141 | Sustainability and the Future of Dairy Farming with Dr. Don Niles

In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy podcast, I am joined for part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Don Niles, a veterinarian turned dairyman, to talk more about his significant contributions to dairy farming and sustainability in Northeast Wisconsin.

Dr. Niles shares his passionate journey from city life to dairy farming, emphasizing the importance of innovative practices, cow comfort, and environmental sustainability, with particular focus on how Peninsula Pride Farms—a farmer-led watershed initiative—reinvented local dairy farming by fostering a cooperative and environmentally responsible community.

Throughout the discussion, Dr. Niles provides valuable insights on

• The future of dairy farming

• Addressing key challenges such as attracting the next generation of dairy farmers

• Maintaining high-quality practices amidst environmental scrutiny.

He underscores the necessity of being open to change, fostering community relations, and trusting in new methods and technologies to sustain the dairy industry’s growth and excellence. As he transitions into retirement, Dr. Niles reflects on the impact of his career and the ongoing journey of innovation and improvement in dairy farming.

Listen to this episode with Dr. Don Niles with Dairy Dreams, LLC

About Nedap

The High-Performance Mindset Series is powered by Nedap. Nedap is future-proofing dairy farms by revolutionizing cow-side care through technologies in activity monitoring, cow locating, milk metering and identification. Listen for more episodes in this series throughout 2024 or catch past episodes in this series below!

• Listen to Episode 36 with Megan Schrupp here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/6H45sTWc4Ib

• 4 High-Impact Actions to Create a Winning Farm Culture with Travis Speirs, Shiloh Dairy

• Dairy Tech in Texas: Managing 8,000 Cows with Activity Monitors featuring Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy

• Protecting His Price and Managing Risk with Nathan Moroney, Del Rio Dairy

• Managing More Cows, More People and More Data with Derrick Josi

• Full-Potential Farming: Reaching the Highest Level of Performance with Cows and People through Technology with Megan Schrupp, NexGen Dairy

• Olympic-level Business, Management and Mindset with Elle Purrier-St. Pierre and Jamie St. Pierre

Make sure to join the Uplevel Dairy email list to receive new podcasts, blogs, and offers from Uplevel Dairy in your inbox. To listen to more episodes, head over to Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Don’t forget to rate and review!

Connect with Peggy: peggy@upleveldairy.com