Where will the headwinds in agriculture come from in the next two years?

In this episode of the Progressive Dairy podcast, host Kimmi Devaney talks with a fourth-generation Washington dairy farmer about managing an automated milking system in a pasture-based system, opportunities available for young people interested in getting involved in the dairy industry, the ways automation has changed the way they manage the farm, facility upgrades and what they are doing differently to increase cow comfort, and more. 

After a neighboring dairy installed fans in their freestall barns, Ryan Kroes was able to see firsthand the better results their neighbors had during the hot summer months.

Jeff and J.C. Siddoway have owned a sheep, elk and bison ranch near Saint Anthony, Idaho, for generations now, and they have tried almost every method of brush management there is. For Western producers, sagebrush is a curse. Some varieties, like Wyoming big sagebrush, can grow tall as a man and wide enough to reach its neighbor, forming a 6-foot canopy over the range.

Three dairy producers, each operating with more than a dozen milking robots, said using robots was a big transition for their farm. They’ve been closely analyzing the data to see how it’s paying off and setting goals for the future.