Technology Paves Room for the Next Generation of Farmers

Dairy technology has evolved greatly over the past 30 years helping make room for the next generation of farmers. Ranging from robotic milking, RFID identification and monitoring systems, technology has advanced agricultural productivity, setting the stage for future advancement and efficiencies, but it also has paved the path for future farmers. 

In a recent VAS panel discussion, Dairy Farming for Generation Alpha and Beyond, three dairy producers talked about how efficiencies and technology play a role on their farm and how the industry needs to continue to evolve and adapt for future farmers in the next 10 to 20 years.

Tony Lopes, who works alongside his parents Paul and Darlene Lopes to manage 4,000 cows on multiple sites in California, says that that the margin of error for farmers is going to continue to decrease. “That means that to continue to succeed and continue our business forward, we’re just going to have to be that much more focused on ensuring that every aspect of our business is working efficiently,” he says.

The fourth-generation farmer says that as time moves forward, he and his staff of employees are going to have to focus a lot more on making strategic decisions to drive efficiencies. Lopes says it will take leveraging technology and working towards a much higher degree of operational success to gain needed efficiencies. 

In Hilmar, Calif., Brent Wickstrom, who operates a 2,400-cow dairy, Wickstrom Dairy Farm alongside his father and grandfather, concurs with Lopes and states that efficiencies are not only important in terms of the scope and size of operations, but with all herd sizes. “It's utilizing tools and technologies available to make our employees more able to take care of cows in an efficient way as we lose tools, such as different medicines and drugs as we've seen in the past,” says the third-generation dairy farmer. “We must use the technology and tools and expertise available to make all our employees more efficient with their day-to-day tasks.”

On the labor side, Kristyn Mensonides, who is the herd manager of her family’s 12,000-cow farm in Yakima County, Wash., shares that future technology will dive deeper into efficiencies. “We're probably going to see a task that what once took five people to complete the job is now only going to require two people,” she says. “You already see that in the crop industry. Efficiency will strive us to constantly do better, cows are going to be stronger, healthier with genetics and medicine usage will go down and cows’ productive life will increase.” 

Biggest Challenges

Kristyn sees the trend with future labor equating to fewer long-term employees which will increase the need for training. “Your training facility and protocols are going to have to be really good,” she states. “You’re also going to see a lot more farmers become more businessmen.”

The Washington young farmer shares that young dairy producers are going to have to step up and get more involved with industry boards and work with government companies. 

Drawing caution to the challenges of the external pressure, primarily from governance and regulatory agencies, Lopes says this is what he sees as the biggest challenges ahead for the industry.

“We're going to be tasked with all of this as we move forward, in the years to come,” Lopes states. “And we must figure out how to operate our businesses with the external pressures. It used to be you just had to be good at taking care of your cows to be successful. Now we're seeing that we were going to have to adapt and determine ways to overcome obstacles.”

It will take the efforts of the entire industry to help move past some of the hurdles that are coming down the line. Many producers feel growing frustration, including Wickstrom, uttering that he spends most of his day taking care of animals that best he knows how. “But the consumers don’t see that,” he states. 

Even with the propaganda that his state of California is faced with, Wickstrom says the biggest current fear is water. “Our dairies are located in one of the better water districts, and we’re being cut back this year,” he reports. 

Wickstrom believes that the dairy industry will transition to where there’s water availability and cattle will migrate to those areas. “I think we're already kind of seeing that shift right now, especially in California, where the government is not really on our side.”

Future Goals

As steep as the challenges are that face dairy farmers, the three panelists shared future goals for the farm and how they see and need the industry to support their goals.

Labor is a challenge that each panelist spoke about, and Lopes says that building the best culture and work environment is on his radar. “My goal is to build the best culture and work environment that that is possible. And, from an employee standpoint side, just trying to be fair and create an environment where our employees feel engaged and create a welcoming culture where everyone can be challenged to grow to their fullest extent.”

When it comes to caring for cows Lopes hopes to develop a vision of zero where virtually zero bad events occur on his farm—from mastitis to down. He believes the solution is in leveraging technology and data to identify risks and warning signs to work towards his vision of zero goal. “I'm excited to be at the helm of our operation as we move into that future.”

Wickstrom realizes that for his farm to be successful and to reach the goal of allowing his cows to thrive, he will always need labor to run his dairy. “We are going to have less labor, but we need better labor,” he shares. “Investing more in those higher-end employees that can help you track all those tasks is our goal.”

In Washington, Mensonides says her employees often think that she is never satisfied, always wanting to get to the next step. “I’m always trying to push myself to do a little bit better than I did yesterday.”

From genetics, to production, to healthier cows all connect back to employees and Mensonides goal is to continue to improve her dairy’s training programs and create an overall good culture with their employees, outside team and community. She says working with her local community is essential because there are fewer dairies to share their dairy good messages. “We do care, not only just for the cows, but for our employees and the environment,” she shares. “Telling our story to the community is vital in our farm’s future success.”

For the future to be bright for dairy, farms and producers must employ technology advancements to gain efficiencies to overcome challenges and hug opportunities to make room for dairy’ future generation.