Heritage Farm is the first organic, pasture-based dairy farm in the world to install Robotic milking machines.
A decision was pending - whether to invest further into the farm or get out altogether.
”People say we’re mad and we should sell up and go and do whatever we want, but they don’t understand it’s not about the money, it’s about family, lifestyle and health - that’s what’s really important in life” Mr Yates, Farm Owner Heritage Farm.
So with the decision to stay, it was all about getting the best returns while at the same time, reducing the physical workload.
The idea of having cows moving voluntarily to be milked also sat well with the sustainable, organic farming ethos they took up in response to health concerns.
The VMS produces daily reports on each cow’s milking frequency, blood in the milk and conductivity of milk for each quarter - as an indicator of mastitis, volume of milk produced for each milking and for each quarter, flow rates and temperature of the milk.
Any milk of insufficent quality for the main vat is automatically diverted into separate containers. The range of reports available means the family has detailed, individualised information on each cow that could help them know the herd even better.
