Wisconsin Ag Connection - New UWP Dairy Center Construction Nears Completion

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New UWP Dairy Center Construction Nears Completion
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/13/2006

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Farm is pioneering new technology with its state-of-the-art Dairy Center. The new 30,852 square foot facility, scheduled to open the end of October, will be the first university facility in the nation that has robotic milking equipment.

UWP School of Agriculture Dairy Science Professor Mike Mee says he learned about robotic milking during a trip to the Netherlands. To compare robotic milking with traditional milking procedures, the facility will also have a traditional double five-herringbone parlor--which will allow students and the public to compare the two milking procedures side by side. Each of the two robots can milk 50-60 cows while the double five-herringbone parlor can milk 80-90 cows.

Because of the plan to increase herd size, the facility will include a new free stall barn and an expanded lagoon. Currently the herd size is about 115, but it will be increased to 200. The increased size will bring greater revenue to Pioneer Farm and more closely match the predicted average herd size in Wisconsin.

"The main focus for any dairy should be cow comfort," Mee said. "We're really addressing that in this barn. The robotic milkers will allow cows to be milked at their leisure. When the cow feels the need to be milked, she can just walk into the parlor."

Supporting the farm's research will be another purpose of the facility. Pioneer Farm is part of the Wisconsin Agricultural Stewardship Initiative--which seeks to find the best technology and management practices to improve agriculture's environmental and economic performance and to inform others about agriculture and the environment.