Locust Hill Dairy takes advantage growth opportunities whenever they can.

Growing a dairy business doesn’t always necessitate adding more cows. In the case of Pennsylvania’s Oregon Dairy Farm, it meant a dramatic reduction in cow numbers and building on custom cropping and agritourism enterprises. Interviewed in a recent Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence (CDE) “Cow-Side Conversations” podcast, Maria Forry discussed her family farm’s move to create new and diverse revenue streams.

What happens when you combine dairy cows, on-farm processing, an old farmhouse, sunflowers, plenty of dairy products and consumers interested in learning more about where their food comes from? 

Chemicals these days are pricey.
That’s one of the reasons Bar-Mac Dairy in Gustine, California, has adopted automation on their farm. 

These simple measures of individual tool boxes, pre-measured supplies, checklists to track information, ice water to quickly cool colostrum and leg bands to identify feedings are easy, low-cost ways Birchen Farms implemented to not only improve cow and calf health but also the work environment in one of the farm’s most demanding areas – the just-in-time calving barn.

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Dairyman Evan Hillan says within the last six months the dairy has seen reduced use of timed A.I., fewer open days and lower culling and mortality rates. The dairy has also increased pregnancy rates and pounds of energy-corrected milk. The results are the effects of his farm implementing activity monitoring and AI from a new entrant into the U.S. market – Connecterra.