PA Farm News
May 9, 2008
Low-Cost Dairy Facility Modernization Options Highlighted at DART Meetings
HARRISBURG -- Dairy farm families can find low-cost ways to modernize their dairy facilities, according to agricultural engineer Dr. David Kammel of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who shared his insight at the April Dairy Advocacy and Resource Team, or DART, meetings.
Hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, the DART meetings were held in April at dairy processing plants across the state. Kammel spoke to sales and service representatives who attended at Yoder’s of New Holland, Land O’Lakes of Carlisle, and Middlebury Center Cooperative in Middlebury Center.
“Pennsylvania’s dairy industry is similar to Wisconsin’s, with 80 percent of our herds under 100 cows,” Kammel said. “As an industry, we set a goal to increase our state’s average herd size from 75 cows to 100 cows by 2011, and we didn’t envision a lot of producers wanting to milk 100 cows in tie stalls.”
As a result, Kammel and the Wisconsin Grow Dairy Team, of which he is a member, helped several Wisconsin producers modernize their dairies at “the cost of a pick-up truck.” The team worked closely with producers to develop a plan to let the number of cows the producer wanted to milk drive the modernization project budget, rather than have the budget drive the cow numbers.
Kammel shared one example of a 55-cow dairy herd that converted its existing barn from tie-stalls to freestalls with a renovated pit parlor while expanding to 105 cows. After the modernization project was completed, it took four fewer hours each day to feed and milk the 105 cows than it did to milk the 55 cows.
“The way you feed and house cows can have a significant impact on labor efficiency,” Kammel said. “We used a team effort to show producers that being in a pit parlor isn’t a bad place to be – it’s easier on the knees, safer for employees and much more labor efficient than a tie-stall barn.”
Dan McFarland, an agricultural engineer from Penn State University shared his perspective on low-cost modernization at the Galliker’s Dairy in Johnstown, Sunbury Weis, and New Wilmington DFA dairy processing plants DART meetings. McFarland shared how producers in Pennsylvania have applied low-cost modernization principles to improving their dairy efficiency and productivity.
“The most important thing producers need to do in the planning process is look at all of their alternatives,” said McFarland who has worked with several Pennsylvania producers to renovate existing facilities. “Always compare the costs and compromises of incremental expansion with the costs and compromises of building a new facility, so you are making a more informed decision about which way is the best way to go.
“The major benefit to any incremental expansion is that it allows you to pay as you go instead of having one huge upfront cost.”
DART attendees toured a processing facility to learn about the dairy processing infrastructure in the state. Another meeting topic covered precision feeding and how it can improve productivity while lowering feed costs and nutrient loading on the environment. Look for more information on these two topics in upcoming press releases.
Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org to view the presentations and learn more about the DART meetings. Click on the “DART” logo at the bottom center of the page, or call 717-349-0849.
HARRISBURG -- Dairy farm families can find low-cost ways to modernize their dairy facilities, according to agricultural engineer Dr. David Kammel of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who shared his insight at the April Dairy Advocacy and Resource Team, or DART, meetings.
Hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence, the DART meetings were held in April at dairy processing plants across the state. Kammel spoke to sales and service representatives who attended at Yoder’s of New Holland, Land O’Lakes of Carlisle, and Middlebury Center Cooperative in Middlebury Center.
“Pennsylvania’s dairy industry is similar to Wisconsin’s, with 80 percent of our herds under 100 cows,” Kammel said. “As an industry, we set a goal to increase our state’s average herd size from 75 cows to 100 cows by 2011, and we didn’t envision a lot of producers wanting to milk 100 cows in tie stalls.”
As a result, Kammel and the Wisconsin Grow Dairy Team, of which he is a member, helped several Wisconsin producers modernize their dairies at “the cost of a pick-up truck.” The team worked closely with producers to develop a plan to let the number of cows the producer wanted to milk drive the modernization project budget, rather than have the budget drive the cow numbers.
Kammel shared one example of a 55-cow dairy herd that converted its existing barn from tie-stalls to freestalls with a renovated pit parlor while expanding to 105 cows. After the modernization project was completed, it took four fewer hours each day to feed and milk the 105 cows than it did to milk the 55 cows.
“The way you feed and house cows can have a significant impact on labor efficiency,” Kammel said. “We used a team effort to show producers that being in a pit parlor isn’t a bad place to be – it’s easier on the knees, safer for employees and much more labor efficient than a tie-stall barn.”
Dan McFarland, an agricultural engineer from Penn State University shared his perspective on low-cost modernization at the Galliker’s Dairy in Johnstown, Sunbury Weis, and New Wilmington DFA dairy processing plants DART meetings. McFarland shared how producers in Pennsylvania have applied low-cost modernization principles to improving their dairy efficiency and productivity.
“The most important thing producers need to do in the planning process is look at all of their alternatives,” said McFarland who has worked with several Pennsylvania producers to renovate existing facilities. “Always compare the costs and compromises of incremental expansion with the costs and compromises of building a new facility, so you are making a more informed decision about which way is the best way to go.
“The major benefit to any incremental expansion is that it allows you to pay as you go instead of having one huge upfront cost.”
DART attendees toured a processing facility to learn about the dairy processing infrastructure in the state. Another meeting topic covered precision feeding and how it can improve productivity while lowering feed costs and nutrient loading on the environment. Look for more information on these two topics in upcoming press releases.
Visit www.centerfordairyexcellence.org to view the presentations and learn more about the DART meetings. Click on the “DART” logo at the bottom center of the page, or call 717-349-0849.
POSTED 080509_0800 ET
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