Editor’s Note: This is one article in a series that is included in the 2024 Farm Journal’s State of the Dairy Industry report. The full 16-page report will appear in the May/June issues of Dairy Herd Management and Milk Business Quarterly and will be published in this space over the next several weeks. To download the full report for free click here.
More and more dairies are looking to technology to help dial in on efficiencies and help spell future success of their operations.
Between 24% to 32% of our surveyors said they tend to invest across at least five areas of technological focus in the coming years.
The 2023 Milk Business Leader in Technology award winner, Chris Szydel with Pagel’s Ponderosa in Kewaunee, Wis., says that with so much technology to choose from, ultimately what he selects is cost-effective equipment that will improve the overall efficiency of the dairy.
Kansas producer, Ken McCarty with McCarty Family Dairy, has two rotaries that include a whole host of technologies and says they are looking at investing in additional robotics on their farms to reduce labor.
“Anything that we can do that standardizes practices on the farm, drives down labor costs and can benefit the welfare of our team members is worth pursuing,” he says.
