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Technology helps dairy operation be more efficient, share its story
A fifth-generation dairy family has incorporated new technology on their operation to create a more comfortable home for the cows they milk.
Tim Haynes, fourth-generation owner of Superior Dairy in Garrett, Indiana, says the temperature in their “smart barn,” for example, can be regulated by automatic fans, sprinklers, and curtains.
“We’re able to know if there is a problem before you can visibly see it or notice it, so this puts us a step ahead of solving any issue,” he says.
Cows have access to robotic milkers, automatic waterers, and a feed robot. Haynes tells Brownfield the barn also helps consumers understand a modern dairy farm.
“We made it so we could showcase it to people and help them understand what farming is,” he says. “They go away with a better understanding of what is involved and what it takes (to be a dairy farmer). The technology let’s us dig deeper into doing what we need to do for the animals and keeping them as comfortable as we can.”
Haynes’ grandfather started Superior Dairy in the 1940s and the farm has not been without cows since.
Today, with about 240 cows on the farm, the family specializes in crop management, cow care, public relations, and more.
