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Dairy farming has evolved from the tedious hand-milking that held farmers back to only a few cows per farm to the new, computerized parlor system which enables farmers to milk hundreds of cows each day. |
Dairy Farming
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Dairy farming has evolved from the tedious hand-milking that held farmers back to only a few cows per farm to the new, computerized parlor system which enables farmers to milk hundreds of cows each day. |
One of the main focuses of our interview with Edward Holden was the economics of dairy farming in Vermont. Through his long experience with dairy farming (almost sixty years), he has become very familiarized with the dairy farming process. He has also followed the changes that have occurred in the economy of farming.
Mr. Holden described early twentieth century dairy farming as subsistence farming, whereas it is a large industry today. Due to the growth of technology, including computers and better farm machinery, the average farm has been able to expand. In Vermont, there are fewer dairy farms than there were even twenty years ago. In order to produce the same amount of milk as was produced in the past, the farms were forced to expand and increase their milk production. Also, the cost of machinery and the average farm expenses have increased while the cost of milk has not. Inflation has hurt many dairy farms since the cost of milk to the consumers has not changed. This has also forced farms and processing plants to increase production in order to profit.
The dairy farming industry in Vermont has gone through many changes. Locally, there were at least eight farms and many processing plants (including one at Fairdale Farms), whereas now there are only one or two major dairy farms in the Bennington area and there is only one processing plant in Vermont. Though the number of farms and plants has decreased, the amount of milk has been able to stay constant, due to the technological advancements that increase milk production.
Another topic that we discussed with Mr. Holden was the technological advancement that has revolutionized dairy farming. He showed us first hand the capabilities of milking parlors and automatic milking machines. We were able to see how computers can track cows and monitor the milk production of each cow. This enables farmers to provide each cow with a more individualized diet that increases the milk production of the cow and maintains their health. Prior to the automatic milking machine, milking a single cow could take up to twenty minutes, but with the automatic milking machines, farmers are able to milk hundreds of cows in a short period of time.