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Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

Scott Zehr

62 episodes

4 days ago

This is the final episode of the year for Ruminate This, and we’re closing it out with a “best of” reflection on five episodes that continue to matter on dairy farms today. In this year-end episode, Scott Zehr revisits some of the most impactful conversations on dairy nutrition, calf health, transition cow management, gut health, and mycotoxin control, and explains why these topics continue to influence herd performance and profitability long after the episode airs. Whether you’re revisiting ...

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This is the final episode of the year for Ruminate This, and we’re closing it out with a “best of” reflection on five episodes that continue to matter on dairy farms today. In this year-end episode, Scott Zehr revisits some of the most impactful conversations on dairy nutrition, calf health, transition cow management, gut health, and mycotoxin control, and explains why these topics continue to influence herd performance and profitability long after the episode airs. Whether you’re revisiting ...

Show more...

Episodes (20/62)

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

62: Why Culture Builds Better Calves

Everyone talks about “culture” on dairies, but for calves, culture quietly determines which calves grow into healthy, high-performing cows and which struggle. In this episode, Scott explores how Agrarian Solutions’ RISE core values, Relational, Integrity, Strategic, and Excellence, shape real-world calf management, not just posters in the office. Through examples from three dairy farms, Scott demonstrates why the same facilities, nutrition, and SOPs can produce drastically different results: ...

3 weeks ago

25 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

61: Mycotoxins & Subtle Stress: Why Cows Look Fine but Performance Drifts

What do you do when the cows look perfectly fine but performance keeps drifting? In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr breaks down the quiet, hard-to-detect issue plaguing many dairy herds: subtle biological stress, especially from low-level mycotoxins that rarely show up on a single feed test but can dramatically impact herd performance. Scott explains how cows can look visually healthy while quietly battling stress that affects reproduction, rumination, immune function, intakes, comp...

1 month ago

22 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

59: Nine Months of Pain All Because Testing Came Too Late

Mycotoxins like DON, zearalenone, and fumonisin silently drain herd health and profits, but too often, testing only happens after the damage is done. In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr and Dr. Larry Roth discuss why routine, proactive mycotoxin testing of TMR and silage should be a standard practice on every dairy. They explor regional mycotoxin trends, the influence of agronomic practices, and the role of residue management. Learn why monthly TMR testing, especially in dry cow and ...

2 months ago

28 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

58: The Truth About Calcium Carbonate in Dairy Nutrition

Most people see “calcium carbonate” on a label and assume it’s all the same, cheap limestone that barely gets absorbed. However, now we know: Not all calcium carbonate is created equal. In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr sits down with Dr. Larry Roth to answer the questions producers and vets are really asking: What’s the difference between Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Chloride?Why Is seaweed-derived calcium actually more bioavailable?Will I see an ROI with a calcium bolus at calvi...

2 months ago

28 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

57: The True Cost of Staying the Same on Your Dairy

What if the biggest hidden cost on your dairy isn’t feed, labor, or genetics, but the pain of not changing? In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr and co-host Jeff Hostetter, Product Manager at Premier Select Sires, explore the challenges and opportunities facing today’s dairy producers. Change in dairy management can feel disruptive with new training, updated protocols, and added investments. But staying the same carries a constant, quiet cost in lost milk production, reproductive fail...

3 months ago

35 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

56: Shaping the Future of Transition Cow Health

Most dairies focus on calcium deficiency during the transition period, but what if that’s just a symptom, not the root cause? In this episode of Ruminate This, Mark Carpenter, CEO of Agrarian Solutions, shares why the real enemy is inflammation and how the company made the bold move to walk away from its popular calcium bolus in favor of a more complete, integrity-driven solution. Grounded in Dr. Lance Baumgard’s research and broader industry discussions, this conversation challenges the stat...

3 months ago

39 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

55: Best practices for disbudding

Disbudding is performed on nearly 94% of U.S. dairy farms. Dr. Alycia Drwencke, PhD, Tucker Lab Member at the University of California, Davis, shares research comparing methods and why proper pain management requires both a local block and NSAID. She also discusses the impact of disbudding on calf behavior, feeding, and performance, and the role of polled genetics to reduce stress. 📊Interested in the research? Check out Dr. Drwencke’s published papers. Wound healing and pain sensitivity follo...

3 months ago

27 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

54: The next generation of transition cow care

Preventing milk fever is important, but it’s not the whole story. The real wins in transition care happen when you go beyond calcium. In this episode of Ruminate This, John Lawlor, Managing Director of Anchor Life Science and Agrarian Solutions Vice President of Nutrition Dr. Larry Roth, explore research that challenges long-held assumptions about calcium supplementation at calving. While traditional boluses are effective at preventing milk fever, studies show they don’t necessarily boo...

4 months ago

52 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

53: Silage inoculates: what they do and don't do

Do forage inoculants really work, or are they just “insurance”? Can they prevent or reduce mycotoxins in silage? In this episode of Ruminate This, Agrarian Solutions’ Vice President of Nutrition, Dr. Larry Roth, explains the real role inoculants play in silage management. Tune in to learn how the right inoculant can help preserve dry matter and nutrient value, why it can’t remove mycotoxins already present at harvest, and the practical steps to get the most from your forage. Think of yo...

4 months ago

29 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

52: Corn Silage Secrets: Stop Shrink, Boost Quality

In this episode of Ruminate This, we discuss simple, no-nonsense strategies to set up your silage season for success and stop costly feed losses before they start. Agrarian Solutions’ Vice President of Nutrition, Larry Roth, Ph.D., PAS, shares expert tips on reducing corn silage shrink, improving fermentation, and protecting forage quality from harvest to feedout. From hitting the perfect harvest window and cracking every kernel to packing, covering, and sampling like a pro, this episode is f...

5 months ago

53 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

51: Optimizing Transition Cow Health to Boost Fertility and Milk Production

The first week after calving is a critical window that impacts reproductive performance and overall lactation success in dairy cows. In this episode, we discuss how supporting transition cows’ immune systems and addressing common nutritional deficiencies can reduce inflammation, prevent uterine diseases, and minimize early pregnancy loss after first service. Caroline Knoblock, Director of Nutrition, shares practical ideas to optimize cow health during the transition period, improving fertilit...

5 months ago

21 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

50: Drone Technology for Accurate Silage and Feedstuff Inventory

Accurate feed inventory management is crucial for dairy producers and nutritionists to optimize ration formulation, improve herd performance, and meet lender requirements. In this episode of Ruminate This, discover how drone technology is transforming feedstuff inventory by providing safer, faster, and more precise measurements of corn silage and haylage piles. Chad Christensen, West Region Business Development Manager at Agrarian Solutions, explains how drone-based inventory eliminates the r...

6 months ago

19 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

49: Mycotoxins, Inflammation, or Something Else?

Are mycotoxins really limiting performance, or is something else happening? In episode 49 of Ruminate This, we tackle common questions from dairy professionals. When should you consider an immune enhancement product? How can you tell if toxins are the hidden culprit? Why is listening to your cows might be the best diagnostic tool you have. Pinpointing and solving nutrition challenges takes science, intuition, and experience. Agrarian Solutions brings all three to the table. Ready to take a cl...

6 months ago

14 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

48: Fishing for Feedback: Its Role in Building Strong Teams and Culture

In this episode of Ruminate This, we explore how creating a culture of openness and trust can transform your dairy. Whether you're a producer, nutritionist, or team leader, the ability to foster honest communication and welcome feedback is a key driver in building stronger teams and improving performance. Jamie Propst, founder of Anglers Unlimited and host of the Fishing for a Reason podcast, shares her journey from animal science to connecting people through the world of fishing. In this con...

6 months ago

42 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

47: Invest in Yourself: The Power of YDLI

In Episode 47 of Ruminate This, we’re joined by Jodi Hoynoski, a driving force behind the Young Dairy Leaders Institute (YDLI), to explore how this program is shaping the future of the dairy industry. YDLI isn’t just another leadership seminar, it’s a hands-on, real-world development experience focused on communication, relationship building, and personal growth. Jodi shares how YDLI equips young professionals (ages 22–40) with lifelong tools and connections. If you’re looking to grow, lead, ...

7 months ago

23 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

46: How to Make High-Quality Haylage from Grass, Alfalfa, and Winter Annuals

In this episode of Ruminate This, Dr. Larry Roth revisits the fundamentals of high-quality haylage. From managing moisture to minimizing oxygen exposure, this conversation sharpens your edge heading into haylage season. Even seasoned pros will get value from the timely reminders, practical tips, and behind-the-scenes factors that make or break forage quality. Whether you’re fine-tuning your process or training your team, this episode helps you prepare with purpose. 🎧 Listen now on Apple Podca...

7 months ago

42 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

45: Mycotoxins on the Rise: Tips to Protect your Livestock

Mycotoxin problems are rising, but do you know where they’re really coming from and how to protect your herd? In Episode 45 of Ruminate This, Caroline Knoblock, Director of Nutrition at Agrarian Solutions, breaks down what dairy producers and nutritionists need to know about Fusarium molds, feed contamination, and practical ways to get ahead of mycotoxin challenges. Caroline shares insights from a recent research trial on corn silage quality and vomitoxin (DON) levels, highlighting how fungic...

8 months ago

25 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

44: Rising Fumonisin Threat: What You Need to Know

New findings in the Spring Mycotoxin Report highlight a growing threat to dairy herd health and profitability. In this episode of Ruminate This, Scott Zehr and Dr. Larry Roth break down the newly released Spring Mycotoxin Report and what over 800 feed samples reveal about mycotoxins growing risk, especially from fumonisin. We discuss how this increasingly common mycotoxin is affecting gut health, liver function, and immune response in dairy cows, and what you can do to protect performance and...

8 months ago

17 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

43: Strong Starts, Strong Futures: Mastering Colostrum Management

Want healthier, more productive calves? It all starts with colostrum management. In this episode of Ruminate This, we're joined again by Danielle Varner, Calf and Heifer Specialist at Cargill Animal Nutrition, to explore why quality and quantity matter, especially for bull calves and beef-on-dairy crosses. We discuss how investing in a well-executed colostrum protocol leads to stronger calves, fewer health issues, and long-term profitability, and why relying on “band-aid” products won’t fix p...

9 months ago

40 minutes

Ruminate This | Agrarian Solutions

42: Boost Calf Health by Strengthening Farm Teamwork

Danielle Varner, Calf and Heifer Specialist at Cargill Animal Nutrition, joins Ruminate This for an insightful discussion on improving calf health and performance through effective farm team communication. Learn about the common challenges that often lead to calf health issues, the importance of training beyond just protocols, and the key areas where the best calf programs consistently excel. Tune in to learn how strengthening teamwork can boost calf health and improve overall performance.&nb...

9 months ago

30 minutes