Dairy producers take immense pride in delivering a wholesome product day in and day out. However, with the global population projected to surge by 30% in the next three decades and available farmland decreasing by 250 million acres by 2050, the agricultural sector faces an enormous challenge. To meet the growing demand, agricultural production must increase by 40%.
Recently at the Center of Excellence’s Dairy Financial and Risk Management Conference in Harrisburg, Pa., three producers talked about their journey of innovation and technology as a way to spell longevity to their operations.
Alan Waybright’s Technological Upgrades Journey
Located in Mount Rock, Pa., Alan Waybright’s farm serves as a compelling example of how innovation can drive success in dairy farming. Purchased in 2019, the farm began with 650 cows and has since expanded to 940 cows. These cows now produce 92 lbs. of milk, with component levels of 4.2% butterfat and 3.3% protein on a four-times-per-day milking schedule.
A significant contributor to this success has been the technological upgrades implemented on the farm. The family invested in upgrading their parlor from a double-12 herringbone to a new, Delaval, 50-cow rotary milking parlor equipped with a pre-and post-dip robotic arm, enhancing efficiency, as the cows can now all be milked under four hours. Moreover, they added a new calf barn, a 210 x 240 silage pad, and a 160-stall four-row free stall barn. These upgrades not only improved productivity but also animal welfare and farm management.
Additionally, the farm works with Total Farm Marketing to mitigate risk by helping book commodities and milk futures.
“We lean on a whole team that can help us make decisions that can benefit our future,” Waybright says.
Brake’s Automation Transformation
Matthew Brake with Oakleigh Farm milks 120 Registered Holsteins and farms 400 acres, all with family labor. The family experienced a barn fire in December of 2019 that made them change the landscape – honing in on automation – as the family rebuilt and added two Lely robots less than a year later.
“We obviously never want to go through that again or wish for anyone to have to go through that, but it is really amazing to see how technology can work together,” he says, noting the curtains on the barns are automated, along with the fans in the barn. “Plus, all the data that we get from the robots. It is pretty amazing.”
Brake says that changing to robots has increased production and reduced the need for labor.
“Because of the technology, we have more flexibility and family time,” he adds.
Peckman: Embracing Diversity and Technology
At Slate Ridge Dairy Farm, Inc., Ben Peckman underscores the importance of diversity in mitigating risks. In addition to milking 170 cows, the family raises 100 youngstock, 150 steers, and farms around 1,100 acres. “Diversity is our key technology,” Peckman states
“It cannot be bought, but it pays. Diversity is our secret weapon to combat weather, markets and other risks.”
Peckman utilizes a variety of technologies including GPS guidance, planter row clutches, variable rate seeding, sprayer boom section control, and yield monitoring to optimize operations. They also use daily forage dry matter measuring and the SCiO cup and phone app for adjustments, leading to more consistent intakes and production and higher components. The farm has a robotic feed pusher that drives higher intakes on fresh feed and saves labor, and automated ventilation controls, fans, curtains, sprinklers, and a mobile calf milk pasteurizer.
Peckman notes that on their own, each of these technologies are relatively small investments.
“However, they are fairly affordable for small to medium-sized dairies,” he says. “They add up to make large impacts on our daily operations and ultimately, our profitability.”
By adopting advanced technologies and diverse strategies, producers not only enhance efficiency and productivity but also ensure sustainable and profitable operations for the future.
