384 | People First: The Leadership Philosophy Behind a Growing Dairy
Today on the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, Peggy Coffeen is onsite with Josh Webb, at multi-generational Heglar Creek Dairy near Declo, Idaho, a fifth-generation family operation that relocated from Utah in the mid-1970s and has since grown and diversified. Webb describes the family’s structured pathway into the business, requiring education, outside work, interviews, and defined roles, as well as a clear exit strategy including retirement expectations.
He explains how the operation expanded into multiple enterprises, and how two nearby dairies differ in breeds and milking systems, including a 2018 Jersey robot barn with 18 Lely units. Webb discusses being early adopters of technology, adopting Milc group's cloud-based OneFeed and OneAnimal for real-time accuracy and integration, prioritizing “first who, then what” in hiring, using EOS-style meetings, and partnering with Danone, including transitioning to non-GMO feed and related regenerative changes. The episode emphasizes legacy as building people and work ethic so the next generation can keep evolving.
This episode is brought to you by Milc Group.
Milc Group is a dairy software company that brings real-time, actionable data to dairy farms across the world. They are dedicated to revolutionizing the dairy industry with their user-friendly cloud-based software. ONE™ by Milc Group is our all-in-one app that brings together all the important aspects of your dairy together in one place. With products such as feed and animal management software, people training, dairy facility monitoring, and scale management, Milc Group is committed to providing producers with tools they need to succeed.
02:33 Five Generations To Idaho
04:52 Earning Your Way Back
10:01 Diversifying Beyond Dairy
11:40 Rules For Entry And Exit
13:38 Two Dairies Two Systems
16:40 Why Build A Robot Barn
22:51 First Who Then What
25:02 Recruiting And Retaining Talent
26:56 Meetings Support And Tech Tools
29:57 Tech That Empowers Teams
30:59 OneFeed Simple Accuracy
34:56 Defining Dairy Success
36:14 Future Manager Skills
38:14 Partnering With Danone
42:13 Legacy Beyond The Farm
51:20 Work Ethic Sweat Pledge
