Robotic milking is turning heads outside of the farming community. Early this week, O. A. Borden & Sons was featured in the New York Times. The article focuses on how robotic milking machines are changing the way farmers milk their cows. The reporter credits these “milkbots” for the changing patterns of dairy farm life and alluring younger generations involved in the dairy industry.
The Borden’s credits his Lely Astronaut robotic milking systems for helping him to reduce labor costs.
Here is an excerpt from the article:
The Bordens and other farmers say a major force is cutting labor costs — health insurance, room and board, overtime, and workers’ compensation insurance — particularly when immigration reform is stalled in Washington and dependable help is hard to procure.The machines also never complain about getting up early, working late or being kicked.“It’s tough to find people to do it well and show up on time,” said Tim Kurtz, who installed four robotic milkers last year at his farm in Berks County, Pa. “And you don’t have to worry about that with a robot.”The Bordens say the machines allow them to do more of what they love: caring for animals.“I’d rather be a cow manager,” Tom Borden said, “than a people manager.”You can check out the New York Times' full article here and watch the video they produced at Borden's facility below.