The Moos Room™

• Episode 321 - Timers, Tech, and Jerseys: A South Dakota Dairy Roadtrip Deep Dive - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

  Brad recaps a fall road trip with the Minnesota dairy extension team to South Dakota’s rapidly growing I-29 dairy corridor, highlighting what innovative farms are doing to boost efficiency, cow health, and profitability. Along the way, they tour the Bel Brands plant in Brookings, where milk from about 10,000 cows a day is turned into those familiar Babybel snack cheeses, and hear how the plant’s demand for high-protein milk is shaping local production.On the farm visits, Brad digs into why one 1,700-cow dairy is ripping out a barn full of robots after just a few years—citing software headaches, maintenance demands, and an extra dollar per hundredweight in cost—and how they’re using strict 5-minute milking times and strong beef-on-dairy markets to stay competitive. He then visits a Holstein dairy using parlor timers, FutureCow brushes, genomic testing, Akushi (red Wagyu) beef-on-dairy crosses, intensive calf biosecurity, and a Danish SKOV ventilation system to keep big groups of calves healthy.The final stop is a 6,000-cow Jersey herd proving Jerseys can be successfully raised in northern climates. Brad shares how they use SenseHub tags on calves from birth, IVF and embryo work for high-value Jersey genetics, fresh-heifer mastitis prevention strategies in recycled bedding systems, and clever pen redesigns to add bunk space.In this episode, you’ll hear about:Why one large dairy abandoned milking robots for a parlorHow timers in the parlor are being used to speed up milking and labor efficiencyBeef-on-dairy strategies, from Angus to Akushi crosses and premium Texas marketsNew approaches to calf housing, ventilation, and biosecurityUsing precision technology and genomic data to guide breeding and health decisionsPractical ideas Brad wants to bring home to the U of M dairy, from boot disinfectant to fresh-heifer dry treatmentQuestions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!Linkedin -> The Moos RoomTwitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafetyFacebook -> @UMNDairyYouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and HealthInstagram -> @UMNWCROCDairyExtension WebsiteAgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

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• Episode 320 - Robots, Crossbreeding, and Straw — A Moos Room Travel Report from Europe - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

  Brad recaps his trip to dairy farms in the Netherlands and Germany, where robotics, crossbreeding, and creative manure and energy management are everywhere — even on small farms. He visited farms using Lely robots, grass/rye silage-based diets, and small-scale digesters that capture manure methane. Crossbreeding (Holstein × Montbéliarde × Viking Red) is common, driven by goals of longevity, health, and reducing inbreeding.He also saw some surprising management choices: dry cows fed only straw for 60 days (reportedly reducing metabolic issues) and one advisor recommending farmers don’t clean calf pens to preserve the microbiome — a concept Brad remains skeptical about.At a dairy technology show and breeding conference, Brad shared research on feed efficiency and methane emissions and learned how European breeders are incorporating resilience and efficiency traits into genetic programs. Overall, Europe’s dairy farms showed strong use of technology, a focus on components and longevity, and serious interest in crossbreeding as a labor- and health-saving strategy.Hybrid Genetics YouTube Channel to learn more about some of these FarmsQuestions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!Linkedin -> The Moos RoomTwitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafetyFacebook -> @UMNDairyYouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and HealthInstagram -> @UMNWCROCDairyExtension WebsiteAgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

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• Episode 319 - Inbreeding: Is It An Impending Doom? - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

  In this episode, Brad is back from Europe—jetlagged but full of insights from farms and conferences in Germany and the Netherlands. He dives into one of the biggest topics he heard about abroad and at home: Inbreeding in dairy cattle.Brad explains how inbreeding occurs, what it costs farmers economically, and how inbreeding levels have climbed across all major dairy breeds—especially Holsteins and Jerseys. Drawing on recent research from Italy and data from the U.S. Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, he outlines how increasing inbreeding negatively impacts cow survival, fertility, and long-term profitability.The discussion highlights startling trends—Holstein inbreeding has jumped from 3.7% in the mid-1990s to nearly 11% today, and some genomic bulls now exceed 16%. Brad also touches on historic bulls whose genetics still dominate today’s herds, like Elevation and Highland Magic Duncan, and explores whether approaches like crossbreeding, linebreeding, or greater genetic diversity in breeding programs could help slow the trend.Brad concludes with a call to action: farmers, AI companies, and breed associations must prioritize genetic diversity now to safeguard herd health and productivity.Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!Linkedin -> The Moos RoomTwitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafetyFacebook -> @UMNDairyYouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and HealthInstagram -> @UMNWCROCDairyExtension WebsiteAgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

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• Episode 318 - Cattle, Shade & Solar: What Agrivoltaics Really Looks Like (with Anna Clare) - UMN Extension's The Moos Room

  Brad kicks off a solo episode (recorded before a trip to Germany) and turns the mic to rangeland scientist Anna Clare for a deep dive into “the solar savanna”—treating solar arrays on grasslands as functioning grazing ecosystems. She shares early results from Silicon Ranch’s Cattle Tracker research on integrating cattle (not just sheep) with PV systems. Brad follows with University of Minnesota’s on-farm demos: panel heights that work for cattle, heat-stress reductions, forage performance under panels, and a mobile, battery-equipped shade/solar rig. If you’re curious how and when cattle can safely graze under solar, this one’s packed with data and practical design tips.Key takeawaysSolar as savanna: Think of arrays as shade “canopies” over grasslands—manage them as grazing systems with soils, roots, pollinators, and large herbivores in mind.Cattle can work under PV: Moving from sheep to cattle is feasible when arrays are designed with animal size/behavior in mind.Panel height matters: In controlled mockups, animal interactions dropped 43% from 2.0→2.5 m and 59% at 3.0 m. Cattle never touched panels; most curiosity was with dampers—a design hotspot.Ecosystem wins: Under-panel zones showed higher soil moisture and lower soil temperatures, favoring cool-season grasses and legumes; regrowth dynamics can improve after grazing passes.Animal welfare benefits: UMN trials showed lower respiration rates and 0.5–1.0 °F lower internal body temperatures during hot afternoons for shaded cows—meaningfully less heat stress.Forage production holds up (or improves): Certain mixes (e.g., orchardgrass, meadow fescue; grass-legume combos) produced equal or greater biomass under panels with no drop in nutritive value.Design for cattle, not fear: After a decade of on-farm experience, Brad’s team hasn’t seen cattle damage panels; people and tractors are more likely risks than cows.Practical layouts: Keep inverters outside fences, route wiring high/inside racking, and allow equipment lanes; rotational grazing and (potentially) virtual fencing fit well.Innovation on wheels: A 20 kW mobile bifacial shade rig with onboard batteries can power irrigation, fencing, and even an electric tractor—bringing agrivoltaics to wherever cattle need relief.Research & projects mentionedSilicon Ranch – Cattle Tracker: multi-year cattle-PV integration study; Phase 2 is a 4.5 MW Tennessee “outdoor test lab” comparing array vs. open pasture for behavior, space use, health/performance, plus mirrored ecosystem monitoring.Comprehensive literature review (AGU Earth’s Future – in press): Maps intersections among livestock–solar–land, identifies six research gaps (integration, layered ecology, modeling, best practices, social dimensions, collaborative science).UMN Morris agrivoltaics demos: Fixed-tilt arrays at 6–8 ft (1.8–2.4 m) leading edge; 0.5 MW pasture array powering campus; vertical bifacial and crop-under-PV pilots coming; EV fast charger powered by cow-shade solar.Who it’s forDevelopers, ranchers, extension pros, and policy folks exploring dual-use solar that keeps grasslands working and cattle comfortable.Questions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!Linkedin -> The Moos RoomTwitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafetyFacebook -> @UMNDairyYouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and HealthInstagram -> @UMNWCROCDairyExtension WebsiteAgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

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• Episode 317 - Emily’s Back! Farm Emergency Planning You’ll Actually Use - The UMN Extension's Moos Room

  Emily is back from medical leave (hooray!) and she and Brad dig into an essential topic for every operation: emergency planning. You can’t predict every detail, but you can make the first decisions easier when seconds count.What we cover:What an emergency plan is (and isn’t): a concise, written set of steps and key info you can default to under pressure.Start with a farm map: access routes, gates/fences, livestock locations, hazardous/flammable materials, and utility shutoffs.Make the red sheet easy to find: an emergency contact list (911 first), then vet, sheriff/emergency management, insurance, milk hauler, feed/suppliers, and owner/manager.Stock the right supplies: standard first-aid kits, a trauma kit with a tourniquet, and consider an AED; plan to keep kits replenished.Three scenario buckets to plan for:Shelter in place (blizzards, extended outages): backup power/fuel, blocked access routes, pared-down chore list, role assignments, keeping people safe.Evacuation (fire, flood, tornado damage): best escape routes for people/animals, which gates to open and in what order, a designated meeting point (and Plan B), and who calls whom.Medical emergencies (injury or health event): known conditions (EpiPens, diabetes, heart issues), where supplies/AED live, basic first-aid/CPR training, clear directions for EMS, and—on larger sites—who meets the ambulance at the road and whether a safe helicopter landing area exists.Mind the paperwork: review insurance coverage before you need it.Keep it simple and living: a few clear steps beat a thick binder no one reads.Resources mentioned:University of Minnesota Extension: Operations contingency plan templates for livestock operations.Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): disaster-specific farm resources.Cultivating Change Foundation (Emily & Joe Rand received the Cultivator of Change award).Save the date: Ag for All Conference for LGBTQ+ farmers, ag professionals, and allies — March 7, 2026, Waite Park/St. Cloud, MN.Have questions, comments, or scathing rebuttals? Email [email protected] markers (optional)00:00 – Emily’s back! (and why breaks matter)03:18 – Why farms need emergency plans05:41 – What an emergency plan actually is08:07 – How plans help when stress spikes10:45 – Simple planning story (cats + hamper)12:03 – What belongs in the plan (map, shutoffs, hazards)15:11 – The red emergency contact list19:06 – First-aid vs. trauma kits (tourniquets)24:44 – Shelter-in-place: questions to answer26:11 – Evacuation: routes, gates, meeting points28:04 – Medical emergencies: AEDs, training, EMS access32:35 – Keep it living, keep it simple33:00 – Resources + wrap-upQuestions, comments, scathing rebuttals? -> [email protected] or call 612-624-3610 and leave us a message!Linkedin -> The Moos RoomTwitter -> @UMNmoosroom and @UMNFarmSafetyFacebook -> @UMNDairyYouTube -> UMN Beef and Dairy and UMN Farm Safety and HealthInstagram -> @UMNWCROCDairyExtension WebsiteAgriAmerica Podcast Directory 

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