The Holstein Ontario Podcast (The HOPCast)

Holstein History with Doug Blair

Surprise! We recorded an episode! We're a little rusty, but it's like riding a  bike.  You never forget.   On this episode we interview Doug Blair about the beginning of LPI and genomics.  We talk about a lot of different sires and influential Holstein breeders.

Q&A with Allison Fleming of Lactanet

Allison Fleming of Lactanet joins Kyle to answer all of your questions

Are Dairy Farmers Happy? Ft. Dr. Meagan King

Dr. Meagan King from the University of Manitoba joins us to discuss mental health.  She is leading a research project about mental health in farming, and all Canadian farmers are invited to participate.  We also discuss some more lighthearted topics related to other research projects that Dr. Meagan has done. "Are you a dairy or beef producer in Ontario or Western Canada? Help us understand how your well-being is related to farm management and mental health. Dairy farmers: Qualtrics Survey...

Only Cows

Well.....not only cows, but mostly cows.  Classifier talk and bull talk.

We Are Alive

It's just us.  Talking....

Kyle and James Throwdown Plus LIVE FROM CDX!

Kyle and James get into it over using local judges.  This episode includes our two pieces from the lives shows from CDX.  We have merchandise! Check out our FB page.

It All Comes Down to Pedigree ft Mark Nutsford

Mark Nutsford joins us from near Manchester, England where he farms.  Mark is also an international judge and has a lot of wisdom to offer younger farmers and judges.

Farm Boy Productions ft Bruce Sargent

Listen in to hear our exciting announcement! Plus,  Bruce Sargent joins us to talk about how Farm Boy Productions got its start and the highs and lows of producing videos, live streams at shows and working with people.  

Breeders' Cups, Autism, Special Diets and A2 Milk ft. Ian Verburg

Judge Kyle MacLeod and Breeders' Cup organizer for Leeds/Grenville county Ian Verburg give us a lot of insight into the different ways that Breeders' Cups can be run, the different rules that different people use, and judge and farmer etiquette.   Ian also shares about when his son was diagnosed with autism, his diet challenges and how A2A2 milk has helped immensely.  

Vegan Crap or Vegan Gold?

We taste test 10 vegan products with a couple of our wives and give you individual reviews. 

Vegan Product Taste Testing

Just as the title indicates..... Dodge This: Action Movies Unleashed Two British comedians, too many baddies... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

The Hutterite Way of Life ft. Luke Hofer

Listen in as Luke Hofer from Swift Current Saskatchewan shares about the way life as a member of a Hutterite colony. Luke is the assistant dairy manager in his colony and talks about what a typical day is for him. Luke shares about his faith, life in general and making business decisions. Thank-you Luke for joining us!

Master Breeder Interviews ft. Vriesdale, Belmoral, Christhill and Breezy

This episode contains some laughter and lots of smiles from the new Master Breeders.  We also have so much to learn through the words of wisdom from these accomplished breeders.  Thanks to Robert & Katherine Velthuis, Mitch Kieffer, Jim Christy and Roger Haag for joining us!

Dann Brady Speaks His Mind

Heaven or Hell? with Pastor Dan

Christmas has just come and gone, and the New Year is upon us.  Pastor Dan joins the boys to talk about Christmas, play some holiday trivia, and there is even some cow talk near the end of the episode.  Happy 2023!

The Holiday Episode ft Pastor Dan

Christmas has just come and gone, and the New Year is upon us.  Pastor Dan joins the boys to talk about Christmas, play some holiday trivia, and there is even some cow talk near the end of the episode.  Happy 2023!

Beer For the Bulls ft David and Donny Schwartz (and other stories about the way the Royal used to be)

Donny Schwartz of Quality Holsteins and his brother David, formerly of Quality Holsteins, join with Adam Hunt, James and Cole to talk about how things used to be at the Royal.  The Schwartz brothers grew up going to the Royal every year and have countless stories to share.

The Royal Wrap-Up

Kyle and Cole are joined by surprise guests Russell and Dr. Tim to discuss the National Show, the livestream broadcast, the cows (of course) and the people.  Discussion also takes place about calving cows younger, reproduction and farm employees.  Dr. Tim lends some insight into the veterinary proceedings at the Royal.

Are Big Cows Bad? Featuring Russell Gammon

Russell Gammon joins the boys for the entire episode to talk about cow size, mobility, the World Dairy Expo and much much more.

Old Bulls Are Back and Other Cow Talk

The three guys go guestless to wrap up the dog days of summer.  Weather, shows, old bulls, and so much more.

Milk Marketing Ads, A2 Milk and Managing Quota and Incentive Days with DFO Board Member Bart Rijke

DFO board member Bart Rijke of Eastern Ontario joins Kyle and Cole to discuss the ins and outs of the DFO board, how marketing and incentive days decisions are made, and the logistics vs the demand of promoting and producing A2 milk.

AI talk with Adam Hunt from Select Sires

Adam responds to the bull contract buzz from the last episode.  He also discusses many bulls and some great cow families.

AI talk with Adam Hunt from Select Sires

Adam responds to the bull contract buzz from the last episode.  He also discusses many bulls and some great cow families.

Bulls and Bull(sh*t) Contracts ft Tony van Lith

On this episode Kyle and Cole welcome Tony van Lith to talk about how he got into genetics, built his genetics program and landed bulls in AI units.  The discussion continues into the world of bulls that don't get claimed by units that are sired by bulls from the elite genetics programs that AI units offer.  Tony doesn't hold back when discussing his experience with one company.

Crops! Fertilizer, soil nutrition, crop rotation and more ft. Bryan Cook of Cropland Consulting

Bryan Cook of Cropland Consulting joins Cole and Kyle to talk about crops and soil.  They discuss the benefits of manure, solid vs liquid and timing of application.  They discuss the difference between livestock farms and cash croppers.  They discuss the benefits and drawbacks of planting soybeans in 30" rows, and much more!

National Convention and Ontario Spring Show Wrap-Ups

The boys discuss the highlights of the national convention including somewhat of a breakdown of the national show.  Some meetings with fans

Rising Feed Costs ft Kristin Thompson & Sara Harper from NLM and Vaccinations ft Dr. Jeff Sleeth

Thank-You to our new sponsor NEW LIFE MILLS!  We are joined on this episode by Sara and Kristin who chat about the rising cost of feed and how we can manage our feed to bring input costs down.  Dr. Sleeth discusses vaccine protocols and rare diseases and injuries.

Rising Feed Costs ft Kristin Thompson & Sarah Harper from NLM and Vaccinations ft Dr. Jeff Sleeth

Thank-You to our new sponsor NEW LIFE MILLS!  We are joined on this episode by Sarah and Kristin who chat about the rising cost of feed and how we can manage our feed to bring input costs down.  Dr. Sleeth discusses vaccine protocols and rare diseases and injuries.

Dylan Stewardson (#1 Herd Mgmt Score in CAN) Talks Herd Management

Dylan Stewardson, owner and manager of Stewardson Dairy Farms which recently earned the #1 Herd Management Score in Canada award joins Kyle and Cole to discuss the best ways to manage your herd.  Calving interval, age at first calving, etc... the guys leave no stone unturned.

The Cows Are Out! & New GM Pam Charlton

Ikea trivia, stories about cows getting out and an interview with the new GM- Pam Charlton!

Elaine Froese on Working With Family and Mental Health in Farming

Elain Froese,  CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) and Award-winning Author & Coach, recipient of the 2018 Wilson Loree Award for Excellence in Farm Management joins Kyle, James and Cole on this episode to talk about working with family, managing personalities, and mental health in farming. Folks can get free gifts at https://elainefroese.com/farm-family-coach/ Mental Health First aid is at www.mhfa.ca The link for LARA Webinar on March 15 is https://laraonline.ca/event/finding-fairness...

Freedom Convoy ft. MP Michael Barrett and What Age Should You Breed Your Heifers ft. Justin and Ryan Crowley

Kyle, James and Cole are joined by Conservative MP Michael Barrett who discusses the Freedom Convoy, supply management and the CUSMA trade agreement. Kyle and Cole are then joined by the Crovalley owners and management team: Justin and Ryan Crowley.  They discuss age at first calving, using genomic bulls vs proven bulls, the new show classes, and much more.

Changes to Show Classes and the Best Vet Products For Your Herd

The boys go guestless due to an unexpected illness.  They chat about the NFL, which veterinary products have changed herd management the most, the recent changes that Holstein Canada made to show classes, and whether Holstein USA has made the same changes, as well as some talk about State Fairs.  A little more on down cows rounds out the episode. 

Repro Tips ft. Dr. Jeff Sleeth

Kyle and Cole interview Dr. Jeff Sleeth (50:00) who may just become the HOPCast's resident veterinarian.  Jeff gives out repro tips, and advice about treating cows with mastitis.  Before the interview gets started the 3 hosts discuss New Year's Resolutions for personal life and for their farms.   **We're still adjusting to our new audio equipment so forgive the inconsistencies.

Too Much Paperwork and Christmas with Pastor Dan

Pastor Dan (Dave) joins us to talk about everything related to Christmas.  Traditions, gifts, bad theology and of course the truth.  Then the boys discuss the apparent evils of paperwork, ProAction and DFO's Dairy Code of Practice.  Are these good or bad programs? Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings....love to all you HOPTarts!

Canadian vs US Proofs with Dann Brady

Friend of the show, Dann Brady, joins the boys as they discuss the new proof releases, the differences between Canadian and US proofs and how some bulls do well in one country but not the other.  

Millionaire Sires: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Cole, James and Kyle analyze the millionaire sires and try to determine whether they deserve the prestige of having sold a million doses.  What impact did these sires have on the breed? It's all in this episode of the HOPCast.

Liquid Gold with Kyle MacLeod

James, Cole and Kyle discuss heifer shows, inbreeding, some the millionaire sires and have some fun with Holstein trivia

How Bad is Inbreeding? ft. Kyle MacLeod

James, Cole and Kyle discuss heifer shows, inbreeding, some the millionaire sires and have some fun with Holstein trivia

Regenerative Ag Methods ft Sean Smith of Clanman Jerseys

Sean Smith of Clanman Jerseys from Manitoba joins the pod to enlighten James and Cole and the rest of the world regenerative agriculture practices.  On this episode the guys discuss "everything but the kitchen sink"

The Truth About Regenerative Agriculture with Sean Smith

Sean Smith of Clanman Jerseys from Manitoba joins the pod to enlighten James and Cole and the rest of the world regenerative agriculture practices.  On this episode the guys discuss "everything but the kitchen sink"

Ban Sexed Semen with Kyle MacLeod

Holstein Ontario director Kyle MacLeod joins Cole and James for the entire episode.  Kyle is owner and manager of Darcroft Farms - recent Master Breeder Shield winner.  Kyle has also done a lot of work picturing cows and shares some of his experiences doing that, ranks the breeds of dairy cattle and solves the world's low cattle market prices issue.  

Episode 39 with Doug Savage

    After a long summer break James and Cole bring you their usual banter with tinges of the dog days of summer.      Cole interviews Doug Savage of Holstein International, former sire analyst for Eastern Breeders.  Doug tells tales of growing up in Australia, and travelling and judging throughout Australia, South Africa and North America.  Doug also dives deep into heat resistance genetics.

Feed Efficiency based on Feed Intakes with Doug Savage

    After a long summer break James and Cole bring you their usual banter with tinges of the dog days of summer.      Cole interviews Doug Savage of Holstein International, former sire analyst for Eastern Breeders.  Doug tells tales of growing up in Australia, and travelling and judging throughout Australia, South Africa and North America.  Doug also dives deep into heat resistance genetics.

The Canadian Kind feat. Brad Eggink of Holstein Canada

James and Cole rant about Hydro One and 4 way stops.  There was a comical manure episode in Cole's barn, and a funny but frustrating clash with DFO at James' barn.  An interview with Brad Eggink (39:45) - head of classification, field service and animal care at Holstein Canada provides you with everything you need to know about the new classification program.  (Connexxion) This episode is sponsored by KyVision.

Classify Your Cows feat. Brad Eggink of Holstein Canada

James and Cole rant about Hydro One and 4 way stops.  There was a comical manure episode in Cole's barn, and a funny but frustrating clash with DFO at James' barn.  An interview with Brad Eggink (39:45) - head of classification, field service and animal care at Holstein Canada provides you with everything you need to know about the new classification program.  (Connexxion) This episode is sponsored by KyVision.

The HOPCast Highlights

Some memorable sound bytes from the last two years of podcasting

The Real Deal feat. Neil Petreny - CEO of Lactanet

James and Cole talk about Leafs vs Habs, (yes, this is a little outdated) sign wars, "oat milk" more labelling shenanigans and playing music to your cows. (33:15) Neil Petreney, CEO of Lactanet joins us for an informative interview about Lactanet, it's role in Canadian Dairy Farming, the changes that are brought on by the surge of robotic milkers, and much more.   Here is your link to the Lactanet Open Industry Session https://tryglobal.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OLD3No8PRbGuFbUeIykzyA

The Surge of Robots ft. Neil Petreny - CEO of Lactanet

James and Cole talk about Leafs vs Habs, (yes, this is a little outdated) sign wars, "oat milk" more labelling shenanigans and playing music to your cows. (33:15) Neil Petreney, CEO of Lactanet joins us for an informative interview about Lactanet, it's role in Canadian Dairy Farming, the changes that are brought on by the surge of robotic milkers, and much more.  Here is your link to the Lactanet Open Industry Session https://tryglobal.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OLD3No8PRbGuFbUeIykzyA

Worldwide Judging and Donating Milk ft. John Werry

NHL playoffs, playoff beards, Joe Thornton and how to donate milk are the topics of the day with nationally acclaimed dairy farmer and Leafs player announcer John Werry. James and Cole also discuss pedestrian etiquette, Tim Hortons (of course) and terrible business names. Old Bulls - brought to you by KyVision - is a deep dive into bulls born in 1998