WEBVTT

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Breaking free from the chains of the past Where

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truth moves faster than a Holstein calf No law

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waiting on some printed page We're charting new

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ground in the digital age From genomic codes

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to robot facts We cut through the noise, no hold

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them back not your daddy's dairy news tonight

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we're sparking Welcome to the Bullvine Podcast,

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where we challenge conventional wisdom in the

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dairy industry with data -driven insights that

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matter to your bottom line. I'm your host, and

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today we're diving into a topic that's going

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to ruffle some feathers in breed society boardrooms

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across North America. We're asking the uncomfortable

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question that most industry leaders won't touch.

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When was the last time a breed convention banquet

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actually improved your herd's milk production?

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or reduced your feed costs? If you're struggling

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to answer that, you're not alone. Here's the

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brutal math that's shaking up the industry. While

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U .S. dairy operations have collapsed from over

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70 ,000 farms to just 24 ,000 in the past 20

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years, breed conventions are still operating

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like it's 1985. Today, 66 % of all U .S. pal

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milk comes from operations with 1 ,000 or more

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cows. Yet breed societies are still hosting hotel

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ballroom events designed for the extinct 74 -cow

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family farm. We're going to expose the $500 -plus

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convention cost reality, reveal why Holstein

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Canada's 18 % revenue growth proves transformation

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works, and share the three specific strategies

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that smart breed societies are using not just

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to survive, but to thrive in this consolidating

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industry. This isn't just another industry trend

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discussion. This is about the future survival

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of breed societies and whether they'll become

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indispensable profit partners or expensive nostalgia

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clubs. Let's dive in. Welcome, everyone, to Thy

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Deep Dot. Today, we're really digging into something

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big. It's about this fundamental transformation,

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like a complete reshaping of the North American

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dairy industry. And we're not talking about just

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a temporary dip or, you know, some minor market

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thing. This is, well... It feels like a complete,

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maybe irreversible change that's hitting even

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the oldest institutions. Our goal today, our

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mission, if you like, is to really unpack, well,

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the brutal mathematics of scale, efficiency,

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and survival, as one source put it. We want to

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understand what's driving these huge changes

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and, importantly, what it means for things like

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the traditional breed convention. That's exactly

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right. And as we've gone through the research,

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you know, looked at the dairy convention evolution

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research, and especially dug into the Bullvine

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article, the one called Dairy Societies, evolve

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or vanish, it just becomes so, so clear. That

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old one size fits all model, the way a lot of

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the industry used to work, it's just... It's

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not cutting it anymore because the industry,

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it was built for that sort of unified group.

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Honestly, it doesn't really exist like that now.

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It's fractured. It really has. Completely different

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realities on the ground. So we're going to dive

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deep into all this, really try to help you understand

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not just what's happening, but maybe more importantly,

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why it matters. Why it matters for every single

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dairy operation out there, from the smallest

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family farm right up to the biggest commercial

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players. Okay, so let's start with the big signal,

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the thing that just screams massive shift. It's

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the vanishing dairy farm. I mean, when you look

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at the stats over the last 30 years, it's not

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just a slow fade. It feels more like a, well,

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a systemic collapse in the number of farms. What

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are those raw numbers telling us? Oh, the numbers

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are. They're staggering, honestly. It's hard

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to wrap your head on the scale of it. Think about

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this. Back in 1992, the U .S. had, let me check

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the exact figure, yeah, 131 ,535 commercial dairy

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herds, over 130 ,000. Now fast forward just 30

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years. The 2022 USDA Census of Ag, that number

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plummeted down to just 24 ,470 farms reporting

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milk sales. Wait, from over 130 ,000 down to

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under 25 ,000. Exactly. That's an 81 .4 % reduction.

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81 .4%. In just three decades, it's a catastrophic

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loss of independent farms. It's changed the whole

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landscape of rural areas. That's almost unbelievable.

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And like you said, it's not just a slow decline.

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The really scary part maybe is that the pace

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is actually, it's picking up speed, right? Yeah.

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The biggest drop we've seen was actually pretty

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recent, wasn't it? Between 2017 and 2022? That's

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right. That five -year period, just 60 months.

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we saw 39 % fall in farm numbers. It went from

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just over 40 ,000 farms down to that 24 ,470

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number. 39 % in five years. Wow. How does that

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compare to earlier periods? Well, that's what

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makes it so stark. If you look back, say, between

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2007 and 2012, the drop was around 27%. And even

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earlier, like 1992 to 1997, it was about 26%.

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So to jump to a 39 % drop in just five years,

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that's unprecedented. It really tells you that

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the forces pushing farms out, they're getting

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stronger, not weaker. We're nowhere near settling.

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into some kind of new normal here. Okay, but

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here's where it gets really, really interesting.

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And maybe where that simple story of the disappearing

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family farm needs a bit more nuance. Because

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while the number of farms is plummeting, the

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total number of dairy cows in the country...

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That stayed pretty stable, hasn't it? Around

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9 .4 million. Remarkably stable. And total milk

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production. It keeps going up. So what's the

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hidden story there? What's really going on? That's

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the absolute core of it. That stability in cows

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and rising production while farms vanish. It

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tells you the industry isn't just shrinking.

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Its whole operating model is being replaced systematically.

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The traditional small or mid -sized family farm

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may be diversified. The kind that was the backbone

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for generations, it's being swapped out. replaced

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by much larger, much more specialized, and way

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more capital -intensive operations. It's a total

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structural overhaul, from diffuse and local to

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concentrated and industrial. And you can see

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that perfectly in the average herd size numbers.

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It's almost shocking. Back in 1992, the average

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U .S. dairy herd was, was it 74 cows? 74 cows,

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yeah. Pretty modest, right? What most people

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picture. Exactly. But by 2023, it surged to 357

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cows on average. And the estimates for 2024 are

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pushing it even higher, like 377 cows. That's

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nearly a five -fold increase, five times bigger

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on average. It's not just bigger farms. It's

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a fundamentally different kind of farm, a different

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business model. And that traditional average

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producer, the maybe 50 to 200 cow herd, they're

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now a statistical minority, kind of caught in

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the middle, squeezed between these two diverging

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realities. Precisely, which leads us right into

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this concept of the great divide, the raw economics

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of survival. Because let's be honest, in the

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commodity milk market where margins are thin,

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scale isn't just a nice to have anymore. It's

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not just an edge. It's basically a prerequisite.

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You need scale to survive. And this huge gap

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has opened up in the cost of production. It's

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literally created a two -tiered industry. OK,

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so how big is that gap? Can we put numbers on

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it? Oh, yeah. The USDA data from 2022 lays it

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out pretty starkly. Operations with 2 ,000 cows

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or more, these are the mega dairies, their average

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total cost of production was $23 .06 per hundredweight.

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Per $100. Now, compare that to farms in that

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traditional range, say 100 to 199 cows. Their

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average cost, $32 .83 per hundredweight. $32

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.83 versus $23 .06. That's almost $10 difference

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per 100 pounds of milk. Exactly. $9 .77 per 100

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week, to be precise. Nearly $10. That disadvantage

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for smaller farms selling into the same commodity

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market, it's not just significant. It's almost

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insurmountable if you're trying to compete just

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on price. So where does that huge difference

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come from? Is it mostly feed costs because larger

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farms can buy feed cheaper? Or is something else

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driving it? That's a really good question. Because

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it's not just feed, although that's part of it.

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The feed cost difference is maybe around $2 .50

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per hundredweight. Still significant, but not

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the whole story. The really eye -watering number

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is the difference in non -feed costs. Things

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like labor, repairs, depreciation, utilities,

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all that stuff. That difference is a staggering

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$19 .59 per hundredweight. $19? Just on non -feed

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costs? $19 .59, yeah. It's massive. And that's

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where economies of scale really, really show

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up. Bigger operations can negotiate better prices

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on everything, spread fixed costs like equipment

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or buildings over way more cows, specialize their

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labor force. It just drives down the cost per

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unit of milk dramatically. Okay, so this cost

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difference must directly translate into who's

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actually making money, right? Absolutely. It

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creates this kind of winner -take -all situation.

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There was a USDA Economic Research Service analysis

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back in 2016. It found that 62 % of farms with

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2 ,000 plus cows, they were generating gross

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returns that actually covered their total costs.

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They were genuinely profitable businesses. But

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for farms under 100 cows, that figure was less

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than 10%. Less than 1 in 10 were covering all

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their costs from operations. So how do those

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smaller farms keep going then, if less than 10

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% are technically profitable? Well, the hard

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reality is that many of them operate by... essentially

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by sacrificing returns on their own investment

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and, critically, their own labor. They're not

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making what a business would consider a fair

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return. It's often sustained by off -farm income

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or just incredibly long hours and accepting lower

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compensation for their own work. It's not always

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a strictly economic decision, you know. It might

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be legacy, lifestyle, but from a pure business

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standpoint... It's tough. And we see those big

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average income numbers, like the average net

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cash farm income for specialized dairies in 2022

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was almost $750 ,000. But that number is misleading,

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isn't it? Hugely misleading if you don't dig

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deeper, because that average is massively skewed

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upwards. It's driven overwhelmingly by the largest

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farms. About 36 % of dairies had over $1 million

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in sales that year, and they captured the vast

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majority of the industry's total profits. So

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that average figure doesn't reflect the reality

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for most smaller or even mid -sized operations.

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Right. And this profit concentration mirrors

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the concentration of milk production itself,

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doesn't it? Perfectly. In 2022, farms with 1

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,000 cows or more They were only about 8 % of

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the total number of U .S. dairy farms, just 8%.

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But they produced 68 % of the nation's milk supply.

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Wow. 8 % of farms making almost 70 % of the milk.

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It's incredible concentration. And think about

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how fast that happened. Go back to 1997. Large

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farms, maybe defined a bit differently then,

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but conceptually similar, held only 17 % of the

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national herd. By 2022, that number jumped to

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65%. 65 % of all dairy cows are now on these

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large operations. Meanwhile, those smaller farms,

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under 100 cows, they went from holding 39 % of

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the herd in 97 down to just 7 % in 2022. It's

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complete flip. It's full restructuring. Exactly.

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And this is the absolute critical point for our

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discussion today. This bifurcation, this split,

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it's created two fundamentally distinct populations

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of dairy producers and their needs, especially

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for things like professional development or information.

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They have almost zero overlap. So that one size

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fits all approach, like a traditional breed convention

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trying to serve everyone, it just doesn't compute

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anymore. It can't work. Okay, let's break that

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down. On one side, you've got the manager of

00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:48.899
a mega dairy, maybe thousands of cows, a multi

00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:51.659
-million dollar budget. What do they need? Their

00:11:51.659 --> 00:11:53.799
needs are sophisticated high -level business

00:11:53.799 --> 00:11:56.179
needs. They're looking for cutting -edge business

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intelligence, advanced financial management tools

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and strategies, deep data analytics to optimize

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every single aspect of the operation. They need

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complex labor solutions because they might have

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dozens, even hundreds of employees. They need

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rigorous ROI assessments for any new technology

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they consider buying. And their time is incredibly

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scarce and valuable. Any professional development

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activity has to be an investment. It must deliver

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a clear, measurable return, often quite quickly.

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They need actionable insights for their bottom

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line, not just general information or social

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stuff. Okay, so that's one side. What about the

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other side, the small herd survivor, maybe 100,

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200 cows? Their needs are completely different

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because they often can't compete in that commodity

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world. Their survival depends on getting out

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of that system, so they need very specific strategies

00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:46.120
for niche marketing. How do you succeed with

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organic? Grass -fed, A2 milk. They might be looking

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into value -added processing, making cheese,

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yogurt, bottling their own milk. Direct consumer

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sales models are huge for them, ways to bypass

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the processors and capture more margin. And they

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need technology, yes, but technology that's viable

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and cost -effective at their scale. Maybe smaller

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robotic milking systems suitable for 100 of 500

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cows, not the massive parlors needed for thousands.

00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:14.200
Their focus is escaping commodity pricing, not

00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:15.899
just becoming slightly more efficient within

00:13:15.899 --> 00:13:18.639
it. So you see the problem, right? How does one

00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:20.639
single event, a traditional convention, maybe

00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:22.440
it has a cattle show, a few general talks, a

00:13:22.440 --> 00:13:24.740
banquet, how does that possibly meet the critical

00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:27.620
needs of both those groups? It can't. It fundamentally

00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:30.039
cannot. The value proposition gets completely

00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:33.440
diluted. For the mega dairy manager, the content

00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:35.980
is probably too basic. The networking isn't targeted

00:13:35.980 --> 00:13:39.679
enough. The ROI is fuzzy at best. For the small

00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:42.980
herd niche producer, the focus on large -scale

00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:45.519
commodity production or genetics for that system

00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:48.440
is largely irrelevant. They need different information

00:13:48.440 --> 00:13:51.500
entirely. The whole structure, the format, the

00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:54.080
focus of the traditional convention, it's just

00:13:54.080 --> 00:13:56.759
misaligned with the polarized reality of dairy

00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.679
in 2024. It's out of sync. And the whole process,

00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:01.940
this consolidation, it's not happening evenly

00:14:01.940 --> 00:14:03.679
across the map, is it? It's creating regional

00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.299
shifts too. Oh, absolutely. It's causing a major

00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:08.580
geographic redistribution of milk production.

00:14:08.779 --> 00:14:11.100
It's really hollowing out some of the traditional

00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:13.220
dairy heartlands, you know, the Midwest, the

00:14:13.220 --> 00:14:15.580
Northeast, while production and therefore economic

00:14:15.580 --> 00:14:18.340
influence is concentrating in new areas. Which

00:14:18.340 --> 00:14:20.759
states have been hit hardest by these farm losses?

00:14:21.080 --> 00:14:22.940
Well, the states you typically think of as dairy

00:14:22.940 --> 00:14:25.220
states have seen staggering losses, especially

00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:28.980
between 2017 and 2022. Wisconsin, America's dairy

00:14:28.980 --> 00:14:32.690
land, lost... 2 ,740 farms in that five -year

00:14:32.690 --> 00:14:36.049
window. Just gone. Pennsylvania lost 1 ,570.

00:14:36.330 --> 00:14:41.169
New York lost 12 ,260. Minnesota lost 11 ,175.

00:14:41.190 --> 00:14:42.769
These aren't just numbers. It's part of their

00:14:42.769 --> 00:14:44.789
identity eroding. The landscape is changing.

00:14:44.929 --> 00:14:47.690
That's devastating. But where is production growing

00:14:47.690 --> 00:14:50.879
then? Or... consolidating you see growth or at

00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:53.259
least much slower declines combined with huge

00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:56.100
increases in cow numbers in states often more

00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:58.639
favorable to very large scale confinement operations

00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:00.980
texas is a prime example they only lost 80 farms

00:15:00.980 --> 00:15:04.320
between 2017 and 2022 but over the last decade

00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:07.039
they added almost 200 000 cows huge increase

00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:09.360
in capacity and even in states with big overall

00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:11.620
losses like california new york even wisconsin

00:15:11.620 --> 00:15:14.980
the number of mega dairies say over 2500 cows

00:15:14.980 --> 00:15:17.139
actually increased during that same period california

00:15:17.139 --> 00:15:20.440
added 57 of them New York 16, Wisconsin 14. So

00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:22.320
consolidation is happening everywhere. But the

00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.039
growth of this new large scale model is really

00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:26.279
concentrated in certain regions. OK, so this

00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:29.100
isn't just about milk map changing. This shifts

00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:31.200
the whole center of gravity for the industry,

00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:33.500
culturally, politically. Yeah. Even within breed

00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:36.480
associations, right? Exactly. Historically, the

00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.080
Midwest and Northeast, with their dense populations

00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:42.659
of mid -sized farms, had disproportionate influence

00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:45.960
in breed associations. Their needs, their culture

00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.889
often set the agenda. But now, as the cow numbers,

00:15:50.049 --> 00:15:52.269
the milk production, the economic power shifts

00:15:52.269 --> 00:15:55.149
to these massive operations in the West and Southwest,

00:15:55.590 --> 00:15:58.250
their needs are going to start dominating, or

00:15:58.250 --> 00:16:00.169
they should if the associations want to stay

00:16:00.169 --> 00:16:02.379
relevant. This is the huge challenge for breed

00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:05.059
associations. Many are still headquartered, still

00:16:05.059 --> 00:16:07.279
culturally rooted in those traditional areas.

00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:09.799
They have to adapt their programs, their services,

00:16:09.940 --> 00:16:12.639
their leadership focus to reflect this new reality.

00:16:12.860 --> 00:16:15.419
If they don't, they risk alienating the fastest

00:16:15.419 --> 00:16:17.700
growing, most economically significant part of

00:16:17.700 --> 00:16:19.720
the industry. And they'll end up just serving

00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:22.220
a shrinking base, becoming regionally isolated,

00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:24.799
almost like a historical society instead of an

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:27.470
active industry player. Let's look at that table

00:16:27.470 --> 00:16:30.950
comparing 2017 and 2022 farm numbers again. Those

00:16:30.950 --> 00:16:33.289
percentage changes really drive home the regional

00:16:33.289 --> 00:16:37.090
impact. They really do. Wisconsin. 9 ,090 farms

00:16:37.090 --> 00:16:41.169
down to 6 ,350. That's a 30 .1 % drop. Almost

00:16:41.169 --> 00:16:44.789
a third gone in five years. Pennsylvania, 6 ,570

00:16:44.789 --> 00:16:48.309
down to 5 ,000. That's a 23 .9 % loss. Still

00:16:48.309 --> 00:16:52.789
massive. New York, 4 ,470 down to 3 ,210. That's

00:16:52.789 --> 00:16:55.830
28 .2 % gone. Consistent pattern. And Minnesota

00:16:55.830 --> 00:16:57.610
had one of the worst percentage drops. Yeah.

00:16:57.649 --> 00:17:00.409
Minnesota went from 3 ,210 farms down to just

00:17:00.409 --> 00:17:04.609
2 ,035. That's a loss of 1 ,175 farms, but percentage

00:17:04.609 --> 00:17:08.500
-wise. It's a staggering 36 .6 % reduction. Over

00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:10.200
a third of their dairies disappeared in five

00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:11.859
years. Okay, now contrast that with some of the

00:17:11.859 --> 00:17:14.059
other states you mentioned. California. California

00:17:14.059 --> 00:17:17.599
dropped from 4 ,390 farms to 1115. That's a loss

00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:21.140
of 275 farms or about 19 .8%. Still a decline,

00:17:21.299 --> 00:17:23.140
yes, but a significantly slower rate than the

00:17:23.140 --> 00:17:24.960
upper Midwest. And remember, they added mega

00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:26.440
dairies during this time. It's consolidation.

00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:29.180
Idaho. Similar story. 500 farms down to 400.

00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:32.960
A loss of 100 or 20 .0%. Consolidation into larger

00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:36.039
units. And Texas. Texas went from 560 farms down

00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:41.099
to 480. only an 80 farm drop or 14 .3%. The smallest

00:17:41.099 --> 00:17:43.500
percentage decline on that list while simultaneously

00:17:43.500 --> 00:17:46.720
adding huge numbers of cows. These numbers just

00:17:46.720 --> 00:17:48.960
paint such a clear picture of this uneven impact,

00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:51.700
this geographic shift, and it really highlights

00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:54.500
the urgent need for breed associations to figure

00:17:54.500 --> 00:17:56.700
out how they serve this new landscape or risk

00:17:56.700 --> 00:17:59.359
becoming, you know, just irrelevant footnotes.

00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:01.740
Okay, so we've mapped out these huge shifts across

00:18:01.740 --> 00:18:03.920
the industry, consolidation, the economic divide,

00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:06.480
geographic changes. Now let's zoom in on the

00:18:06.480 --> 00:18:09.059
traditional dairy breed convention itself. Because

00:18:09.059 --> 00:18:10.779
all these changes put it in a really, really

00:18:10.779 --> 00:18:13.380
tough spot. It feels like essentially an analog

00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:15.359
model, maybe beautifully crafted one from the

00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:17.559
past, but struggling hard to find its place in

00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:20.279
this digital data -driven polarized industry

00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:22.420
we just described. That's a perfect way to put

00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:24.700
it. And you know, the simplest, most direct measure

00:18:24.700 --> 00:18:28.839
of how any event is doing. It's attendance. And

00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:31.200
by that measure, honestly, the traditional breed

00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:35.259
convention seems to be, well, ailing. Let's look

00:18:35.259 --> 00:18:37.119
at some recent numbers our sources pulled together.

00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:40.180
The 2024 National Holstein Convention, that's

00:18:40.180 --> 00:18:42.640
the biggest breed, often seen as the bellwether,

00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:46.180
it threw about 700 attendees. Respectable, sure,

00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:48.750
but... Maybe not huge in the grand scheme of

00:18:48.750 --> 00:18:50.349
things. And it goes down from there for other

00:18:50.349 --> 00:18:52.170
breeds, right? Right. Pretty significantly. At

00:18:52.170 --> 00:18:55.410
the 2024 National Brown Swiss Convention, around

00:18:55.410 --> 00:18:57.769
200 people, the National Ayrshire Convention

00:18:57.769 --> 00:19:00.029
that same year was reported as having hundreds,

00:19:00.109 --> 00:19:02.210
probably similar, maybe low hundreds. Now, look,

00:19:02.289 --> 00:19:04.509
these attendees are obviously the dedicated core,

00:19:04.670 --> 00:19:06.869
the loyal members, and that's important. But

00:19:06.869 --> 00:19:08.730
compare those numbers. To the big agricultural

00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:13.109
shows. Exactly. The 2023 World Dairy Expo, 56

00:19:13.109 --> 00:19:18.720
,250 attendees. 56 ,000. The National FFA Convention

00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.359
in 2023, which is youth -focused, almost 73 ,000

00:19:22.359 --> 00:19:25.140
people. Even the Comatibi Classic trade show

00:19:25.140 --> 00:19:29.180
in 2024 pulled in over 11 ,500 farmers and industry

00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:32.880
folks. The scale difference is just, it's monumental.

00:19:33.000 --> 00:19:34.859
It's not just more people. It's a different kind

00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:37.500
of event attracting them. That disparity is huge.

00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:40.339
And the key point here maybe is that this isn't

00:19:40.339 --> 00:19:42.359
just farmers being apathetic about their breeds.

00:19:42.460 --> 00:19:45.400
It's more of a... A rational market choice, isn't

00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:47.059
it? Absolutely. Producers are voting with their

00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:49.460
feet and maybe more importantly, with their wallets

00:19:49.460 --> 00:19:51.859
and their extremely limited time. They're choosing

00:19:51.859 --> 00:19:54.279
to invest that time and money in larger, more

00:19:54.279 --> 00:19:56.559
diverse events where they can see a wider range

00:19:56.559 --> 00:19:58.980
of technologies, genetics from all breeds and

00:19:58.980 --> 00:20:01.079
network across the entire spectrum of things

00:20:01.079 --> 00:20:02.640
they need for their business. Right. Because

00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:04.740
a modern dairy manager, especially from a big

00:20:04.740 --> 00:20:07.180
operation, needs to connect with people in feed,

00:20:07.279 --> 00:20:10.440
tech, finance, data management, all of it. Precisely.

00:20:10.579 --> 00:20:13.559
A single -breed event, just by definition, has

00:20:13.559 --> 00:20:15.680
a narrower scope compared to something like World

00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.299
Dairy Expo, which has that massive trade show

00:20:18.299 --> 00:20:20.740
covering everything, seminars on all sorts of

00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:23.180
topics, plus all the breeds are there. So it's

00:20:23.180 --> 00:20:25.019
not apathy driving lower convention attendance,

00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:28.359
it's producers making a calculated economic decision.

00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:30.660
They're asking, where do I get the biggest bang

00:20:30.660 --> 00:20:32.779
for my buck? Where's the best return on my investment

00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:34.720
of time and money? And increasingly, the answer

00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:37.039
isn't the traditional breed convention. And this

00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.480
trend... obviously puts enormous financial strain

00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:42.420
on the breed associations themselves. Looking

00:20:42.420 --> 00:20:44.279
at their financials gives a sense of this pressure.

00:20:44.680 --> 00:20:46.980
Holstein USA, the biggest, had revenues around

00:20:46.980 --> 00:20:51.099
$17 .8 million in 2023. Right. But then you look

00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:54.839
at Brown Swiss, around $746 ,000 in revenue.

00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:58.880
Ayrshire Breeders Association, just over $252

00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:02.240
,000. And remember, that revenue has to cover

00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.019
everything they do, herd books, registrations,

00:21:05.099 --> 00:21:07.460
genetic services, magazines, youth programs,

00:21:07.700 --> 00:21:09.980
the whole nine yards. The national convention

00:21:09.980 --> 00:21:13.319
is usually a major line item expense. And historically,

00:21:13.500 --> 00:21:15.619
it was also supposed to be a key source of non

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:17.720
-dues revenue, things like registration fees,

00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:21.819
which can be $250 a person, plus corporate sponsorships.

00:21:21.960 --> 00:21:25.269
So if attendance is flat or falling, But costs

00:21:25.269 --> 00:21:28.089
are staying high or even rising. The whole financial

00:21:28.089 --> 00:21:30.549
model for the convention gets shaky. Exactly.

00:21:30.710 --> 00:21:32.930
It becomes questionable whether hosting this

00:21:32.930 --> 00:21:35.309
big multi -day national event is financially

00:21:35.309 --> 00:21:37.869
sustainable. It puts associations in a tough

00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:40.589
spot, pouring resources into a flagship event

00:21:40.589 --> 00:21:42.710
that might only be appealing to a shrinking slice

00:21:42.710 --> 00:21:44.470
of their membership while the costs to put it

00:21:44.470 --> 00:21:46.670
on don't really go down. It's a classic diminishing

00:21:46.670 --> 00:21:49.089
returns problem for the association itself. Okay,

00:21:49.130 --> 00:21:50.789
beyond the money, there's the people factor.

00:21:51.029 --> 00:21:52.990
The kind of person running a dairy farm today

00:21:52.990 --> 00:21:55.539
is changing. And their expectations for professional

00:21:55.539 --> 00:21:57.880
development are changing, too. Fundamentally

00:21:57.880 --> 00:21:59.680
changing, yeah. And that traditional convention

00:21:59.680 --> 00:22:03.180
model, multi -day, in -person, lots of social

00:22:03.180 --> 00:22:06.119
stuff, big focus on the cattle show, it feels

00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:08.880
increasingly out of step with what this new generation

00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.460
needs or wants. It really does. Demographically,

00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:13.579
we see that shift. The average U .S. farmer is

00:22:13.579 --> 00:22:16.039
about 58, but the average dairy farmer is younger,

00:22:16.200 --> 00:22:19.480
around 51. That tells you a new generation is

00:22:19.480 --> 00:22:22.240
taking over. Plus, you've got the rise of the

00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:24.779
professional farm manager. Maybe they're an employee,

00:22:24.900 --> 00:22:26.940
not the owner, maybe overseeing multiple sites.

00:22:27.160 --> 00:22:29.539
Their motivations are different. We even see

00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:32.119
it at World Dairy Expo. 41 % of attendees there

00:22:32.119 --> 00:22:35.039
identify as agribusiness professionals, not just

00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.539
farmers. They're business managers first, maybe

00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:40.819
breed enthusiasts second, if at all. And how

00:22:40.819 --> 00:22:43.079
do these younger managers or professionals prefer

00:22:43.079 --> 00:22:45.039
to learn? It's probably not sitting in seminars

00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:47.269
for three days straight. Definitely not. They're

00:22:47.269 --> 00:22:50.289
digital natives, right? They prefer, or at least

00:22:50.289 --> 00:22:52.710
are very comfortable with, on -demand flexible

00:22:52.710 --> 00:22:55.880
content. Research shows a preference for blended

00:22:55.880 --> 00:22:58.480
learning, mixing online convenience with targeted

00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:01.880
in -person stuff. One survey even found farmers

00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:04.440
preferred short online courses, maybe offered

00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:06.460
in the evening so it doesn't disrupt the farm

00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:09.039
schedule. Sure, hands -on training is still valuable

00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:11.759
for certain things, but e -learning, that's seen

00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:14.680
as practical, efficient, fits into their lives

00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:16.880
better. They want info when they need it, not

00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:18.619
just when the convention happens to be scheduled.

00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:21.680
So you've got this basic mismatch, the traditional

00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:24.779
convention. Multiple days away, heavy social

00:23:24.779 --> 00:23:28.000
focus, cattle show centerpiece. The modern manager.

00:23:28.339 --> 00:23:30.960
Time is their scarcest resource. They're data

00:23:30.960 --> 00:23:33.319
-driven. They need efficiency. They prefer flexible

00:23:33.319 --> 00:23:35.900
learning. It's a huge mismatch. The opportunity

00:23:35.900 --> 00:23:37.940
cost for that millennial or Gen X manager to

00:23:37.940 --> 00:23:40.779
take several days off from a 247 operation. It's

00:23:40.779 --> 00:23:42.980
massive, especially if the schedule seems packed

00:23:42.980 --> 00:23:45.240
with social events or a show rather than just

00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:47.619
wall -to -wall, high -impact, actionable content

00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:50.259
they can use immediately. The ROI on their time

00:23:50.259 --> 00:23:52.480
just isn't there. They need stuff they can apply

00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:55.380
right away. Less focus on the traditions, maybe.

00:23:55.539 --> 00:23:57.259
Yeah, I think so. They're driven by efficiency,

00:23:57.579 --> 00:24:01.420
by data, by outcomes. They need actionable information

00:24:01.420 --> 00:24:03.920
to improve the bottom line, streamline things,

00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:06.980
the rituals, the traditions, the purely aesthetic

00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:09.829
parts of the old convention. maybe less appealing,

00:24:10.069 --> 00:24:11.650
less relevant to their day -to -day business

00:24:11.650 --> 00:24:14.190
challenges. The whole structure, the length,

00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:17.470
the rhythm, the priorities, it just feels out

00:24:17.470 --> 00:24:20.509
of sync with the workflow and the mindset of

00:24:20.509 --> 00:24:23.130
the people running the most progressive, economically

00:24:23.130 --> 00:24:25.869
important farms today. It's like trying to use

00:24:25.869 --> 00:24:27.950
a rotary phone in the smartphone era. Which brings

00:24:27.950 --> 00:24:30.410
us right back to that ROI equation. Justifying

00:24:30.410 --> 00:24:32.730
the time off the farm. Because for that modern

00:24:32.730 --> 00:24:35.829
manager running a serious business, every decision

00:24:35.829 --> 00:24:37.809
gets filtered through that return on investment

00:24:37.809 --> 00:24:40.529
lens. Attending an event is no different. And

00:24:40.529 --> 00:24:42.309
when you really crunch the numbers, the traditional

00:24:42.309 --> 00:24:44.490
convention often struggles to make the cut, doesn't

00:24:44.490 --> 00:24:46.569
it? It really does. The hard costs are easy to

00:24:46.569 --> 00:24:50.529
see, right? Registration, $200, $350, flights,

00:24:50.809 --> 00:24:54.269
hotel, meals. That adds up fast. But like you

00:24:54.269 --> 00:24:56.450
said earlier, the bigger cost, the one that's

00:24:56.450 --> 00:24:59.490
harder to pin down but very real, is the opportunity

00:24:59.490 --> 00:25:02.549
cost. Several days away from running a complex

00:25:02.549 --> 00:25:04.710
multi -million dollar business, that's a huge

00:25:04.710 --> 00:25:06.569
investment of their attention, their management

00:25:06.569 --> 00:25:09.750
time. That's the real hidden expense. And compared

00:25:09.750 --> 00:25:12.009
to those clear costs, the benefits of the traditional

00:25:12.009 --> 00:25:14.890
convention networking community, they're important,

00:25:15.109 --> 00:25:17.730
sure, but they're kind of soft, hard to quantify.

00:25:17.970 --> 00:25:20.819
Exactly. They're often soft, indirect. difficult

00:25:20.819 --> 00:25:23.339
to put a dollar value on in a way that satisfies

00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:26.460
a hardener's business analysis. How much is that

00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:28.500
handshake actually worth to the bottom line next

00:25:28.500 --> 00:25:30.880
quarter? It's tough to say. And that stands in

00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:32.839
really sharp contrast to other investments they

00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:34.859
could make with that same time and money. Investments

00:25:34.859 --> 00:25:37.099
that often have much clearer, predictable, measurable

00:25:37.099 --> 00:25:39.619
ROI. Because modern producers think in terms

00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:41.720
of payback periods, right? They want to see a

00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:44.279
return on tech investments in maybe two, five

00:25:44.279 --> 00:25:47.299
years. They target maybe a 10 % return on capital

00:25:47.299 --> 00:25:50.400
for major purchases. Precisely. It's all about

00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:53.839
measurable outcomes. When that manager is weighing

00:25:53.839 --> 00:25:57.019
their options, where do I spend my limited professional

00:25:57.019 --> 00:26:00.660
development budget and time? Option A. Spend

00:26:00.660 --> 00:26:02.759
maybe a few thousand dollars and three, four

00:26:02.759 --> 00:26:05.339
days at the convention with benefits that are,

00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:08.339
let's be honest, a bit fuzzy on the ROI front.

00:26:08.519 --> 00:26:11.789
Or option B. Invest that same time and money

00:26:11.789 --> 00:26:14.190
in something with a direct trackable impact.

00:26:14.529 --> 00:26:17.329
Maybe it's a targeted online course on feed efficiency

00:26:17.329 --> 00:26:19.890
where you can project the cost savings. Maybe

00:26:19.890 --> 00:26:22.430
it's new sensor tech for repro with data showing

00:26:22.430 --> 00:26:25.089
improved conception rates. Maybe it's genomic

00:26:25.089 --> 00:26:27.690
testing across the heifer herd with a clear projection

00:26:27.690 --> 00:26:30.089
for boosting genetic merit and future production.

00:26:30.230 --> 00:26:32.069
For the data -driven manager making a rational

00:26:32.069 --> 00:26:34.720
economic choice. The clear ROI wins, right? It

00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:37.440
wins every time. The investment with the defensible,

00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:40.420
measurable return beats the one with soft, unquantifiable

00:26:40.420 --> 00:26:42.720
benefits. And unfortunately, the traditional

00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:45.000
convention, with its heavy emphasis on social

00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:46.940
connection and tradition over measurable business

00:26:46.940 --> 00:26:49.559
impact, increasingly falls into that second category.

00:26:49.799 --> 00:26:52.220
For the most business -focused producers, it

00:26:52.220 --> 00:26:54.559
becomes an unjustifiable expense of both time

00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:58.799
and money. Okay, so maybe the biggest, most fundamental

00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:01.579
challenge to the whole convention model comes

00:27:01.579 --> 00:27:04.920
from technology. Specifically, the genetic revolution.

00:27:05.539 --> 00:27:09.200
For like a century, the absolute centerpiece

00:27:09.200 --> 00:27:11.660
of these conventions was the cattle show, right?

00:27:11.740 --> 00:27:13.599
That's where you saw the best genetics, where

00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:15.420
confirmation was king. This is the pinnacle,

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:18.319
yeah. Visual appraisal was the primary tool for

00:27:18.319 --> 00:27:21.240
identifying and promoting elite animals. But

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:24.539
that function? It's been almost completely taken

00:27:24.539 --> 00:27:26.859
over by the science of genomics, hasn't it? Almost

00:27:26.859 --> 00:27:29.299
entirely. The impact of genomic selection, since

00:27:29.299 --> 00:27:32.099
it really hit the mainstream around 2009, it's

00:27:32.099 --> 00:27:34.140
been nothing short of revolutionary for dairy

00:27:34.140 --> 00:27:36.859
breeding, a total paradigm shift. It hasn't just

00:27:36.859 --> 00:27:39.059
changed things. It's dramatically accelerated

00:27:39.059 --> 00:27:42.160
genetic progress and fundamentally altered how

00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:44.779
breeding decisions get made. It moved from being

00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:47.119
partly an art to almost purely a data science.

00:27:47.259 --> 00:27:49.279
And the numbers back that up, right? The speed

00:27:49.279 --> 00:27:52.410
of genetic gain is basically doubled. Effectively

00:27:52.410 --> 00:27:55.109
doubled, yeah. The data is crystal clear. If

00:27:55.109 --> 00:27:57.509
you look at the Industry Standard Net Merit Index,

00:27:57.730 --> 00:28:00.609
NM1, which predicts lifetime profitability before

00:28:00.609 --> 00:28:03.289
genomics really took hold, the average annual

00:28:03.289 --> 00:28:06.670
gain was about $40 per year since 2010. That

00:28:06.670 --> 00:28:10.470
average annual gain has jumped to $85, more than

00:28:10.470 --> 00:28:12.970
double the rate of progress year after year.

00:28:13.150 --> 00:28:16.009
That adds up to way more profitable cows much

00:28:16.009 --> 00:28:18.589
faster. How did genomics achieve that speedup?

00:28:18.779 --> 00:28:20.940
Primarily by slashing the generation interval.

00:28:21.079 --> 00:28:23.400
That's the time it takes to identify the best

00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:26.880
animals and get them reproducing. For sires of

00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:29.359
bulls, which is a key path for spreading genetics

00:28:29.359 --> 00:28:31.839
fast, the generation interval used to be around

00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:35.880
7 .5 years. Now, it's plunged to just 2 .5 years.

00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:38.779
Wow, from 7 .5 years down to 2 .5. Yeah, think

00:28:38.779 --> 00:28:40.579
about that compounding effect. You're getting

00:28:40.579 --> 00:28:42.880
multiple generations of improvement in the time

00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:44.660
it used to take for just one. It's incredible

00:28:44.660 --> 00:28:46.480
efficiency. And it's not just faster, it's more

00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:48.259
accurate too, right? Yeah. Especially for young

00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:51.089
animals. much more accurate the reliability of

00:28:51.089 --> 00:28:53.589
genomic predictions for young bulls before they

00:28:53.589 --> 00:28:56.250
even have daughters milking is now twice what

00:28:56.250 --> 00:28:58.289
it used to be based just on their parents averages

00:28:58.289 --> 00:29:01.089
this means breeders can use young sires with

00:29:01.089 --> 00:29:03.609
way more confidence much earlier it streamlines

00:29:03.609 --> 00:29:06.589
everything reduces risk and critically genomics

00:29:06.589 --> 00:29:08.369
lets you select for things you could never really

00:29:08.369 --> 00:29:10.869
judge accurately in a show ring absolutely today's

00:29:10.869 --> 00:29:12.630
breeding decisions are based on this complex

00:29:12.630 --> 00:29:15.740
dashboard of traits Production, yeah, fat, protein.

00:29:15.880 --> 00:29:18.819
But also, hugely important now, health traits.

00:29:19.220 --> 00:29:22.279
Mastitis resistance, cow livability, resistance

00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:25.240
to metabolic diseases, and fertility traits.

00:29:25.359 --> 00:29:28.039
Daughter pregnancy rate, calving ease, stillbirth

00:29:28.039 --> 00:29:30.420
rates, confirmation traits. They're still in

00:29:30.420 --> 00:29:32.740
the indexes, sure. But they're weighted based

00:29:32.740 --> 00:29:35.059
on their proven economic link to things like

00:29:35.059 --> 00:29:37.799
longevity or health. Not just on subjective prettiness.

00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:40.180
It's about function and profitability, not just

00:29:40.180 --> 00:29:43.109
form. What does this actually mean for the cattle

00:29:43.109 --> 00:29:45.990
show, the centerpiece of the convention? It means,

00:29:46.009 --> 00:29:48.390
frankly, that the show rings role as the primary

00:29:48.390 --> 00:29:51.309
tool for identifying and marketing commercially

00:29:51.309 --> 00:29:54.930
relevant elite genetics. That role is gone. It's

00:29:54.930 --> 00:29:58.109
obsolete. It's now more like, well, like we said,

00:29:58.190 --> 00:30:01.069
a beauty contest or a marketing event or a social

00:30:01.069 --> 00:30:03.839
gathering for enthusiasts. Which is fine. There's

00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:06.559
value in that for some people. But as a serious

00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:08.859
driver of genetic progress for the commercial

00:30:08.859 --> 00:30:11.579
dairy industry, its time has passed. And that

00:30:11.579 --> 00:30:14.059
completely undermines the historical justification

00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:17.460
for the show being the central, most resource

00:30:17.460 --> 00:30:20.180
-heavy part of the convention. Its core purpose

00:30:20.180 --> 00:30:23.460
has been replaced by data and science. So in

00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:25.579
this genomic age, the real currency is data.

00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:28.240
Genetic progress isn't abstract anymore. It's

00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:30.000
something you can measure and put a dollar value

00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:32.559
on. Exactly. It's a line item on the P &L. The

00:30:32.559 --> 00:30:35.019
most successful producers now are basically sophisticated

00:30:35.019 --> 00:30:37.799
data managers. They're the ones who can effectively

00:30:37.799 --> 00:30:39.880
gather all this data, integrate it, and then

00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:42.839
act on it to make smarter, faster, more profitable

00:30:42.839 --> 00:30:44.980
breeding decisions. Can you give an example of

00:30:44.980 --> 00:30:47.140
that value? Like, what's a genetic gain actually

00:30:47.140 --> 00:30:50.240
worth? Sure. In New Zealand, they calculate that

00:30:50.240 --> 00:30:53.099
an 11 -unit increase in their BW index is worth

00:30:53.099 --> 00:30:56.680
about $11 extra profit per 5 tons of dry matter

00:30:56.680 --> 00:30:59.380
eaten. Pretty direct. Here in North America,

00:30:59.519 --> 00:31:01.700
studies show that increasing genetic merit for

00:31:01.700 --> 00:31:04.099
fat yield by just one kilogram. That's worth

00:31:04.099 --> 00:31:06.980
somewhere between $25 and $36 in extra lifetime

00:31:06.980 --> 00:31:09.960
profit per cow. Now multiply that across a herd

00:31:09.960 --> 00:31:12.700
year after year. The accumulated value of consistently

00:31:12.700 --> 00:31:14.960
using better genetics over 10 years for an average

00:31:14.960 --> 00:31:17.400
herd. It's estimated at over a quarter of a million

00:31:17.400 --> 00:31:20.019
dollars. That's serious money. It's real money.

00:31:20.339 --> 00:31:22.970
And progressive farmers know this. They're not

00:31:22.970 --> 00:31:25.670
just picking bulls from a catalog anymore. They're

00:31:25.670 --> 00:31:28.150
genomically testing their own heifers at birth

00:31:28.150 --> 00:31:30.809
to decide which ones to keep, which ones to breed,

00:31:31.029 --> 00:31:33.829
maybe which ones get elite matings using IVF.

00:31:34.079 --> 00:31:36.480
They're meticulously tracking performance data

00:31:36.480 --> 00:31:39.140
through DHI, milk yield, components, health events

00:31:39.140 --> 00:31:41.420
to see how those genetics actually perform in

00:31:41.420 --> 00:31:43.779
their environment. And now they're starting to

00:31:43.779 --> 00:31:46.279
integrate real -time data from on -farm tech,

00:31:46.460 --> 00:31:48.859
like robotic milkers that track daily yield,

00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:51.480
milking speed, even conductivity from a status

00:31:51.480 --> 00:31:54.309
detection for every single cow. This opens up

00:31:54.309 --> 00:31:56.769
selection for totally new traits related to efficiency

00:31:56.769 --> 00:31:59.849
and health. So this data explosion, it creates

00:31:59.849 --> 00:32:01.970
a huge challenge, but also maybe a huge opportunity

00:32:01.970 --> 00:32:04.589
for the breed associations. Their old role isn't

00:32:04.589 --> 00:32:06.990
enough anymore. Not even close. Their traditional

00:32:06.990 --> 00:32:09.390
role is just keeper of the pedigree and organizer

00:32:09.390 --> 00:32:11.829
of the show. That's insufficient for the commercial

00:32:11.829 --> 00:32:14.440
producers driving the industry. The farmers winning

00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:17.000
today are the ones synthesizing genomics, farm

00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:19.940
performance data, economic signals. It's complex.

00:32:20.259 --> 00:32:22.759
The opportunity for breed associations is to

00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:25.319
become the facilitator of that synthesis, to

00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:27.859
provide the tools, the platforms, the intelligence

00:32:27.859 --> 00:32:31.109
to help members make sense of it all. Bullvine

00:32:31.109 --> 00:32:32.950
article really hit on this, didn't it? Saying

00:32:32.950 --> 00:32:35.349
societies can't be isolated. Yeah, it hammered

00:32:35.349 --> 00:32:37.789
that point home. It said, the dairy cattle improvement

00:32:37.789 --> 00:32:40.369
industry is changing fast due to new technology

00:32:40.369 --> 00:32:42.950
and shifting priorities. Breed societies cannot

00:32:42.950 --> 00:32:45.910
be isolated or have a standalone approach. It

00:32:45.910 --> 00:32:47.890
argued they need to accept how things are changing

00:32:47.890 --> 00:32:50.089
and figure out their role by 2030 and beyond.

00:32:50.349 --> 00:32:52.869
The future, it suggests, isn't hosting shows.

00:32:53.069 --> 00:32:55.410
It's becoming a hub for data integration and

00:32:55.410 --> 00:32:58.369
intelligence. The new convention, in a way, is

00:32:58.369 --> 00:33:10.900
this virtual meeting place for data. Okay, so

00:33:10.900 --> 00:33:13.359
the picture is pretty clear. The traditional

00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:15.759
convention model is struggling, maybe fundamentally

00:33:15.759 --> 00:33:20.180
broken for the industry as it exists today. Consolidation.

00:33:20.569 --> 00:33:23.309
Technology like genomics, a new generation with

00:33:23.309 --> 00:33:26.490
different needs. It all points to breed societies

00:33:26.490 --> 00:33:31.130
being at this major crossroads. Evolve or, well,

00:33:31.230 --> 00:33:33.970
face extinction, as the Bullvine article put

00:33:33.970 --> 00:33:37.910
it. So the path forward has to involve some radical

00:33:37.910 --> 00:33:39.789
rethinking, right? Not just tinkering around

00:33:39.789 --> 00:33:42.819
the edges. Bold innovation seems necessary. Absolutely

00:33:42.819 --> 00:33:45.200
necessary. Incremental changes aren't going to

00:33:45.200 --> 00:33:47.400
cut it. It requires reimagining the core purpose,

00:33:47.579 --> 00:33:49.779
the business model, the whole event strategy.

00:33:50.099 --> 00:33:52.039
And while maybe the dairy breed world has been

00:33:52.039 --> 00:33:54.059
a bit slow on the uptake here, other industries,

00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:56.599
other agricultural sectors even, offer some really

00:33:56.599 --> 00:33:59.099
interesting blueprints for how to build value

00:33:59.099 --> 00:34:02.180
and engage members effectively today. These models

00:34:02.180 --> 00:34:04.140
move away from that old one -size -fits -all

00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:06.319
event towards something more flexible, more targeted,

00:34:06.500 --> 00:34:08.519
more tech -enabled. Okay, let's explore some

00:34:08.519 --> 00:34:10.300
of those. What's the first case study? The hybrid

00:34:10.300 --> 00:34:12.730
model. Yeah, case study one, the hybrid event

00:34:12.730 --> 00:34:15.449
model. Think about major tech conferences like

00:34:15.449 --> 00:34:18.309
HubSpot's Ionbound or VivaTech over in Europe.

00:34:18.570 --> 00:34:22.250
They've really mastered combining a maybe smaller

00:34:22.250 --> 00:34:25.789
but very high value in -person event with a really

00:34:25.789 --> 00:34:28.969
robust content -rich virtual experience that

00:34:28.969 --> 00:34:31.250
reaches a much wider audience. So how does that

00:34:31.250 --> 00:34:33.250
work strategically? They split the audience or

00:34:33.250 --> 00:34:35.510
the purpose? Exactly. They bifurcate it. The

00:34:35.510 --> 00:34:37.670
in -person part becomes more exclusive, maybe

00:34:37.670 --> 00:34:39.969
more expensive, focused on high -level networking.

00:34:40.230 --> 00:34:42.809
strategic discussions, really intensive hands

00:34:42.809 --> 00:34:45.030
-on workshops, things that truly benefit from

00:34:45.030 --> 00:34:48.269
being face -to -face. But then the virtual component,

00:34:48.449 --> 00:34:50.750
through a great online platform, gives broad

00:34:50.750 --> 00:34:53.769
access. Thousands of people can tune in for detectable

00:34:53.769 --> 00:34:55.849
deep dives, research updates, keynote streams,

00:34:56.170 --> 00:34:58.849
on -demand content, all at a lower cost and without

00:34:58.849 --> 00:35:01.030
needing to travel. It optimizes the value for

00:35:01.030 --> 00:35:03.190
different needs and budgets. So how could a breed

00:35:03.190 --> 00:35:05.630
society apply that, transform the annual convention?

00:35:06.090 --> 00:35:08.530
They could. Imagine the traditional conventions

00:35:08.530 --> 00:35:11.449
splitting into two parts. Maybe an in -person

00:35:11.449 --> 00:35:14.750
leadership summit. Smaller, maybe 100, 200 pop

00:35:14.750 --> 00:35:17.409
producers, key industry partners, focused on

00:35:17.409 --> 00:35:20.409
strategy, finance, big picture stuff. premium

00:35:20.409 --> 00:35:23.409
experience, and then simultaneously or spread

00:35:23.409 --> 00:35:26.449
out a virtual technical conference fully online.

00:35:26.929 --> 00:35:29.030
Thousands of members could access sessions on

00:35:29.030 --> 00:35:31.690
genomics, nutrition, data management, new tech

00:35:31.690 --> 00:35:34.769
for a much lower fee. This respects people's

00:35:34.769 --> 00:35:36.949
time and budget constraints while still offering

00:35:36.949 --> 00:35:39.030
that high touch element for a core group. And

00:35:39.030 --> 00:35:41.030
financially, that makes sense, too. Diversifies

00:35:41.030 --> 00:35:43.289
revenue? Big time. You're not just relying on

00:35:43.289 --> 00:35:46.070
physical attendees. You open up new digital sponsorship

00:35:46.070 --> 00:35:49.170
tiers. You lower the overall cost per attendee

00:35:49.170 --> 00:35:51.570
reached. You expand your global reach. You get

00:35:51.570 --> 00:35:53.550
better data on what content resonates. It's just

00:35:53.550 --> 00:35:55.809
a much more modern, sustainable model. Okay,

00:35:55.869 --> 00:35:57.889
what's the next potential blueprint? Something

00:35:57.889 --> 00:36:01.769
more farm -focused? Right. Case Study 2. The

00:36:01.769 --> 00:36:05.150
data -driven, on -farm showcase. Think about

00:36:05.150 --> 00:36:07.809
initiatives like Western Growers Work with Automation

00:36:07.809 --> 00:36:10.789
Tech out in California. This model shifts the

00:36:10.789 --> 00:36:13.349
focus entirely away from the hotel ballroom and

00:36:13.349 --> 00:36:15.690
puts it right onto the farm. Instead of just

00:36:15.690 --> 00:36:18.110
talking about new tech or genetics, they partner

00:36:18.110 --> 00:36:20.389
with innovative farms to show it working in the

00:36:20.389 --> 00:36:23.929
real world. And crucially, they provide the actual

00:36:23.929 --> 00:36:27.230
performance data, the ROI data, right there.

00:36:27.409 --> 00:36:29.050
So it's less presentation, more demonstration.

00:36:29.849 --> 00:36:32.570
Seeing is believing. Exactly. And producers relate

00:36:32.570 --> 00:36:35.030
to that. Plus, these events are often regional,

00:36:35.170 --> 00:36:37.349
which makes them easier to get to, more relevant

00:36:37.349 --> 00:36:40.010
to local conditions. So for a breed society,

00:36:40.489 --> 00:36:42.730
instead of one big national show, maybe they

00:36:42.730 --> 00:36:44.889
organize a series of regional smart genetics

00:36:44.889 --> 00:36:47.809
field days, host them at progressive member farms

00:36:47.809 --> 00:36:49.889
that are already integrating top genetics with

00:36:49.889 --> 00:36:52.349
things like robots, automated feeders, sensor

00:36:52.349 --> 00:36:55.010
systems. The whole focus is tangible results.

00:36:55.329 --> 00:36:57.570
Here's the efficiency gain. Here are the component

00:36:57.570 --> 00:36:59.699
yields. Here's the health improvement. here's

00:36:59.699 --> 00:37:02.400
the roi on this combined strategy and the association

00:37:02.400 --> 00:37:04.880
wouldn't have to do it all alone no that's key

00:37:04.880 --> 00:37:08.400
this model thrives on partnerships You collaborate

00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:11.300
with the tech companies, Lilly, DeLaval, Cemex,

00:37:11.400 --> 00:37:13.659
Zoetis, whoever. You partner with university

00:37:13.659 --> 00:37:16.239
research groups like that WKU Smart Holstein

00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:19.599
Lab. They co -host, co -fund. It reduces the

00:37:19.599 --> 00:37:21.780
burden on the association. Plus, it brings the

00:37:21.780 --> 00:37:24.119
experts right there for the attendees. It makes

00:37:24.119 --> 00:37:26.559
the learning super practical, super relevant,

00:37:26.699 --> 00:37:28.719
right where the work happens. Makes sense. What's

00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:30.380
the third model? Something more digital. Yeah,

00:37:30.440 --> 00:37:33.019
Case Study 3, the year -round digital knowledge

00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:36.260
hub. Look at how organizations like the FAO share

00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:39.170
information. or concepts around virtual ag markets.

00:37:39.469 --> 00:37:42.250
This model envisions the association's digital

00:37:42.250 --> 00:37:44.590
platform, its website, its apps, not just as

00:37:44.590 --> 00:37:47.690
static brochures, but as continuous dynamic hubs,

00:37:47.869 --> 00:37:50.289
places for knowledge sharing, community building,

00:37:50.429 --> 00:37:53.349
even commerce, operating 24 -7. So the main benefit

00:37:53.349 --> 00:37:55.070
of being a member isn't the convention discount

00:37:55.070 --> 00:37:57.530
anymore, it's access to this digital ecosystem.

00:37:58.400 --> 00:38:01.440
Precisely. The primary value shifts to year -round,

00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:04.400
on -demand access. The convention, if there still

00:38:04.400 --> 00:38:06.739
is one, becomes just one feature of the platform,

00:38:06.840 --> 00:38:08.739
not the other way around. A forward -thinking

00:38:08.739 --> 00:38:11.000
breed society should be investing heavily in

00:38:11.000 --> 00:38:13.320
a top -notch digital platform that offers...

00:38:13.579 --> 00:38:17.159
say, a library of e -learning courses, genomics,

00:38:17.219 --> 00:38:19.059
financial management, niche marketing, whatever

00:38:19.059 --> 00:38:22.019
members need, on -demand webinars, premium data

00:38:22.019 --> 00:38:25.800
tools, subscription access maybe, tools for benchmarking

00:38:25.800 --> 00:38:28.019
herd performance against others anonymously,

00:38:28.219 --> 00:38:31.920
mating program simulators, ROI calculators for

00:38:31.920 --> 00:38:34.239
different breeding strategies, real decision

00:38:34.239 --> 00:38:36.639
support tools. That sounds powerful. Could it

00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:39.280
even include selling genetics? Absolutely. A

00:38:39.280 --> 00:38:41.800
curated, commission -based online marketplace

00:38:41.800 --> 00:38:45.039
for elite genetics. Embryos, IVF, semen from

00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:47.940
member herds, all with deep genomic data, maybe

00:38:47.940 --> 00:38:50.619
performance data attached. Transparent. Efficient.

00:38:50.739 --> 00:38:52.639
It helps members market their best genetics.

00:38:52.719 --> 00:38:55.059
And it provides a direct revenue stream for the

00:38:55.059 --> 00:38:57.380
association, turning member progress into shared

00:38:57.380 --> 00:38:59.539
value. And this whole digital hub model, financially,

00:38:59.860 --> 00:39:02.010
it's more stable. Much more resilient. You have

00:39:02.010 --> 00:39:04.989
diversified revenue, subscriptions for data tools,

00:39:05.409 --> 00:39:07.469
transaction fees from the marketplace, maybe

00:39:07.469 --> 00:39:09.829
corporate sponsorships tied to specific content

00:39:09.829 --> 00:39:12.570
or data initiatives. It's far less vulnerable

00:39:12.570 --> 00:39:16.409
to one bad event, one year of low attendance.

00:39:16.750 --> 00:39:19.849
It's a sustainable year -round business model,

00:39:19.889 --> 00:39:22.170
like successful modern membership organizations

00:39:22.170 --> 00:39:24.869
in other fields. To actually make any of these

00:39:24.869 --> 00:39:27.510
shifts happen, though, leadership needs to listen

00:39:27.510 --> 00:39:31.400
to different voices. Critically important, more

00:39:31.400 --> 00:39:34.519
than ever. They need candid input from all corners,

00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:36.719
from their own leadership who've maybe faced

00:39:36.719 --> 00:39:39.059
challenges, like the Ayrshire Association having

00:39:39.059 --> 00:39:41.900
to go virtual in 2020. What did they really learn

00:39:41.900 --> 00:39:44.980
from that financially, logistically? That's valuable

00:39:44.980 --> 00:39:47.179
intel. And from the progressive farmers themselves,

00:39:47.400 --> 00:39:49.340
what do they find valuable? Yeah, look at events

00:39:49.340 --> 00:39:51.659
like that Positive Farmers Dairy Conference in

00:39:51.659 --> 00:39:54.380
Ireland. Their whole focus is progressive farmers

00:39:54.380 --> 00:39:56.780
seeking insights and strategies for future challenges,

00:39:57.019 --> 00:39:59.380
aiming for a profitable dairy production while

00:39:59.380 --> 00:40:01.800
maintaining a balanced lifestyle. That tells

00:40:01.800 --> 00:40:03.880
you right there, there's demand for practical

00:40:03.880 --> 00:40:06.219
bottom line content focused on business success

00:40:06.219 --> 00:40:08.679
and sustainability. And you have to listen to

00:40:08.679 --> 00:40:10.530
the critics too, right? Like the Bullvine article.

00:40:10.610 --> 00:40:13.210
You have to, even if it stings. That article

00:40:13.210 --> 00:40:15.769
warning about record losses in revenue and associations

00:40:15.769 --> 00:40:19.550
being outpaced by tech and member demands, that's

00:40:19.550 --> 00:40:21.710
framing the need for change as pure survival.

00:40:22.090 --> 00:40:24.730
It's a necessary wake -up call. What about the

00:40:24.730 --> 00:40:26.880
tech side? What are tech leaders saying? People

00:40:26.880 --> 00:40:29.900
like Stefano Rattor, formerly at ADM, talk about

00:40:29.900 --> 00:40:32.300
agriculture needing to get over its historical

00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:36.019
reluctance to collaborate on data. He sees associations

00:40:36.019 --> 00:40:38.619
potentially playing that key role as trusted,

00:40:38.780 --> 00:40:41.900
neutral data hubs. And you see ag tech companies

00:40:41.900 --> 00:40:45.079
like ConnectEra or Inari already building tools

00:40:45.079 --> 00:40:47.719
to turn complex data into usable insights for

00:40:47.719 --> 00:40:50.039
farmers. That's the direction things are going.

00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:52.260
Associations need to be part of that data flow,

00:40:52.380 --> 00:40:55.400
not outside it. And finally, the next generation.

00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:58.260
The youth winners talking about giving back.

00:40:58.420 --> 00:41:00.380
What will they expect when they're running the

00:41:00.380 --> 00:41:02.260
show? That's the million dollar question, isn't

00:41:02.260 --> 00:41:04.539
it? Will they value the traditions their parents

00:41:04.539 --> 00:41:07.880
did? Or will they demand a digital native efficiency

00:41:07.880 --> 00:41:10.360
-focused association that speaks their language,

00:41:10.579 --> 00:41:13.280
uses the tools they use, and delivers measurable

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:15.639
value for their businesses? Their expectations

00:41:15.639 --> 00:41:18.440
will absolutely shape whether these associations

00:41:18.440 --> 00:41:21.659
are relevant in 10, 20 years. Okay, so to pull

00:41:21.659 --> 00:41:24.260
this together, for breed societies to have a

00:41:24.260 --> 00:41:28.320
viable future, say by 2030, they need a major

00:41:28.320 --> 00:41:31.530
overhaul. Financial strategy, membership value,

00:41:31.670 --> 00:41:34.030
and definitely the whole convention concept.

00:41:34.309 --> 00:41:36.670
It's a strategic pivot. First, financially, they

00:41:36.670 --> 00:41:39.230
have to move from being just event hosts to being

00:41:39.230 --> 00:41:42.420
indispensable value hubs. That means diversifying

00:41:42.420 --> 00:41:45.199
revenue. Get away from just relying on registrations

00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:47.860
and sponsorships for one big event. Build resilient

00:41:47.860 --> 00:41:49.920
income streams. Like offering paid services,

00:41:50.199 --> 00:41:53.000
premium data analysis, consulting. Exactly. Fee

00:41:53.000 --> 00:41:55.519
-for -service for things like advanced herd benchmarking,

00:41:55.519 --> 00:41:58.639
maybe custom mating program consultations, selling

00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:01.440
online courses, certifications, digital toolkits.

00:42:01.519 --> 00:42:03.900
And that genetics marketplace, a commission -based

00:42:03.900 --> 00:42:06.980
platform for embryos, IVF, semen with deep data,

00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:10.139
monetize the membership's genetic progress. And

00:42:10.139 --> 00:42:12.559
shift corporate support from just sponsoring

00:42:12.559 --> 00:42:15.539
the banquet to more year -round partnerships.

00:42:15.900 --> 00:42:18.739
Yes, tiered partnerships, giving companies access

00:42:18.739 --> 00:42:22.320
to the digital platform, data insights, co -branded

00:42:22.320 --> 00:42:25.579
educational content, more stable, more integrated,

00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:28.500
more valuable for everyone. And redefining membership

00:42:28.500 --> 00:42:32.059
itself, the value proposition. Fundamentally,

00:42:32.059 --> 00:42:34.260
the main reason to be a member can't just be

00:42:34.260 --> 00:42:36.480
a discount to the convention anymore. It has

00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:39.710
to be about accessing indispensable data. tools,

00:42:39.710 --> 00:42:42.489
intelligence. The product the association delivers

00:42:42.489 --> 00:42:44.690
becomes genetic and management intelligence.

00:42:45.010 --> 00:42:47.769
That's sticky value. It gets integrated into

00:42:47.769 --> 00:42:50.389
how members run their business every day. Renewal

00:42:50.389 --> 00:42:53.170
becomes a no -brainer. And using modern tools

00:42:53.170 --> 00:42:56.050
to keep members engaged. Personalizing things.

00:42:56.170 --> 00:42:58.369
For sure. Data -driven engagement. Tailoring

00:42:58.369 --> 00:43:00.710
communications based on herd size, interests,

00:43:00.869 --> 00:43:03.230
goals, creating a seamless digital experience.

00:43:03.989 --> 00:43:06.130
Recognizing that for many, the community is going

00:43:06.130 --> 00:43:08.690
to be online forums, webinars, shared data platforms,

00:43:08.849 --> 00:43:11.329
not just once a year in a hotel ballroom. Meet

00:43:11.329 --> 00:43:13.090
them where they are. Okay, so that's the membership

00:43:13.090 --> 00:43:15.650
and finance side. What about the convention itself?

00:43:15.889 --> 00:43:18.809
You mentioned a portfolio approach. Right. Ditch

00:43:18.809 --> 00:43:22.150
the idea of one big monolithic event trying to

00:43:22.150 --> 00:43:24.710
be everything to everyone. Replace it with a

00:43:24.710 --> 00:43:27.090
portfolio. Maybe that hub and spoke model we

00:43:27.090 --> 00:43:29.329
talked about. The hub being a smaller, high -level

00:43:29.329 --> 00:43:31.510
summit. Yeah, an exclusive annual leadership

00:43:31.510 --> 00:43:34.570
summit. Top 10, 15 % of producers, key partners,

00:43:34.769 --> 00:43:37.789
focused on strategy, finance, policy, high -level

00:43:37.789 --> 00:43:40.469
peer networking, premium event. And the spokes

00:43:40.469 --> 00:43:42.989
are more accessible events. Exactly. Smaller,

00:43:42.989 --> 00:43:45.849
more frequent, more targeted. Things like regional

00:43:45.849 --> 00:43:48.590
on -farm showcases those data. driven field days

00:43:48.590 --> 00:43:51.090
showing tech and genetics in action, specialized

00:43:51.090 --> 00:43:53.750
webinars and workshops online focused on specific

00:43:53.750 --> 00:43:56.449
technical topics easy to access from anywhere.

00:43:56.690 --> 00:43:59.010
And hybrid is non -negotiable. Absolutely non

00:43:59.010 --> 00:44:01.449
-negotiable. Every single in -person event needs

00:44:01.449 --> 00:44:04.150
a high quality virtual component. Live streaming,

00:44:04.369 --> 00:44:07.349
on -demand access, maximize reach, maximize value,

00:44:07.469 --> 00:44:09.849
accommodate everyone. It's just standard practice

00:44:09.849 --> 00:44:13.320
now. So looking ahead to 2030. It really feels

00:44:13.320 --> 00:44:15.619
like two possible paths for these associations.

00:44:16.440 --> 00:44:18.579
Starkly different paths. Yeah. Path number one,

00:44:18.599 --> 00:44:20.739
they cling to tradition. They keep trying to

00:44:20.739 --> 00:44:22.420
do the convention the old way. Maybe just scale

00:44:22.420 --> 00:44:24.940
it back a bit. What happens? Conventions shrink.

00:44:25.500 --> 00:44:28.199
Membership ages and declines. Finances get tighter

00:44:28.199 --> 00:44:30.360
and tighter. They become irrelevant to the commercial

00:44:30.360 --> 00:44:34.090
industry. Maybe they survive as historical societies,

00:44:34.389 --> 00:44:38.070
hobby clubs, custodians of the past, but no role

00:44:38.070 --> 00:44:40.550
in the future. Okay, that's the bleak path. What's

00:44:40.550 --> 00:44:43.920
path number two? Path number two. Bold transformation.

00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:48.019
They fully embrace this new role as data and

00:44:48.019 --> 00:44:50.199
intelligence hubs. They become indispensable

00:44:50.199 --> 00:44:52.639
partners, providing the cool and insights farmers

00:44:52.639 --> 00:44:55.539
need for 21st century dairying. Their convention

00:44:55.539 --> 00:44:58.400
becomes this year -round multi -platform ecosystem,

00:44:58.780 --> 00:45:02.119
digital hub, leadership summit, regional showcases,

00:45:02.159 --> 00:45:04.760
online learning. By genuinely serving the real

00:45:04.760 --> 00:45:06.619
needs of the modern industry, they become more

00:45:06.619 --> 00:45:09.039
vital, more influential, and actually more financially

00:45:09.039 --> 00:45:11.719
secure. The choice is theirs. The choice is theirs,

00:45:11.780 --> 00:45:14.000
and the clock is ticking. Hashtag tag tag outro.

00:45:14.239 --> 00:45:15.659
So we've really covered a lot of ground today

00:45:15.659 --> 00:45:18.119
in this deep dive, looking at this massive transformation

00:45:18.119 --> 00:45:20.440
in North American dairy. And it's undeniable,

00:45:20.440 --> 00:45:23.500
isn't it? This isn't some small shift. It's a

00:45:23.500 --> 00:45:25.860
complete reshaping, driven by consolidation,

00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:28.820
that huge economic divide, and the genetic revolution

00:45:28.820 --> 00:45:32.420
basically making the show ring obsolete for commercial

00:45:32.420 --> 00:45:34.480
breeding. Yeah, and let's bring back that brutal

00:45:34.480 --> 00:45:36.500
math one last time, because it really hits home.

00:45:36.760 --> 00:45:38.900
Think about the cost of attending a traditional

00:45:38.900 --> 00:45:41.519
convention. The Bullvine article put it at $500

00:45:41.519 --> 00:45:44.360
or more per person, easy when you add up registration,

00:45:44.659 --> 00:45:47.960
travel, hotel, food, and especially that opportunity

00:45:47.960 --> 00:45:51.139
cost of lost time on the farm and the direct

00:45:51.139 --> 00:45:54.239
measurable impact of that $500 plus investment

00:45:54.239 --> 00:45:56.500
on your herd's milk yield or genetic progress.

00:45:56.739 --> 00:45:59.219
Pretty much zero, scientifically speaking. Okay,

00:45:59.260 --> 00:46:01.739
now compare that to genomic testing. The article

00:46:01.739 --> 00:46:04.400
mentions it costs under $60 an animal, but the

00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:06.900
documented return on investment. Through faster

00:46:06.900 --> 00:46:09.059
genetic gain, better culling, smarter breeding,

00:46:09.239 --> 00:46:13.000
it's cited as 150 -200%. So for that data -driven

00:46:13.000 --> 00:46:16.099
farmer making smart business decisions, where

00:46:16.099 --> 00:46:19.500
does your limited capital and time go? The $500

00:46:19.500 --> 00:46:22.460
plus for the convention with fuzzy ROI, or the

00:46:22.460 --> 00:46:26.940
$60 for the test with 150 % plus ROI? The numbers

00:46:26.940 --> 00:46:28.900
really do speak for themselves, don't they? They

00:46:28.900 --> 00:46:31.199
really do. So maybe the actionable insight for

00:46:31.199 --> 00:46:34.159
you listening right now is this. Take a minute,

00:46:34.239 --> 00:46:36.929
seriously. Calculate your own cost per engaged

00:46:36.929 --> 00:46:39.230
member for the traditional events you go to.

00:46:39.409 --> 00:46:41.989
Be honest. Include everything, registration,

00:46:42.269 --> 00:46:44.769
travel, meals, lodging, and definitely put a

00:46:44.769 --> 00:46:48.030
value on your time away from the farm. Then compare

00:46:48.030 --> 00:46:50.309
that number to the provable ROI of other things

00:46:50.309 --> 00:46:52.329
you could invest in specific training, technology,

00:46:52.670 --> 00:46:55.070
genomic testing. See how they stack up. The results

00:46:55.070 --> 00:46:57.309
might surprise you. And that leads to the final,

00:46:57.329 --> 00:46:59.090
maybe provocative thought we want to leave you

00:46:59.090 --> 00:47:01.280
with. What kind of breed society do you actually

00:47:01.280 --> 00:47:03.880
want to be part of in 2030? Do you want one that

00:47:03.880 --> 00:47:06.159
clings to, let's call it, tradition without relevance,

00:47:06.440 --> 00:47:08.300
celebrating the past while the industry moves

00:47:08.300 --> 00:47:10.139
on? Or do you want one that leads the industry

00:47:10.139 --> 00:47:13.079
forward, one that embraces data over dogma, results

00:47:13.079 --> 00:47:17.079
over ribbons, and maybe, just maybe, profit over

00:47:17.079 --> 00:47:19.820
pageantry? Because the future of these vital

00:47:19.820 --> 00:47:23.159
institutions, and maybe even a part of the future

00:47:23.159 --> 00:47:25.840
of the dairy industry itself, really depends

00:47:25.840 --> 00:47:28.000
on that choice. Thanks for joining us on The

00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:29.960
Deep Dive. We'll see you next time. That's a

00:47:29.960 --> 00:47:32.300
wrap on today's episode of the Bullvine Podcast.

00:47:32.960 --> 00:47:35.480
If this discussion has you questioning your own

00:47:35.480 --> 00:47:38.199
breed society's relevance or calculating the

00:47:38.199 --> 00:47:41.059
ROI on your last convention attendance, that's

00:47:41.059 --> 00:47:44.079
exactly the point. The dairy industry is evolving

00:47:44.079 --> 00:47:46.579
at breakneck speed, and the organizations that

00:47:46.579 --> 00:47:50.219
serve it must evolve too. Whether you're a breed

00:47:50.219 --> 00:47:52.940
society executive, a progressive dairy farmer,

00:47:53.099 --> 00:47:56.059
or an industry stakeholder, the message is clear.

00:47:56.300 --> 00:47:59.969
Data beats dogma. Results beat ribbons, and profit

00:47:59.969 --> 00:48:03.809
beats pageantry. Remember, the most successful

00:48:03.809 --> 00:48:06.849
dairy operations of 2030 will be supported by

00:48:06.849 --> 00:48:09.389
breed societies that embrace transformation today.

00:48:10.090 --> 00:48:12.449
The question isn't whether this change will happen.

00:48:12.550 --> 00:48:15.329
It's whether your association will lead it or

00:48:15.329 --> 00:48:18.650
be buried by it. For more bold, data -driven

00:48:18.650 --> 00:48:20.789
dairy industry insights that challenge the status

00:48:20.789 --> 00:48:25.969
quo, visit us at www .thebullvine .com. Subscribe

00:48:25.969 --> 00:48:28.400
to our newsletter. Join the conversation and

00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:30.619
never miss our latest analysis that puts your

00:48:30.619 --> 00:48:33.739
profitability first. This has been the Bullvine

00:48:33.739 --> 00:48:36.280
Podcast, where sacred cows meet their match,

00:48:36.380 --> 00:48:40.179
and your success is our mission. Until next time,

00:48:40.239 --> 00:48:43.119
keep questioning everything and demanding measurable

00:48:43.119 --> 00:48:43.659
results.