AgCulture Podcast

Brazil is already an agricultural powerhouse in crops, beef, and sugarcane. But could dairy be next?
In this episode of the AgCulture Podcast, Paul sits down with Marcelo Pereira de Carvalho, CEO of MilkPoint Ventures and one of the most influential voices in Brazilian dairy. Marcelo shares the story of how he built MilkPoint from a simple dairy website into one of the largest dairy communities in the world, connecting farmers, processors, consultants, and agribusiness leaders across Brazil.
The conversation explores the rapid transformation taking place in Brazilian dairy, from farm consolidation and technology adoption to the opportunities and challenges that stand between Brazil and becoming a major dairy exporter. Marcelo also shares his perspective on artificial intelligence, innovation, investment, and why the country's most progressive dairy farms now rival the best operations anywhere in the world.
If you want to understand where one of the world's largest emerging dairy industries is headed—and what it means for global agriculture—this episode is for you.

MEET THE GUEST
Marcelo Pereira de Carvalho is the CEO of MilkPoint Ventures, one of the most influential agricultural media, market intelligence, and innovation companies in Latin America. Through MilkPoint, Marcelo has built a dairy-focused community of more than 160,000 members that includes farmers, processors, consultants, input suppliers, researchers, and agribusiness professionals.
Originally trained as an agronomist with a specialization in dairy nutrition, Marcelo spent years working as a dairy consultant before recognizing the power of information and digital communities. What began as a simple dairy website evolved into MilkPoint, a leading source of industry news, analysis, events, and market intelligence for the Brazilian dairy sector.
Marcelo is also Co-Founder of AgTech Garage, widely recognized as Brazil's leading innovation hub for agriculture, connecting startups, investors, corporations, and producers to accelerate technological advancement across the industry.
Today, he remains one of the most respected voices in Brazilian agriculture, helping shape conversations around dairy, innovation, technology adoption, and the future competitiveness of the sector.

ABOUT THE PODCAST
Discover the world of agriculture with the "Ag Culture Podcast".This podcast will be a gateway for those passionate about agriculture to explore its global perspectives and innovative practices.
Join Paul as he shares his experiences in the agricultural industry, his travels, and encounters with important figures around the world.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.Subscribe at http://www.agculturepodcast.com and keep an eye out for future episodes, bringing insights and stories from the vibrant world of agriculture.

The dairy industry has made more genetic progress in the last 15 years than at any other point in history. But most people don’t fully understand what’s actually driving it.
In this episode of the AgCulture Podcast, Paul sits down with Nate Zwald — President of Progenco and former President & COO of ABS Global — for a deep dive into the data infrastructure, genomic revolution, and technological shifts transforming dairy genetics.
Nate shares stories from growing up on Bomaz Farms, explains how genomic testing changed the industry forever, and unpacks why the future of dairy genetics may depend less on semen companies… and more on who controls the data.
The conversation explores the growing importance of phenotypic data, the decline of traditional DHIA systems, the rise of robotic milking data, and how artificial intelligence could fundamentally reshape animal breeding over the next decade.
This is one of the most important conversations we’ve had yet about the intersection of genetics, AI, data ownership, and the future structure of livestock agriculture.

MEET THE GUEST
Nate Zwald is President of Progenco and one of the most experienced leaders in modern dairy genetics. Over the past 20+ years, Nate has played major roles in advancing genomic selection, reproductive technologies, and data-driven breeding systems across the global dairy industry.
Prior to Progenco, Nate served as President and COO of ABS Global and previously led U.S. operations at Alta Genetics. Throughout his career, he has helped drive adoption of technologies such as genomics, sexed semen, IVF, and advanced genetic evaluation systems that have fundamentally accelerated dairy genetic progress worldwide.
Nate also remains deeply connected to production agriculture through Bomaz Farms, his family’s 1,600-cow dairy operation in Wisconsin known internationally for elite Holstein genetics.
He holds advanced degrees in Genetics and Business from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and continues to work at the intersection of genetics, technology, and the future of livestock agriculture.

ABOUT THE PODCAST
Discover the world of agriculture with the "Ag Culture Podcast".This podcast will be a gateway for those passionate about agriculture to explore its global perspectives and innovative practices.
Join Paul as he shares his experiences in the agricultural industry, his travels, and encounters with important figures around the world.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.Subscribe at http://www.agculturepodcast.com and keep an eye out for future episodes, bringing insights and stories from the vibrant world of agriculture.

In this episode of the AgCulture Podcast, Paul sits down with Nebraska rancher and fellow Nuffield Scholar Jaclyn Wilson for a wide-ranging conversation on the current state of the beef industry, the future of traceability, and what ranchers around the world are facing right now. From historic lows in the U.S. beef herd to drought, global market volatility, disease threats, labor challenges, and shifting consumer expectations, Jaclyn brings a grounded but globally informed perspective from both the ranch and the road.
Jaclyn also shares insights from her extensive international travels through Nuffield, where she explored cattle systems, traceability programs, and beef supply chains across South America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. The conversation digs into the realities of beef packing, the role of global trade, environmental stewardship in the Nebraska Sandhills, and why humility and lifelong learning matter more than ever in agriculture.
If you want a real-world conversation about where the beef industry is headed — and what producers need to think about moving forward — this is an episode worth listening to.

MEET THE GUEST
Jaclyn Wilson is co-owner of Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch and Flying Diamond Beef, located in the Nebraska Sandhills. A fifth-generation rancher, she has worked full-time on the family operation since 2002 and is deeply involved in every aspect of the business — including calving, rotational grazing, cattle marketing, trucking, recordkeeping, genetics, employee management, and day-to-day ranch operations.
In addition to the family’s commercial cow-calf operation, Jaclyn has helped build a direct-to-consumer beef business that ships nationwide and has expanded into international genetics work through partnerships in Uruguay. She is also an active speaker, writer, and industry advocate within the beef sector.
As a Nuffield International Farming Scholar, Jaclyn has traveled extensively studying traceability systems, global cattle production, and the future of beef markets around the world.

ABOUT THE PODCAST
Discover the world of agriculture with the "Ag Culture Podcast". This podcast will be a gateway for those passionate about agriculture to explore its global perspectives and innovative practices.
Join Paul as he shares his experiences in the agricultural industry, his travels, and encounters with important figures around the world.
Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Subscribe at http://www.agculturepodcast.com and keep an eye out for future episodes, bringing insights and stories from the vibrant world of agriculture.

In this episode of the AgCulture Podcast, Paul sits down with Bob Miller, founder of Miller Hybrids, to unpack what it really takes to build a seed company in an industry dominated by global giants. From his early days in plant breeding to launching his own company in the middle of industry consolidation, Bob shares a perspective that challenges much of how modern seed is developed, tested, and sold.
This conversation dives deep into why most seed is bred for “perfect conditions” instead of real farms, how Miller Hybrids tests genetics differently to create more stable performance, and why conventional corn is quietly making a comeback. Bob also breaks down the economics behind traits, the real role of GMOs, and where farmers may be overpaying for protection they don’t actually need.
If you’ve ever wondered whether bigger companies actually mean better seed—or what the future of genetics, CRISPR, and farm profitability really looks like—this episode will make you think differently about every seed decision you make.

MEET THE GUEST
Bob Miller is a respected corn breeder and the founder and owner of Miller Hybrids, a family-owned seed company based in Kalona, Iowa.
Born on a dairy and crop farm in northwest Ohio, Miller developed an early fascination with corn hybrids and their ability to handle stress and maximize yields. He built a distinguished career as a corn breeder with major seed companies, including Syngenta,
where he developed successful commercial inbred lines and hybrids. His work emphasized improved emergence, yield stability, and drought tolerance.
In 2005, he founded Miller Hybrids (originally B.O.B. Seeds, standing for "Best of the Best") to create a more hands-on, farmer-focused operation. As owner, president, and research director, Miller leads the company's breeding and testing programs. He develops corn hybrids tailored for the average farm, rigorously testing them across diverse soil types, stress conditions, and real-world environments like corn-on-corn rotations.
Miller is deeply committed to empowering farmers. He believes in building reliable products that raise farm averages rather than chasing only top-end yields in ideal conditions. His family company (with his wife Pam) emphasizes personal attention, direct access to the breeder, and genetics that deliver stable, high performance for everyday growers.
Through Miller Hybrids, Bob continues his lifelong passion for practical plant breeding, blending decades of industry expertise with the independence of a family business to support American agriculture.
To learn more about Miller Hybrids, check out their website: https://www.millerhybrids.com/

In this solo episode, Paul breaks down a major USDA announcement that could reshape how farm data is collected, stored, and used across the United States. At the center of it is the “One Farm, One File” initiative—a push to digitize and centralize farm records across USDA agencies—and a $300 million contract awarded to Palantir to build the system behind it.
On the surface, this sounds like long-overdue efficiency. Less paperwork. Fewer trips to the USDA office. One unified system. But underneath that simplicity sits a much bigger question: who actually controls farm data as it becomes easier to share, analyze, and scale?
Paul walks through the real opportunities, the real risks, and why this moment matters more than most people realize. He also introduces his framework of the four levels of farm data value—and explains why most farmers today are only capturing a fraction of what their data is actually worth.
If you care about the future of agriculture, data ownership, and where power sits in the system, this is a conversation you can’t afford to ignore.

MEET THE HOST:
Paul Windemuller is the host of the AgCulture Podcast and a dairy farmer, entrepreneur, and ag-tech leader focused on the intersection of agriculture, data, and innovation. With deep experience in livestock systems and a global perspective shaped through his Nuffield Scholarship, Paul is actively working on building frameworks and infrastructure that empower farmers to capture more value from their data.His work centers on connecting technology, people, and real-world farming to create a more profitable, transparent, and sustainable future for agriculture.

ABOUT THE PODCAST
Discover the world of agriculture with the "Ag Culture Podcast". This podcast will be a gateway for those passionate about agriculture to explore its global perspectives and innovative practices.Join Paul as he shares his experiences in the agricultural industry, his travels, and encounters with important figures around the world.Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Subscribe at http://www.agculturepodcast.com and keep an eye out for future episodes, bringing insights and stories from the vibrant world of agriculture.