story and current recovery drink makes her a 00:12:06.549 --> 00:12:09.309 genuine ambassador for dairy nutrition in sports. 00:12:10.210 --> 00:12:13.110 As Hannah puts it, you can have a state -of -the 00:12:13.110 --> 00:12:15.389 -art lab with the most precise methodological 00:12:15.389 --> 00:12:19.070 practices and generate interesting results, but 00:12:19.070 --> 00:12:21.529 that research will not be useful unless it can 00:12:21.529 --> 00:12:24.409 be applied. This is why understanding the dairy 00:12:24.409 --> 00:12:27.049 industry from a practical lens is so important. 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:31.480 For Hannah Woodhouse, those childhood chores 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:33.980 on the family farm have evolved into a career 00:12:33.980 --> 00:12:36.500 dedicated to advancing an industry she deeply 00:12:36.500 --> 00:12:39.480 loves. She's proving that when science meets 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:42.039 practical farming knowledge, both the industry 00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:45.539 and consumers benefit. Let me leave you with 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:48.539 these incredible facts about Hannah. She started 00:12:48.539 --> 00:12:51.620 competitive running after being bribed with chocolate 00:12:51.620 --> 00:12:54.919 milk at a school race. finished fourth out of 00:12:54.919 --> 00:12:57.440 100 runners, and went on to represent Canada 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:00.980 at World Cross Country Championships, still using 00:13:00.980 --> 00:13:04.539 chocolate milk as her recovery drink. This oldest 00:13:04.539 --> 00:13:07.240 of four sisters completed over 30 different 4 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:11.259 -H clubs in 11 years while maintaining a 95 % 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:14.799 plus academic average and earning a $60 ,000 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:18.080 plus University of Guelph President's Scholarship. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.950 Unlike typical academic researchers, Hannah conducted 00:13:22.950 --> 00:13:26.669 her PhD fieldwork on 300 actual farms across 00:13:26.669 --> 00:13:30.549 Ontario and BC. Her findings helped dairy farmers 00:13:30.549 --> 00:13:33.690 avoid processor penalties averaging $15 ,000 00:13:33.690 --> 00:13:37.549 annually through simple management changes. Her 00:13:37.549 --> 00:13:39.929 methodical training approach, including running 00:13:39.929 --> 00:13:42.309 up the barn hill in rubber boots to fetch cows, 00:13:42.529 --> 00:13:45.809 shaped her systematic research methodology that 00:13:45.809 --> 00:13:48.009 earned top international recognition against 00:13:48.009 --> 00:13:52.259 89 global submissions. Hannah Woodhouse embodies 00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:54.600 what happens when farm -raised intuition meets 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:58.299 world -class science. Her journey from 4 -H president 00:13:58.299 --> 00:14:01.539 to PhD proves that sometimes the best agricultural 00:14:01.539 --> 00:14:04.600 innovators are the ones who never really left 00:14:04.600 --> 00:14:07.919 the barn. They just brought the lab to the farmyard. 00:14:08.620 --> 00:14:11.019 That's our show for today, folks. Hannah's story 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.639 reminds us that the future of our industry lies 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.000 in people who understand both the dirt under 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.519 their fingernails and the science in their toolkit. 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.539 Thanks for tuning in to the Bullvine Podcast. 00:14:22.120 --> 00:14:25.799 Until next time, keep innovating, keep improving, 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:28.679 and keep that passion for dairy burning bright.