Dairy Streamlet: Genomic study proves profitability, methane reduction

Dairy Stream

The Dairy Streamlet is a new, condensed version of Dairy Stream that takes the long episode and covers just the high-level points of the conversation. If this topic interests you, we encourage you to listen to the full episode on September 6.

Dairy Stream host Joanna Guza talks with project leaders Lauren Brey and Dr. Dan Weigel about a collaborative project focusing on how genetic improvement correlates to not only lifetime profitability but reductions in methane intensity, antibiotic usage and feed use on the farm.

Special thanks to Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative for sponsoring this episode.

About the guests

• Lauren Brey
  Lauren is the director of strategic partnerships and sustainability for the Dairy Business Association (DBA) and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. In this role, she serves as managing director of Farmers for Sustainable Food (FSF) and directs their support of farmer-led conservation groups and sustainability projects. Brey is also responsible for fostering relationships with other organizations to bring more value and resources to the members of DBA and Edge. She previously served as the director of marketing and research and worked as a scientist for a cheese company prior to DBA, Edge and FSF.
• Dr. Dan Weigel
  Dan grew up in Iowa on the family farm (Weigeline Holsteins) and graduated from Iowa State University with a BS in Dairy Science. He received both his MS and PhD from Virginia Tech, with his dissertation focusing on the prediction of genetic merit for lifetime profitability in Holsteins. Before joining the R&D group of Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health) in 1995, Dr. Weigel served as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Guelph working on the implementation of Multiple Across Country Evaluations (MACE) for conformation traits of Holstein sires. Dr. Weigel’s current role with Zoetis is in Outcomes Research and he also remains active as a breeder of dairy cattle.

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.

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