Uplevel Dairy Podcast: Industry Person of the Year Corey Geiger
Spotify podcast link: 374 | 2026 Industry Person of the Year: Corey Geiger by Uplevel Dairy Podcast
In this special collaboration episode of World Dairy Expo’s The Dairy Show podcast and Uplevel Dairy, Peggy Coffeen interviews Cory Geiger, who was named World Dairy Expo’s 2026 Industry Person of the Year, about the experiences and mentors that shaped his career as a Hoard’s Dairyman editor, CoBank dairy economist, author, and youth mentor. Geiger recalls receiving the award call, his pivotal 1990 World Dairy Expo judging-team trip that solidified his passion, and early influences including his father’s lessons on money and genetics.
He describes his CoBank role spanning research, speaking, and client work, including efforts to quantify genetics’ economic value, shift milk metrics toward components, and model herd replacement amid beef-on-dairy. Geiger also recounts co-editing the 50th anniversary book We Need a Show, writing recognition scripts, and publishing award-winning books chronicling farm history, emphasizing mentorship, sparking youth interest, and being remembered for making people think and feel valued.
This episode has been brought to you in collaboration with World Dairy Expo and the Dairy Show Podcast. Save the dates for the 2026 World Dairy Expo taking place September 29 - October 2, 2026. Learn more at https://worlddairyexpo.com/.
01:13 Servant Leadership Roots
03:19 The Award Phone Call
04:44 World Dairy Expo Spark
07:54 From Farm Kid to Economist
10:37 Mentors and Giving Back
13:50 CoBank Role and Research
18:46 We Need a Show Book
26:17 Writing Recognition Scripts
27:25 Becoming a Published Author
30:41 Legacy and Mentorship
