This week on Eggheads, we sit down with Mark Kellen, Executive Vice President at Daybreak Foods, to explore the mindset, skillset, and lived experience behind leadership in the egg industry. From his beginnings on a small family farm in Minnesota to overseeing operations across six states, Mark’s journey is rooted in curiosity, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to his team.

We unpack what it takes to become a well-rounded general manager—from hands-on live bird work to managing budgets, community relations, and customer expectations. Mark shares how Daybreak is building internal pipelines of leadership through tailored development plans and cross-training opportunities, and why communication is the most overlooked (yet essential) ingredient in promoting from within.

The episode also touches on Mark’s firsthand experience navigating avian influenza—from the emotional toll of depopulation to the importance of transparent planning and employee trust. It’s a candid conversation about growth, grit, and what it means to lead during both steady days and storms.

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This week on Eggheads, we sit down with Dr. Maurice Pitesky, veterinary epidemiologist at UC Davis and founder of AgriNerds, to explore how technology—think radar, satellites, and spatial modeling—is reshaping disease prevention in the poultry industry. His tool, the Waterfowl Alert Network, helps producers track wild bird movement in real time, offering a red-light, green-light system for assessing avian influenza risk.

Maurice explains how biosecurity needs to expand beyond the barn, why data sharing is just as important as data collection, and what it’ll take to modernize vet training for the 21st century. From drones that chase birds to historical migration data from the '90s, this episode dives deep into innovation, practicality, and the challenges of protecting flocks in the middle of a historic outbreak.

What does it look like to layer biosecurity, mapping, and epidemiology in a way that actually works? And how can we build systems that help producers act before—not after—a crisis hits?

Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

In this special roundtable edition of Eggheads, we bring back “The Scramble”—our unfiltered format where leading voices in the egg industry sit down to tackle the Avian Influenza chaos head-on. Host Greg Schoenfeld is joined by three experts at the forefront: Dr. Kay Russo, veterinarian and virologist, Brian Moscogiuri, egg market analyst, and Jacques Klempf, former egg producer and industry veteran.

This conversation covers it all: the continued volatility in egg prices, the relentless spread of avian influenza, the economic and emotional toll on farmers, and the controversial but potentially game-changing role of vaccination. Kay breaks down the scientific case for vaccines and what’s holding the U.S. back, Jacques gives a raw look at what it’s like to operate under constant threat, and Brian connects the dots on how market disruptions are impacting supply chains and consumers alike.

We’re in uncharted territory-- farmers are holding onto aging flocks, trying to stretch production. Replacement birds are hard to come by. Meanwhile, policymakers are stuck in neutral as the virus continues to burn. With over 50 million birds lost since October and a fractured industry response, the question becomes: how much longer can the system hold?

If you care about food security, farming, or just want to understand why eggs are so expensive (and nowadays often missing from store shelves), this is the episode to check out.

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Sustainability, animal welfare, and transparency—are they just buzzwords, or true commitments?

This week we sit down with Sandra Vijn, Managing Director of Kipster USA, to explore how the company is rethinking the entire system—from upcycled feed to carbon-neutral farming. Kipster is aiming to redefine what ethical egg farming looks like.

Sandra shares how Kipster’s model challenges conventional agriculture, why transparency matters (even when it’s not pretty), and the complex question of who really pays for sustainability. She explains how Kipster was designed around the needs of chickens rather than regulations, the challenges of bringing a European egg model to the U.S., and why regenerative and circular farming need to be part of the same conversation.

Can Kipster carve out a new space in the American egg market? And will American consumers buy into their vision?

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Egg prices have been anything but stable in recent years, and behind every price shift is a complex web of market forces. In this episode, we sit down with Karyn Rispoli, Managing Editor of Eggs at Expana, to break down how egg pricing really works. From avian influenza outbreaks wiping out millions of layers to shifting market dynamics and the intricacies of price reporting, we explore why the egg industry is so volatile—and what that means for producers, buyers, and everyone in between.

Karyn sheds light on the challenges of market reporting, the common misconceptions about price assessments, and the balancing act of gathering accurate data in an industry where even a few cents per dozen can have massive financial implications. As she explains, price reporters like her aren’t setting the market—they’re reflecting it. As the saying goes, "Don’t shoot the messenger."

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

The egg industry is changing, and at the center of that transformation is a bold mission: ending chick culling globally. In this episode, Greg sits down with Respeggt Group’s Silvin Faulstitch to explore how their groundbreaking in-ovo sexing technology is reshaping hatcheries.

Respeggt’s approach has evolved from early research to a fully automated production line that allows hatcheries to determine the sex of eggs with 99.5% accuracy—all before they hatch! This innovation is more than just a technological leap; it’s a critical step in eliminating an inhumane practice while keeping the industry’s economic realities in focus.

Ending chick culling is no longer just an idea—it’s happening. And as more hatcheries adopt this approach, the industry is proving that ethical progress and business sustainability can go hand in hand.

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

What does it take to succeed in the egg industry? According to Mark Kleinsmith, it’s a mix of hard work, persistence, and sometimes… shaving your mustache to close a deal. In this episode, Greg sits down with Mark, a legendary industry salesman whose career spans decades of innovation, market shifts, and unforgettable negotiations.

Mark shares wild tales from his time in the field, from 5:30 AM swim tests with clients to sealing contracts in an 80-foot treehouse. But beyond the stories, he offers valuable insights into how the egg industry has evolved—from the rise of high-rise cage systems to the challenges of the cage-free transition. He also discusses the importance of building trust with customers, why fast response times are key to success, and how consolidation has reshaped the industry.

If you're in sales, agriculture, or just love a good business story, this episode is packed with hilarious stories, hard-earned wisdom, and lessons from a career spent getting the job done—no matter what it took.

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

What does it take to keep a poultry farm safe from disease outbreaks? In this episode of Eggheads, Greg sits down with Jack Hughes, a biosecurity advisor at LiveTec Systems based in the UK. Jack shares his perspective on how proactive measures, innovative solutions, and a disciplined mindset can transform the way farmers protect their operations.

From the risks posed by migratory birds to the importance of tailored solutions, Jack emphasizes that biosecurity is about more than compliance—it’s about care, resilience, and protecting livelihoods. The conversation also explores the human side of farming, the growing demands of free-range operations, and the role of technology in shaping the future of biosecurity.

As a UK-based expert, Jack offers a unique point of view that adds an international lens to the biosecurity challenges we face. Whether you’re a farmer or just curious about what it takes to safeguard the food supply, this episode offers practical insights and thought-provoking discussion.

Please rate Eggheads on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Are you an egg industry pro? Reach out to be a guest on the show! Connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram.