By Sheila Phibbs
The Haldimand Press
When Beechwood Holsteins earned the Century Award for 100 years of membership with Holstein Canada earlier this year, Murray Roulston thought of his grandfather, James Roulston, who would be “astounded” at the changes in dairy farming since he was milking cows in 1921.
A tractor from the 1900s, which required multiple people to operate and had a small coverage area – meaning many hours of labour to complete a field.
Early in the 20th century, dairy farming relied greatly on manual labour. From milking and feeding cows to planting and harvesting crops, many jobs were done by hand. As the decades passed, manual labour was reduced with mechanisation, as cows could be milked more efficiently with milking machines.
A 30-foot hay mower that floats on the front and back of a tractor, reducing the weight on the field to reduce compaction and cutting 30 acres in just one hour.
Those machines were eventually connected to pipelines that transferred milk from the barn to the tank. Further innovations included milking parlours in which the cows came to be milked rather than the milkers being taken to the cows.
Today, modern milking has transitioned even more toward automation as robotic milking systems are becoming more commonplace.
From milking cows to cleaning the barn, farming tasks were all manual once.
Oneida dairy farmers Wilco and Danielle Vaarkamp installed a Lely robotic milking system nearly four years ago, with three robot units milking approximately 115 cows daily. There is also an automated calf feeder and two automatic manure cleaners, which are like vacuums for the barn.
The benefits of this automation, according to Wilco, include, “Half the labour and it’s better for the cows. The cows are getting milked when they want to be milked. The calves eat when they want to eat.”
The change has also freed up Wilco’s time. He explains, “I’m saving a good three hours a day so I can do other things. It’s not so much a 5 o’clock commitment.” The new system offers greater flexibility to focus on what needs to be done.
He suggests that the robotic technology has improved over the years, with dairy herds experiencing an increase in milk production and a decrease in the somatic cell count – an indicator of better milk quality and individual cow health. The robots are controlled by a computer that connects to Wilco’s cell phone. He says, “If there’s a problem, it calls me.”
Dairy farmers Wilco and Danielle Vaarkamp
with their children (l-r) Deklan, Sydney, Cody, and Jaylin.
He stresses the importance of that ‘round the clock’ cell phone communication, noting that you can’t shut your phone off.
Wilco admits to one downside – you need to be within one hour of the farm just in case something goes wrong. Going away for holidays means hiring someone familiar with the system to stay at the farm. He acknowledges, “I have to book them well ahead of time.”
The innovations implemented by the Vaarkamps are not limited to the milking, feeding, and cleaning in the barn. Cow comfort and herd health are enhanced by water beds in the stalls and rubberized floors, rather than concrete, which is better for the animals’ joints.
The Vaarkamps have also made advancements in harvesting hay with a triple mower that can cut 30 acres an hour. Wilco says, “It’s fast and does a nice job, too. I don’t mind sitting in a tractor, but I don’t want to all week long.”
The mower cuts 30 feet at a time and floats on the front and back of the tractor, which means less compaction. Harvesting is done as custom work, lessening the traffic on the fields. Wilco says, “We’re trying to get away from so much equipment on the fields. Less compaction is better for the land and re-growth of hay is better than it used to be.”
While the Vaarkamps’ methods are far different from those of 1921, some things remain the same.
Dairy farmers continue to work hard, using the resources available to them, to optimize efficiency. They care for their animals and are stewards of the land, not just for themselves but for future generations. Dairy farmers are committed to producing quality food products – not just to feed their own families – but to help feed the world around them.
