One of my favorite attractions at Walt Disney World is the Carrousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom, where guests can travel through the 20th century and watch how new technology transforms the lives of an American family.
Countless times, I’ve ridden that carrousel signing along, “There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day,” and smiling wide, in awe of the simple, yet profound progress technology has made over the years.
Generations now have an embarrassment of riches. We can microwave our dinner or even yet, order food off our iPhone and have it delivered to our doorsteps. Simple household chores, like laundry, used to take days and now I can wash my husband’s bib overalls and have them dried, ready for him to wear again in less than two hours. I often wonder what past generations would think of the progress that has made living easier.
The same can be said with technology on our farms. From robotic milking, to feed pushers, to cow sensor wearables, technology is advancing dairies of all shapes and sizes. Technology plays a big role in improving milk production, promoting animal quality, as well as labor, time and energy savings on a farm.
Walt Disney once said progress is impossible without change.
Sixty Years of Progress
Yes, it is hard to wrap our heads around the progress U.S. dairy farms have made in the last sixty years. While the number of milk cows declined from 22 million in 1950 to 9.38 million in 2022, milk per cow rose dramatically. These changes occurred as dairy farmers adopted technological innovations and came to a better understanding of the biology of dairy cows.
Because of technological advancements and progress, dairies have been able to expand and specialize. They have been able to dial in on efficiencies and as we move forward to the next 60 years, progress is necessary.
Progress. Move forward. Get better. Day by day. Dairies don’t have to jump both feet in and take on every new piece of technology that is available, but they must jump both feet in, wanting to improve and progress forward.
I encourage you to think like Walt Disney and hum the Carrousel of Progress tune that continues, “Man has a dream and that’s the start. He follows his dream with mind and heart.” Follow your passion, but also step forward and embrace progress that will help sustain the family farm to the next generation.
