Replacing labor-intensive tasks with technology was one of the goals when building a new three-row freestall barn with 50 stalls to replace the older tiestall barn at the University of Maine’s Witter Farm in Old Town. The new barn features one DeLaval VMS Series V300 robot for the 61-cow herd (30 lactating as of May 2025) as well as automatic ventilation.

It’s typical for newly weaned or sale barn-acquired calves to experience multiple stressors simultaneously when brought onto the farm. This might be the first time those animals are introduced to new feeds. In addition to the new diet, there is a new home along with new penmates and a social hierarchy. These changes then can compound on top of the stress of removing the calf from their dam.

Most folks may recall that in September 2024, the southeastern U.S. was hit by Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend area with 140-mph winds. It crossed Florida and came up through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, causing numerous fatalities and billions of dollars in damage. We are still hearing about the recovery efforts across much of the region, particularly areas of North Carolina devastated by flooding.

Housing and management of dry cows can impact their future health and milk production. Sometimes this aspect of the dairy herd can get overlooked, as dry cows don’t directly produce revenue and there are always competing priorities to manage on the farm. 

It’s probably safe to assume that, at some point, you’ve heard about carbon credits. After all, carbon credits have been utilized by various industries globally for decades as part of efforts to combat climate change.

Technology continues to push the envelope when it comes to reproductive efficiency. Automated monitoring systems and sort gates have proven to be productive investments for dairy farms across the country.