Dairy Streamlet: Two farmers recap the growing season

Dairy Stream

No two years are the same and a lot can be learned from the 2023 growing season. Two Wisconsin dairy farmers, Greg and John, recap conservation practices tried, major challenges, goals for 2024 and what they would implement with an unlimited budget and time.

The Dairy Streamlet is a condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interest you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on Dec. 20.

Special thanks to Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Greg Friendshuh owns and operates Friendshuh Farms with his brother, Brian and son Nathan in Clear Lake, Wisconsin. The farm consists of 1250 cows, their young stock, and 3,500 acres of cropland. They implement no till, cover crops, augmented manure, low disturbance manure injection, variable rate fertilizer application and they love to plant green.
• John VandenBoom is part of the agronomy team for Holsum Dairies, which consist of 2 dairies and each dairy milks roughly 4,000 The farm operates around 5,000 acres of cropland consisting mostly of corn silage and alfalfa. It has become a major focus of the farm to implement low disturbance manure applications, manure applications on growing crops, and cover crops.

This podcast is co-produced by the Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, sister organizations that fight for effective dairy policy in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. Become a sponsor, share an idea or feedback by emailing [e-mail].

Attend Dairy Strong on Jan. 16-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin to gain firsthand inspiration and discover the challenges and solutions experienced by other farmers when implementing sustainable practices. Gain practical knowledge and motivation to implement practices that will make a positive impact on the environment and farms. Learn more and register at dairystrong.org.