WEBVTT 00:00:11.720 --> 00:00:15.060 Breaking free from the chains of the past Where 00:00:15.060 --> 00:00:18.820 truth moves faster than a Holstein calf No law 00:00:18.820 --> 00:00:21.660 waiting on some printed page We're charting new 00:00:21.660 --> 00:00:25.300 ground in the digital age From genomic codes 00:00:25.300 --> 00:00:29.120 to robot facts We cut through the noise, no hold 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.460 them back not your daddy's dairy news tonight 00:00:32.460 --> 00:01:03.179 we're sparking Welcome back to the Bullvine Podcast, 00:01:03.399 --> 00:01:05.459 where we cut through dairy industry noise to 00:01:05.459 --> 00:01:07.239 get you the insights that actually matter for 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:09.439 your operation. And today, we're looking at the 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:13.180 big ones. The Editor's Choice 2025. Ten articles 00:01:13.180 --> 00:01:16.799 your competitors already read twice. That's a 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:19.340 bold title. Are we really saying a story from 00:01:19.340 --> 00:01:22.980 1926 helps me breed cows in 2026? I mean, my 00:01:22.980 --> 00:01:26.859 parlor was built in 1995, not 1926. I'm really 00:01:26.859 --> 00:01:29.400 struggling to see how TB McCauley's decisions 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.340 a century ago are going to influence my next 00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:34.659 semen purchase. I found that tension fascinating, 00:01:34.939 --> 00:01:37.040 and it's exactly the core mission of this deep 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:38.780 dive, because the genetic decisions you're making 00:01:38.780 --> 00:01:41.340 right now, the ones that will define your herd's 00:01:41.340 --> 00:01:42.939 profitability for the next five years, they're 00:01:42.939 --> 00:01:45.280 all built on foundations laid 100 years ago. 00:01:45.420 --> 00:01:48.040 If you ignore that history, you risk this genetic 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:49.959 concentration that could absolutely hurt you 00:01:49.959 --> 00:01:52.319 tomorrow. We're using history as a strategic 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:56.019 framework, not just a bedtime story. Okay, okay, 00:01:56.079 --> 00:01:57.400 you're the analytical lead here, so convince 00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:59.459 me. Let's establish the stakes of this deep dive. 00:01:59.579 --> 00:02:01.780 What are we really talking about? Right. So we 00:02:01.780 --> 00:02:04.719 published over 300 feature articles this year, 00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:07.200 everything from, you know, sire spotlights, donor 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:10.939 cow bios, to these deep dive investigations into 00:02:10.939 --> 00:02:14.219 policy and tech. But our editorial mission wasn't 00:02:14.219 --> 00:02:16.900 just to chase the flashiest clicks. It was to 00:02:16.900 --> 00:02:20.599 find the 10 articles that readers genuinely internalized, 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.099 the ones they bookmarked, shared with their herd 00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:25.580 managers, and, crucially, were actually referenced 00:02:25.580 --> 00:02:27.680 in breeding meetings and investment meetings. 00:02:28.379 --> 00:02:30.680 These 10 pieces are the strategic frameworks 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:32.620 people are using right now. And the feedback 00:02:32.620 --> 00:02:34.620 really validates that. The engagement on these. 00:02:34.759 --> 00:02:36.860 Yeah. It was just off the charts. You mentioned 00:02:36.860 --> 00:02:38.580 the article on Elevation of the Foundation Bull. 00:02:38.659 --> 00:02:42.080 That piece sparked, what, 340 comments? It was 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:44.659 shared almost 3 ,000 times. 2 ,800 times, yeah. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:46.900 That's not just passing interest. That's a serious 00:02:46.900 --> 00:02:49.180 strategic debate happening in real time on our 00:02:49.180 --> 00:02:51.620 platform. But it's the practical application 00:02:51.620 --> 00:02:54.139 that really stood out for me, though. The piece 00:02:54.139 --> 00:02:56.639 on the Black Rose Cow family dynasty, which we'll 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:00.300 get into. That prompted eight separate emails 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:02.960 from readers. Eight people. So they were completely 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.500 reconsidering how they approach dispersal auctions. 00:03:05.580 --> 00:03:08.280 They admitted they were overlooking a second 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:10.300 chance goal because they only focused on perfect 00:03:10.300 --> 00:03:12.879 sales. And that's a big deal. Yeah. But maybe 00:03:12.879 --> 00:03:15.620 even more strategically. That article challenging 00:03:15.620 --> 00:03:18.560 the scale obsession death of get big, that one 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:21.080 was shared with lenders by at least a dozen producers, 00:03:21.219 --> 00:03:23.539 right? To justify securing automation financing 00:03:23.539 --> 00:03:26.039 instead of more expansion debt. Exactly. That 00:03:26.039 --> 00:03:28.539 last point is crucial because it speaks to the 00:03:28.539 --> 00:03:31.080 central financial hook. This is why we need to 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:33.219 look at this history now. Financially, we're 00:03:33.219 --> 00:03:34.939 talking about the difference between these foundational 00:03:34.939 --> 00:03:37.560 genetics and modern genomic progress. And that 00:03:37.560 --> 00:03:41.909 gap is... It's just massive. If you want a number 00:03:41.909 --> 00:03:44.530 that translates history into cold, hard cash 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:48.189 on your bottom line, it's this. The $2 ,117 swing 00:03:48.189 --> 00:03:50.689 in net merit value. That number is the price 00:03:50.689 --> 00:03:53.030 of progress. Okay, so let's unpack that for the 00:03:53.030 --> 00:03:54.830 listener because that figure, that's the key 00:03:54.830 --> 00:03:57.550 tension in this whole deep dive. What exactly 00:03:57.550 --> 00:04:01.050 is that 21 -17 difference built on structurally? 00:04:01.150 --> 00:04:03.990 I mean, in the CDCB model. It's the chasm between 00:04:03.990 --> 00:04:06.310 two completely different eras of dairy breeding. 00:04:06.689 --> 00:04:10.099 We took Round Oak Rag, Apple Elevation. the bull 00:04:10.099 --> 00:04:12.300 who basically built the modern breed in the 60s 00:04:12.300 --> 00:04:15.259 and 70s, and measured him against Genisaurus 00:04:15.259 --> 00:04:18.480 Retrospect ET. Retrospect is sitting as the number 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:21.959 one net merit bowl in the December 2025 proofs 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:26.620 at a massive plus 1296 NM. Elevation, when you 00:04:26.620 --> 00:04:29.540 evaluate him against the population he created, 00:04:29.620 --> 00:04:33.560 scores a shocking negative $821 net merit. You 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:35.560 subtract one from the other, you get that $2 00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:39.779 ,117 swing. So that's six decades of exponential 00:04:39.779 --> 00:04:42.459 targeted genetic improvement, all represented 00:04:42.459 --> 00:04:46.129 in one single dollar figure. But we need to explain 00:04:46.129 --> 00:04:48.569 why he scores negative today. I mean, in his 00:04:48.569 --> 00:04:50.970 era, he was the absolute gold standard for production 00:04:50.970 --> 00:04:55.310 and type. Oh, he was. But net merit, the modern 00:04:55.310 --> 00:04:58.649 comprehensive lifetime profitability index, it 00:04:58.649 --> 00:05:00.769 places so much more weight on health and fitness 00:05:00.769 --> 00:05:03.970 traits than just pure production. Elevation was 00:05:03.970 --> 00:05:06.230 bred primarily from milk yield and incredible 00:05:06.230 --> 00:05:08.649 type. When you run him through the modern net 00:05:08.649 --> 00:05:11.670 merit engine, he gets these severe negative penalties 00:05:11.670 --> 00:05:14.199 in the components that matter most today. daughter 00:05:14.199 --> 00:05:17.339 pregnancy rate so fertility health traits health 00:05:17.339 --> 00:05:20.079 traits like mastitis resistance and most notably 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.879 utter depth which is now strongly penalized if 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.040 it's too deep so the very utter confirmation 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:27.060 that made him a legend and you know added what 00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:28.899 the article said was sixty five hundred dollars 00:05:28.899 --> 00:05:32.319 in longevity profit back in the 70s yeah is now 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:34.800 being penalized because we've tightened the definition 00:05:34.800 --> 00:05:37.519 of a perfect utter to reduce injury risk and 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:41.389 labor costs in modern parlors exactly The genetic 00:05:41.389 --> 00:05:43.990 definition of profitability has completely changed. 00:05:44.329 --> 00:05:47.449 That 21 -17 isn't just a historical footnote. 00:05:47.589 --> 00:05:50.569 It's the financial imperative to constantly shift 00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:52.769 your breeding strategy away from yesterday's 00:05:52.769 --> 00:05:55.149 gold standard and toward today's definition of 00:05:55.149 --> 00:05:57.329 fitness. And that's why we have to look back 00:05:57.329 --> 00:05:59.850 at the visionaries, the people who gambled massive 00:05:59.850 --> 00:06:02.410 amounts of money and reputation, because they 00:06:02.410 --> 00:06:04.170 set the terms of the debate we're still having 00:06:04.170 --> 00:06:05.990 today. Let's jump right into theme one then. 00:06:06.410 --> 00:06:08.209 The visionaries and the cost of concentration. 00:06:08.490 --> 00:06:11.329 We analyzed four distinct breeding philosophies 00:06:11.329 --> 00:06:13.430 established by the Breeze foundational figures. 00:06:13.670 --> 00:06:16.089 And understanding which philosophy guides you 00:06:16.089 --> 00:06:19.269 is key to managing your biases. We have to start 00:06:19.269 --> 00:06:21.470 with the man who treated genetics like an equation. 00:06:21.889 --> 00:06:25.310 T .B. Macaulay. Macaulay's math. It sounds so 00:06:25.310 --> 00:06:27.610 clinical for a business that feels so much like... 00:06:27.800 --> 00:06:30.199 Like art and gut instinct, right? Well, he was 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:32.639 an actuarial scientist. He didn't come from the 00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:34.839 world of cattle. He came from the world of risk 00:06:34.839 --> 00:06:37.519 assessment, mortality tables, and long -term 00:06:37.519 --> 00:06:40.220 projection for life insurance. And he applied 00:06:40.220 --> 00:06:44.819 that same cold, hard math to genetics. In 1926, 00:06:45.139 --> 00:06:48.600 he made a move that was universally derided. 00:06:48.660 --> 00:06:51.480 It was financially shocking. He purchased Johanna 00:06:51.480 --> 00:06:54.279 Ragg Apple Pabst. Yeah, I remember the figure 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:59.199 from the article. $15 ,000 in 1926. What does 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.399 that even mean? What did that look like to the 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:03.339 average farmer standing at the fence line? The 00:07:03.339 --> 00:07:05.660 article cites Bank of Canada inflation calculations. 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:09.839 That purchase represents roughly $260 ,000 in 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:13.379 today's money. $260 ,000 for one animal. For 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:15.339 one animal. And think about the context. This 00:07:15.339 --> 00:07:17.699 was post -World War I. Farmers were not just 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:19.360 struggling. They were struggling through a deep 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:21.740 agricultural depression. And Macaulay spends 00:07:21.740 --> 00:07:24.019 a quarter of a million dollars on one bull, the 00:07:24.019 --> 00:07:26.639 critics. They thought he'd completely lost his 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:29.139 mind, that he'd wasted the resources of his successful 00:07:29.139 --> 00:07:31.600 farm. It was a massive financial gamble based 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:34.199 purely on a conviction about data. So what was 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:36.019 he seeing that everyone else was missing? What 00:07:36.019 --> 00:07:39.339 data did he even have back then? He wasn't relying 00:07:39.339 --> 00:07:42.060 on the show ring, he was relying on raw numbers. 00:07:42.279 --> 00:07:45.019 He was doing systematic progeny testing evaluating 00:07:45.019 --> 00:07:47.699 bulls by the actual records of their daughters 00:07:47.699 --> 00:07:50.779 compared to their dams decades before the Holstein 00:07:50.779 --> 00:07:53.600 Association formalized it in the 30s. So this 00:07:53.600 --> 00:07:56.769 was... What, contemporaneous comparison? Exactly. 00:07:56.930 --> 00:07:59.790 He was quantifying expected return over replacement 00:07:59.790 --> 00:08:02.470 rate. He was essentially running a giant genetic 00:08:02.470 --> 00:08:05.449 life insurance model. He believed data was the 00:08:05.449 --> 00:08:07.930 ultimate arbiter of value. And that conviction 00:08:07.930 --> 00:08:10.589 paid off. Holstein Canada pedigree records confirm 00:08:10.589 --> 00:08:13.089 that, I mean, virtually every registered Holstein 00:08:13.089 --> 00:08:15.470 walking the planet today carries that bull's 00:08:15.470 --> 00:08:17.810 blood. His gamble set a whole new standard. And 00:08:17.810 --> 00:08:19.829 that's the strategic framework for the listener. 00:08:20.279 --> 00:08:22.500 The article argues that every breeder today needs 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:25.339 to identify their core philosophy. Are you a 00:08:25.339 --> 00:08:28.660 Macaulay? Data first. Looking strictly at indexes. 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:30.720 Trusting the numbers even when they're ugly. 00:08:30.980 --> 00:08:33.580 Or are you a Stephen Roman? Marketing first. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.279 Building an empire on reputation and branding. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:39.899 Maybe a Roy Ormiston. Cow family first. Patient 00:08:39.899 --> 00:08:42.490 development. Or are you like the Hanover Hill 00:08:42.490 --> 00:08:44.570 Partnership, always looking for that paradigm 00:08:44.570 --> 00:08:47.830 -shifting, high -risk, high -reward mating? And 00:08:47.830 --> 00:08:50.070 understanding those biases is critical when your 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:52.830 semen rep shows up. If you're a Macaulay data 00:08:52.830 --> 00:08:55.149 person, you might blindly select the highest 00:08:55.149 --> 00:08:57.769 net merit bull without thinking about the structural 00:08:57.769 --> 00:09:01.149 type or the cow family quality in Ormiston Prioritized. 00:09:01.529 --> 00:09:03.730 If you're a Roman focusing purely on the big 00:09:03.730 --> 00:09:06.070 established names, you might miss the subtle 00:09:06.070 --> 00:09:09.210 genomic flaws, the haplotypes that Macaulay's 00:09:09.210 --> 00:09:11.289 math would have flagged immediately. Your blind 00:09:11.289 --> 00:09:13.190 spots are where your competitors find their advantage. 00:09:13.450 --> 00:09:15.389 Which brings us directly to the consequences 00:09:15.389 --> 00:09:18.769 of that success. The genetic monoliths. Elevation 00:09:18.769 --> 00:09:20.929 and Chief. The article didn't just celebrate 00:09:20.929 --> 00:09:23.169 them, it really interrogated their legacy and 00:09:23.169 --> 00:09:25.429 the concentration risk they created. Round Oak 00:09:25.429 --> 00:09:28.250 Rag Apple Elevation. The article described him 00:09:28.250 --> 00:09:31.899 perfectly. an unassuming calf born in 1965 on 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:34.320 a small Virginia farm from what they called a 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:36.980 questionable mating. But he became the single 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:39.580 most significant genetic influencer in the history 00:09:39.580 --> 00:09:42.919 of the breed. His daughters, for their era, they 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.639 were just production spectacles, averaging 29 00:09:45.639 --> 00:09:48.960 ,500 pounds of milk, beating their contemporaries 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.669 by a full 15%. But as you pointed out earlier, 00:09:51.850 --> 00:09:53.950 the real money wasn't just the milk. It was the 00:09:53.950 --> 00:09:56.269 longevity and the type. The article highlighted 00:09:56.269 --> 00:09:58.509 Charlie Will's description of those udders, high 00:09:58.509 --> 00:10:00.830 and wide with exceptional shape and symmetry. 00:10:00.909 --> 00:10:03.940 They just... They just lasted. They lasted two 00:10:03.940 --> 00:10:05.860 to three lactations longer than average for the 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:08.759 time. When we adjusted that 1970s profit figure 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.279 for inflation, today's costs, that translates 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:14.360 to roughly $6 ,500 extra profit per cow today, 00:10:14.500 --> 00:10:17.220 just from the enhanced productive lifespan he 00:10:17.220 --> 00:10:19.620 gave them. That is why he is a foundation of 00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:22.039 dairy profitability. Okay, now let's revisit 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:24.200 that paradox because this is what makes it required 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:28.320 reading. His current CDCB net merit is negative 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:33.789 $821. If he generated $6 ,500 in longevity profit, 00:10:34.110 --> 00:10:37.970 how can he be negative today? Doesn't that contradict 00:10:37.970 --> 00:10:40.450 itself? No, it just illustrates the exponential 00:10:40.450 --> 00:10:43.269 speed of progress. The article explains it perfectly. 00:10:43.639 --> 00:10:46.039 He is being measured against a modern population 00:10:46.039 --> 00:10:48.679 that he's single -handedly created. His genetics 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:50.860 are the baseline. What was excellent structure 00:10:50.860 --> 00:10:53.860 in 1975 is simply average or even detrimental 00:10:53.860 --> 00:10:57.120 in the context of today's net merit, which places 00:10:57.120 --> 00:10:59.799 a heavy financial penalty on things like utter 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.759 depth and low fertility rates. Both weaknesses 00:11:02.759 --> 00:11:05.700 that later emerged in his dominant line. Exactly. 00:11:05.700 --> 00:11:08.120 So we can't delete the foundation of the skyscraper 00:11:08.120 --> 00:11:10.500 and expect it to stand, but we have to acknowledge 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:12.879 the concentration risk that comes with that success. 00:11:12.940 --> 00:11:14.759 That's the true challenge. And this is where 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:16.659 the article shifts from history to immediate 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:19.860 risk management for today. Elevation's DNA still 00:11:19.860 --> 00:11:23.120 runs through an estimated 14 .5 % of active proven 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:25.860 Holstein sires. That's massive. It's huge. And 00:11:25.860 --> 00:11:27.779 when you bring in Pawnee Farm or Linda Chief, 00:11:28.019 --> 00:11:30.659 the other genetic behemoth, he contributed nearly 00:11:30.659 --> 00:11:33.799 15 % to the entire Holstein genome. So together 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:38.139 they dominate 99 % of AI bulls born after 2010. 00:11:38.299 --> 00:11:41.399 We have achieved genetic dominance, but... At 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:43.759 what cost to diversity? The cost is concentration 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.600 reality. The article document the steadily rising 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:50.139 inbreeding coefficients and, more subtly, these 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:52.480 haplotype frequency changes that affect fertility. 00:11:52.620 --> 00:11:55.539 It's the silent genetic squeeze. And this is 00:11:55.539 --> 00:11:57.600 the immediate risk for every commercial listener. 00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:59.320 Wait, okay, let's slow down and explain that 00:11:59.320 --> 00:12:01.279 practical application. For the farmer at the 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:03.519 feed store, what does a rising inbreeding coefficient 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:06.240 or negative haplotype actually mean for their 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:07.799 bottom line? It's more than just a technical 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:10.669 term, right? Oh, it means real tangible losses. 00:12:11.090 --> 00:12:14.090 A negative haplotype, especially one linked to 00:12:14.090 --> 00:12:16.830 reduced fertility, that results in more services 00:12:16.830 --> 00:12:19.649 per conception, higher semen costs, higher vet 00:12:19.649 --> 00:12:22.250 bills for repro management, higher involuntary 00:12:22.250 --> 00:12:26.590 culling. If your entire herd is 15 % chief, and 00:12:26.590 --> 00:12:28.730 chief is known for passing on less than ideal 00:12:28.730 --> 00:12:31.269 udder structure, that's not just a type problem, 00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:34.169 it's increased somatic cell counts and potentially 00:12:34.169 --> 00:12:36.850 more premature culls. The silent squeeze is this 00:12:36.850 --> 00:12:39.149 insidious pressure that just quietly erodes your 00:12:39.149 --> 00:12:41.629 profitability through these persistent, low -level 00:12:41.629 --> 00:12:44.389 inefficiencies. So the immediate reader action 00:12:44.389 --> 00:12:46.669 item is unavoidable. You have to manage the concentration 00:12:46.669 --> 00:12:49.309 you don't measure. Absolutely. Before your next 00:12:49.309 --> 00:12:51.950 mating batch, you have to review CDCB's relationship 00:12:51.950 --> 00:12:54.769 tools or call your genetic rep and ask for a 00:12:54.769 --> 00:12:56.789 detailed relationship analysis on your top cow 00:12:56.789 --> 00:12:59.299 families. You need to understand exactly how 00:12:59.299 --> 00:13:01.539 heavily your current herd relies on elevation 00:13:01.539 --> 00:13:04.259 and chief genetics. If you are highly concentrated, 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:06.399 you have to make deliberate outcross decisions, 00:13:06.740 --> 00:13:09.460 even if it means sacrificing a few GTPI points 00:13:09.460 --> 00:13:12.080 on paper. That's the perfect transition to theme 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.460 two, finding gold in the gritty. Because often... 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:17.779 The genetics we need to mitigate that risk, the 00:13:17.779 --> 00:13:20.320 necessary outcrosses and corrective lines, they 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:22.840 don't come from clean, planned programs. They 00:13:22.840 --> 00:13:24.620 come from chaos. Right. We're talking about the 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:26.799 Black Rose story. This piece was fascinating 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.460 because it really embraced the gritty, high -stakes 00:13:29.460 --> 00:13:32.179 reality of the mid-'80s dairy crisis. You've 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:34.320 got this large -scale breeder, Jack Stuckey, 00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:37.440 facing financial ruin and bankruptcy. His entire 00:13:37.440 --> 00:13:39.980 life's work is sitting in this legal quagmire. 00:13:40.139 --> 00:13:43.000 The article called it legal limbo. The environment 00:13:43.000 --> 00:13:45.440 was just brutal. The article painted a very dark 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:48.559 picture of bull calves being sent to slaughter 00:13:48.559 --> 00:13:50.600 just to keep the lights on. It was total desperation. 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:53.240 And when a farm reaches that point, the quality 00:13:53.240 --> 00:13:55.679 of the cows is often completely divorced from 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:57.860 the seller's financial situation. And that's 00:13:57.860 --> 00:13:59.919 where the visionary Louis Prange stepped in. 00:14:00.139 --> 00:14:02.519 He didn't just show up to the discursal auction 00:14:02.519 --> 00:14:05.179 with a check. He saw the disaster as a unique 00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:08.409 strategic opportunity. He worked this complex, 00:14:08.649 --> 00:14:11.389 high -risk deal with a bankruptcy trustee. He 00:14:11.389 --> 00:14:13.970 would lease the best cows, flush embryos, and 00:14:13.970 --> 00:14:16.429 then split the proceeds three ways with the farm 00:14:16.429 --> 00:14:18.509 and the trustee. So he leveraged a financial 00:14:18.509 --> 00:14:21.450 crisis into a strategic genetic partnership. 00:14:21.889 --> 00:14:24.110 Yeah, it gave him immediate access to lines that 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:26.350 very few others could touch. And his genetic 00:14:26.350 --> 00:14:28.590 vision was the key to it all. He wasn't just 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:30.870 buying famous cows. He was performing a very 00:14:30.870 --> 00:14:33.490 deliberate corrective cost. He mated the high 00:14:33.490 --> 00:14:36.029 -profile, red -and -white champion Nendette T 00:14:36.029 --> 00:14:39.029 .T. Speckle, who had the look and the type, with 00:14:39.029 --> 00:14:42.389 Tamar Blackstar, a major production powerhouse 00:14:42.389 --> 00:14:45.169 who badly needed structural help. He used the 00:14:45.169 --> 00:14:47.750 chaos to create genetic balance. And the result 00:14:47.750 --> 00:14:51.190 was born on March 24, 1990, Stooky Elm Park Black 00:14:51.190 --> 00:14:53.470 Rose. Her initial sale price was a pretty modest 00:14:53.470 --> 00:14:56.769 $4 ,500, which, adjusted to today, is about $10 00:14:56.769 --> 00:15:00.450 ,400. So reasonable, but not, you know, not an 00:15:00.450 --> 00:15:02.700 astronomical price for a top -end calf. Right. 00:15:02.840 --> 00:15:05.559 But she grew into an absolute genetic giant. 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:10.019 EX96, over 42 ,000 pounds of milk, and she accomplished 00:15:10.019 --> 00:15:12.940 something few U .S. cows ever manage, winning 00:15:12.940 --> 00:15:15.600 Grand Champion at the Royal Winter Fair in 1995. 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.720 But the lasting impact is the dynasty she founded. 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.529 This wasn't a flash in the pan. Her lineage includes 00:15:21.529 --> 00:15:24.649 Lavender Ruby Red Rose Red, who became the first 00:15:24.649 --> 00:15:26.710 red and white cow ever named Supreme Champion 00:15:26.710 --> 00:15:29.509 at World Dairy Expo in 2005. And that dynasty 00:15:29.509 --> 00:15:31.830 continues to dominate, extending right into the 00:15:31.830 --> 00:15:33.750 2020s with Lady Rose Caught Your Eye winning 00:15:33.750 --> 00:15:36.830 World Dairy Expo three consecutive years, from 00:15:36.830 --> 00:15:40.230 21 through 23. Think about that longevity. From 00:15:40.230 --> 00:15:42.330 a bankruptcy sale in the mid -80s to dominating 00:15:42.330 --> 00:15:44.929 the show ring almost 40 years later, it proves 00:15:44.929 --> 00:15:46.570 that the foundation can be found in the most 00:15:46.570 --> 00:15:49.129 uncomfortable places. The takeaway here for the 00:15:49.129 --> 00:15:51.870 listener is clear. And it's the second major 00:15:51.870 --> 00:15:54.970 action item. Financial distress creates unique 00:15:54.970 --> 00:15:57.830 buying opportunities. If you're running a purely 00:15:57.830 --> 00:16:00.830 commercial herd focused on production, you might 00:16:00.830 --> 00:16:03.029 think dispersal auctions are only for type breeders. 00:16:03.509 --> 00:16:06.110 But the Black Rose story proves that second -chance 00:16:06.110 --> 00:16:08.690 genetics that well -funded operations overlook, 00:16:09.049 --> 00:16:11.830 maybe because the seller's books are messy or 00:16:11.830 --> 00:16:14.509 the genetics are temporarily out of vogue, can 00:16:14.509 --> 00:16:17.269 be the foundation of your next profitable, structurally 00:16:17.269 --> 00:16:20.559 sound cow family. And often, those troubled sales 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.080 offer genetic diversity that acts as the perfect 00:16:23.080 --> 00:16:25.480 outcross to the chief and elevation concentration 00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:28.100 problem we just discussed. It's a way to find 00:16:28.100 --> 00:16:30.779 fresh blood, often at a discount. That brings 00:16:30.779 --> 00:16:33.100 us naturally to another crucial human element 00:16:33.100 --> 00:16:35.679 captured in the editor's choice, the Shore Dynasty. 00:16:36.350 --> 00:16:38.629 If Black Rose came out of disaster, the Shore 00:16:38.629 --> 00:16:41.009 family represents a century of relentless pursuit 00:16:41.009 --> 00:16:43.350 of genetic excellence and the massive emotional 00:16:43.350 --> 00:16:46.110 cost it takes. Yeah, the story spanned four generations, 00:16:46.370 --> 00:16:49.190 starting with William H. Shore in 1910. He made 00:16:49.190 --> 00:16:51.850 this calculated leap into purebreds when general, 00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:54.129 mixed farming was the safe, predictable path 00:16:54.129 --> 00:16:57.120 in western Ontario. And that's the relevant parallel 00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.779 for us today. The article pointed out that Williams' 00:16:59.940 --> 00:17:02.360 decision to pivot away from the safety of general 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.799 farming to the riskier world of purebreds. It 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:08.099 mirrors the decisions producers are making right 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:11.099 now. Whether to invest heavily in robotics, whether 00:17:11.099 --> 00:17:13.640 to chase carbon neutral certifications or specialize 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:16.640 in high component milk, it's the same psychological 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:19.400 and financial leap. And their genetic legacy 00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:22.359 is profound, built on consistency. The article 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:24.720 traced the line from Hardy Sr.'s twin bulls, 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:28.019 Rockwood Rag, Apple Romulus, and Remus, straight 00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:30.519 through to Fairly Royal Mark, who was described 00:17:30.519 --> 00:17:33.160 as possibly the best bull to come out of Western 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:35.799 Ontario in his time. And that line, those decisions 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:38.799 made in the 1940s, led directly to Braidale Goldwyn, 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:41.480 a bull who defined the breed in the 2000s, often 00:17:41.480 --> 00:17:43.960 called the gold standard of modern type. It just 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:46.279 shows the incredible generational power of consistent 00:17:46.279 --> 00:17:49.319 strategic breeding. But the article offered crucial 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:52.180 intellectual honesty. by addressing the human 00:17:52.180 --> 00:17:55.619 angle, the personal struggles of Hardy Jr. The 00:17:55.619 --> 00:17:58.140 piece noted that the same creative fire and relentless 00:17:58.140 --> 00:18:00.779 focus that produced Breakthrough Genetics also 00:18:00.779 --> 00:18:03.660 fueled personal demons and mental health difficulties 00:18:03.660 --> 00:18:07.119 few understood. The industry celebrated his contributions 00:18:07.119 --> 00:18:09.099 while acknowledging his profound difficulties. 00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:12.319 This isn't just about Milk Records. It's about 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:14.339 the intense psychological pressure of running 00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:17.299 a high -stakes generational business. And that's 00:18:17.299 --> 00:18:19.460 why those human stories, like the Shore profile 00:18:19.460 --> 00:18:21.960 and the Hearts of the Heartland piece about 4 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:24.940 -H networks, made the list. They capture the 00:18:24.940 --> 00:18:27.519 emotional core of why people stay in this demanding 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:29.700 business, even when the spreadsheets tell them 00:18:29.700 --> 00:18:32.299 to leave. They provide the necessary emotional 00:18:32.299 --> 00:18:35.000 resilience framework that complements the genetic 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:38.359 and financial ones. Okay, let's shift gears now 00:18:38.359 --> 00:18:40.660 to theme three, the segment that got shared with 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:42.940 more lenders than any other, the mid -size fight 00:18:42.940 --> 00:18:45.680 or challenging the orthodoxy of death of get 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:48.000 big or get out. This is the argument I hear about 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.680 the most at the coffee shop and the feed store. 00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:53.119 For 50 years, the economic orthodoxy has been 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:57.099 clear. Scale is king. USDA data reinforces that 00:18:57.099 --> 00:19:00.440 larger operations in aggregate achieve lower 00:19:00.440 --> 00:19:03.539 per unit costs. It's a very difficult conventional 00:19:03.539 --> 00:19:05.859 wisdom to argue against. It is, but the article 00:19:05.859 --> 00:19:08.119 didn't dispute that scale offers advantages. 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:10.900 It provided the critical nuance that changes 00:19:10.900 --> 00:19:12.859 the strategic decision for the medium -sized 00:19:12.859 --> 00:19:16.000 operator. It found that technology adoption intensity 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:19.099 and management focus could successfully substitute 00:19:19.099 --> 00:19:22.180 for those scale advantages. The argument is... 00:19:22.410 --> 00:19:25.450 Compete on precision, not just scale. So what 00:19:25.450 --> 00:19:27.309 did the data actually show? Did they find some 00:19:27.309 --> 00:19:30.809 unicorn dairy? They documented specific 500 cow 00:19:30.809 --> 00:19:33.009 operations in the upper Midwest that were using 00:19:33.009 --> 00:19:35.009 a complete automation suite. This went beyond 00:19:35.009 --> 00:19:37.369 just robotic milking. It included real -time 00:19:37.369 --> 00:19:39.470 component monitoring, automated calf feeding, 00:19:39.609 --> 00:19:41.890 and highly precise nutritional delivery systems. 00:19:42.269 --> 00:19:44.509 These farms were achieving component yields and 00:19:44.509 --> 00:19:46.569 margin per hundredweight figures that were completely 00:19:46.569 --> 00:19:49.210 competitive with operations several times their 00:19:49.210 --> 00:19:51.980 size. That's the key. Margin per druddy. Not 00:19:51.980 --> 00:19:55.119 just total profit, but efficiency per unit. They 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:57.579 were outmanaging the inherent advantages of scale 00:19:57.579 --> 00:20:01.380 by using real -time data to optimize every single 00:20:01.380 --> 00:20:04.240 cow. Like, the article detailed how one producer 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:06.759 used component monitoring on the robots to adjust 00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:10.039 the TMR for individual cow groups within 24 hours 00:20:10.039 --> 00:20:13.480 of detecting a dip. A large -scale, batch -fed 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.319 operation simply cannot do that quickly or cost 00:20:16.319 --> 00:20:18.519 -effectively. This is the practical application 00:20:18.519 --> 00:20:20.980 for the midsize farmer feeling that consolidation 00:20:20.980 --> 00:20:23.400 pressure. You don't have to take on a massive 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:25.960 debt load to compete with the 5 ,000 cow operation 00:20:25.960 --> 00:20:28.619 down the road. You can compete on component yield 00:20:28.619 --> 00:20:30.759 and efficiency. And the article gave financial 00:20:30.759 --> 00:20:32.940 proof of concept that banks couldn't ignore. 00:20:33.369 --> 00:20:35.509 The story of the Wisconsin producer was a powerful, 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:38.349 real -world example of that leverage. They credited 00:20:38.349 --> 00:20:41.769 the article with helping secure $180 ,000 in 00:20:41.769 --> 00:20:44.390 automation financing, a manageable, targeted 00:20:44.390 --> 00:20:47.309 investment, instead of a debt -heavy $2 .4 million 00:20:47.309 --> 00:20:51.269 expansion loan. 180K versus $2 .4 million. It's 00:20:51.269 --> 00:20:54.150 exactly an expansion loan that would have stretched 00:20:54.150 --> 00:20:57.190 the operation thin for a decade, risking everything. 00:20:57.670 --> 00:20:59.849 That's the strategic value of this reporting. 00:21:00.359 --> 00:21:03.160 It gave a data -backed defense for staying at 00:21:03.160 --> 00:21:06.630 500 cows but upgrading the infrastructure. And 00:21:06.630 --> 00:21:09.390 to inject that necessary intellectual honesty 00:21:09.390 --> 00:21:12.009 that the bullvine is known for, we have to mention 00:21:12.009 --> 00:21:15.369 the Robot Truth Near Miss article. It found that 00:21:15.369 --> 00:21:18.309 while 86 % of robotic adopters reported high 00:21:18.309 --> 00:21:21.029 satisfaction with their lifestyle change, only 00:21:21.029 --> 00:21:24.410 28 % achieved their projected profitability targets 00:21:24.410 --> 00:21:27.630 on time. That is critical context. Technology 00:21:27.630 --> 00:21:30.670 isn't magic. It's a tool. It gives you the capability 00:21:30.670 --> 00:21:33.630 to compete on precision. But if your management 00:21:33.630 --> 00:21:36.099 intensity doesn't match the investment. If you 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:37.720 aren't maximizing the data coming out of that 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:40.859 $180 ,000 investment, you won't hit those margin 00:21:40.859 --> 00:21:42.900 targets. So it's not just about installing the 00:21:42.900 --> 00:21:45.519 robot. It's about becoming a better, more responsive, 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:48.839 data -driven manager. Right. The robot eliminates 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:51.880 some labor, but it demands more management focus. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:54.559 That's the tradeoff. Okay. Let's turn now to 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:57.240 the contrarian takes. The uncomfortable questions 00:21:57.240 --> 00:21:59.619 these articles force the industry to ask itself. 00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:02.099 Let's start with policy. The Canadian system 00:22:02.099 --> 00:22:05.009 article. It forced the critical question. Is 00:22:05.009 --> 00:22:07.950 our trade policy discussion, you know, Canadian 00:22:07.950 --> 00:22:10.230 versus U .S. actually about the cows or is it 00:22:10.230 --> 00:22:13.990 just politics? It's almost always politics. But 00:22:13.990 --> 00:22:16.289 the article forced readers to look past the political 00:22:16.289 --> 00:22:18.470 talking points and analyze the system's function. 00:22:18.849 --> 00:22:21.089 It connected Canada's supply management system 00:22:21.089 --> 00:22:24.000 quota. guaranteed pricing, enforced stability, 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:27.279 to the extreme price volatility faced by U .S. 00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:29.339 free market producers. And it examined the evidence 00:22:29.339 --> 00:22:31.619 honestly. It acknowledged the legitimate criticisms 00:22:31.619 --> 00:22:33.980 the U .S. often levels, that supply management 00:22:33.980 --> 00:22:36.740 distorts markets, can be slow to react to consumer 00:22:36.740 --> 00:22:38.960 demand, and potentially punishes hyper -efficiency. 00:22:39.480 --> 00:22:41.259 But here's the crucial counterpoint the article 00:22:41.259 --> 00:22:43.980 raised. It highlighted the genuine long -term 00:22:43.980 --> 00:22:46.880 stability Canadian producers enjoy. That stability 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:49.000 allows them to focus on generational planning 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:51.779 and long -term capital investments like updating 00:22:51.779 --> 00:22:54.859 their 1995 parlors, rather than dealing with 00:22:54.859 --> 00:22:57.359 brutal boom and bust price cycles that define 00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:59.900 survival for many American operations. And the 00:22:59.900 --> 00:23:02.240 reader response showed how polarized the issue 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.079 is. Some argued passionately for free markets. 00:23:05.609 --> 00:23:08.769 seeing intervention as distortion. Others, particularly 00:23:08.769 --> 00:23:10.970 those struggling in the recent U .S. volatility, 00:23:11.410 --> 00:23:14.269 pointed to the stability. The value of the article 00:23:14.269 --> 00:23:16.250 wasn't telling you which side was right. It was 00:23:16.250 --> 00:23:18.369 giving you the framework to ask better questions. 00:23:18.730 --> 00:23:21.430 When someone starts talking about Canadian protectionism 00:23:21.430 --> 00:23:24.250 or American freedom, you can now ask, yes, but 00:23:24.250 --> 00:23:26.569 what is the stability cost? And how do we mitigate 00:23:26.569 --> 00:23:28.789 the price risk the supply management addresses 00:23:28.789 --> 00:23:32.660 in a U .S. free market system? It shifts the 00:23:32.660 --> 00:23:35.319 conversation from partisan talking points to 00:23:35.319 --> 00:23:37.779 genuine risk assessment. Now let's turn to the 00:23:37.779 --> 00:23:39.920 genetics side again, focusing on Chief's legacy. 00:23:40.299 --> 00:23:43.000 The article asks the most provocative, uncomfortable 00:23:43.000 --> 00:23:46.460 question of all. If Pawnee Farm or Linda Chief 00:23:46.460 --> 00:23:48.619 were born today with our modern genomic tools, 00:23:48.859 --> 00:23:51.480 would we have even used him? That is an essential 00:23:51.480 --> 00:23:54.200 question. It highlights the incredible power 00:23:54.200 --> 00:23:57.059 and the inherent danger of modern data. Chief 00:23:57.059 --> 00:23:59.119 transmitted massive breed -defining production, 00:23:59.420 --> 00:24:02.680 yes. But the article details how he also transmitted 00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:06.220 known, utter confirmation challenges and, crucially, 00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:09.960 specific haplotypes that reduce fertility. Flaws 00:24:09.960 --> 00:24:12.480 that took decades and immense effort to manage 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:14.859 out of the population. And the article cites 00:24:14.859 --> 00:24:18.519 CDCB data showing Chief contributed 15 % to the 00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:21.460 entire Holstein genome. His influence was nearly 00:24:21.460 --> 00:24:24.079 unavoidable because in the pre -genomic era, 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:26.660 we had to wait for progeny proofs. We had to 00:24:26.660 --> 00:24:29.380 wait years for data to accumulate to fully discover 00:24:29.380 --> 00:24:31.740 those flaws. By then, the genetic damage was 00:24:31.740 --> 00:24:34.500 done. His influence was cemented. But today... 00:24:34.730 --> 00:24:37.630 Our genomic tools expose those hidden flaws immediately. 00:24:37.970 --> 00:24:40.410 The negative haplotypes, the concentration risks, 00:24:40.549 --> 00:24:42.769 the weaknesses lurking beneath the massive production 00:24:42.769 --> 00:24:45.450 index. So if we had known Chi's genetic weaknesses 00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:47.990 immediately, if his predicted net merit was plus 00:24:47.990 --> 00:24:50.690 500, but his predicted type was terrible, and 00:24:50.690 --> 00:24:52.609 we knew he carried a major fertility haplotype, 00:24:52.869 --> 00:24:55.029 would the industry have managed his influence 00:24:55.029 --> 00:24:57.369 differently? I think the answer is a resounding 00:24:57.369 --> 00:25:00.940 yes. And that's the strategic lesson. It highlights 00:25:00.940 --> 00:25:03.640 the value of critical use of modern genomic data. 00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:06.519 Genomics isn't just about finding the next plus 00:25:06.519 --> 00:25:09.859 2 ,000 GTPI mole. It's about avoiding the next 00:25:09.859 --> 00:25:12.160 catastrophic mistake that could dominate your 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:15.240 herd for 30 years and cost you real money through 00:25:15.240 --> 00:25:18.099 that silent genetic squeeze. It's using history 00:25:18.099 --> 00:25:20.740 to prevent repeating the structural mistakes 00:25:20.740 --> 00:25:24.309 that massive concentration risks create. We can 00:25:24.309 --> 00:25:27.069 identify the chief level concentration risk before 00:25:27.069 --> 00:25:29.589 the semen even leaves the tank. Alright, we've 00:25:29.589 --> 00:25:32.670 covered everything from $260 ,000 gambles in 00:25:32.670 --> 00:25:37.250 1926 to $2 ,000 genomic swings today. A farmer 00:25:37.250 --> 00:25:39.170 just finished milking and is driving to the feed 00:25:39.170 --> 00:25:41.970 store. What are the three concrete, actionable 00:25:41.970 --> 00:25:44.190 things they need to take from this 2025 review? 00:25:44.529 --> 00:25:46.609 This is the feed store summary. Let's keep them 00:25:46.609 --> 00:25:49.019 clear and immediately applicable. Takeaway number 00:25:49.019 --> 00:25:51.119 one is immediate. Check your foundation concentration. 00:25:51.559 --> 00:25:53.500 We talked about the concentration risk. What's 00:25:53.500 --> 00:25:56.220 the specific action here? Before your next mating 00:25:56.220 --> 00:25:59.299 batch, review your herd's concentration on elevation 00:25:59.299 --> 00:26:03.039 in chief. You need to know that that 14 .5 % 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:06.839 DNA concentration isn't an abstract number. It's 00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:09.519 the potential for the silent squeeze. Reduce 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:12.839 fertility, higher vet bills in your own herd. 00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:16.680 Call your genetic representative. Ask for a detailed 00:26:16.680 --> 00:26:19.319 relationship analysis on your top cow families. 00:26:19.660 --> 00:26:22.339 You can't manage concentration you don't measure. 00:26:22.599 --> 00:26:24.700 Okay, takeaway number two for the next three 00:26:24.700 --> 00:26:27.839 to six months. Redefine dispersal value. The 00:26:27.839 --> 00:26:30.579 Blackwood story is the model here. Look at dispersal 00:26:30.579 --> 00:26:33.000 and bankruptcy sales not just for cows, but for 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:35.480 second -chance genetics that well -funded operations 00:26:35.480 --> 00:26:37.539 might be overlooking because the seller's books 00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:39.980 are messy. So instead of seeing a financial disaster, 00:26:40.380 --> 00:26:43.269 you see a corrective cross -opportunity. Perenge's 00:26:43.269 --> 00:26:46.630 $4 ,500 initial purchase led to a supreme champion 00:26:46.630 --> 00:26:49.130 dynasty. You're looking for those structurally 00:26:49.130 --> 00:26:51.490 sound, outcrossed lines that can mitigate the 00:26:51.490 --> 00:26:53.710 weaknesses of your highly concentrated production 00:26:53.710 --> 00:26:56.789 bulls. Exactly. The genetic quality is often 00:26:56.789 --> 00:26:58.910 completely separate from the temporary financial 00:26:58.910 --> 00:27:01.609 state of the operation. And finally, takeaway 00:27:01.609 --> 00:27:04.549 number three, long term. Invest in precision, 00:27:04.690 --> 00:27:07.829 not just scale. Stop measuring your success by 00:27:07.829 --> 00:27:10.670 scale and start measuring it by precision and 00:27:10.670 --> 00:27:13.529 technology adoption intensity. The pressure to 00:27:13.529 --> 00:27:16.289 get big or get out is still real, but this shows 00:27:16.289 --> 00:27:19.230 there's a viable, profitable alternative. And 00:27:19.230 --> 00:27:21.490 the financial proof is the core of this. The 00:27:21.490 --> 00:27:24.890 Wisconsin producer's $180 ,000 automation financing 00:27:24.890 --> 00:27:29.269 versus a $2 .4 million expansion loan. Precision 00:27:29.269 --> 00:27:32.269 Tech lets the 500 -cow operation compete on margin 00:27:32.269 --> 00:27:34.490 per hundredweight against the mega farms. If 00:27:34.490 --> 00:27:36.869 you can't get bigger, get smarter. That's the 00:27:36.869 --> 00:27:38.869 strategic framework these 10 articles provided 00:27:38.869 --> 00:27:42.099 in 2025. They're not just stories. They are models 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:45.480 for survival and profitability in 2026. This 00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:47.480 has been another Bullvine podcast from The Bullvine 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:49.359 Podcast. For more straight -talking industry 00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:53.619 analysis, head to www .thebullvine .com. Subscribe 00:27:53.619 --> 00:27:55.740 wherever you get podcasts. We're out with new 00:27:55.740 --> 00:27:57.539 episodes every day. And upcoming, we're diving 00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:00.759 into the December 2025 proof run and why three 00:28:00.759 --> 00:28:02.579 bulls everyone's hyped about might be a total 00:28:02.579 --> 00:28:05.099 bust when you look past the GTPI and into the 00:28:05.099 --> 00:28:06.259 fitness treats. See you then.