If You Go
The farms are available for tours between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28. The tours are in an open house format in which dairy producers can visit any of the host farms. There won't be any central meeting place during the day. A representative from each farm will be on hand to answer any questions regarding how and why they modernized. All participants should wear plastic boots at the farms, which will be provided.
MONROE - It's an event to show how modern technology has changed the way people farm in Green County.
On Thursday, six dairy farms in Green County will host tours to show off recent modernization improvements to facilities. The improvements are meant to help reduce labor and increase production and animal comfort.
The host farms all have different ways to house cows, including three- and four-row freestall barns, cross ventilation systems and a composted bedded pack barn. One of the farms on the tour has a new calf and heifer facility for calves ranging from 3 to 22 months old. The building features include bedded packed bays, natural ventilation, outside drive-by feeding and headlocks.
Different manure handling and storage systems will be featured on the tour, including both sand and compost-bedded pack systems.
Farms on the tour include:
• Bedrock Bovines, N1233 County G, Brodhead. The farm, owned by Jeff and Brad Williams, has 870 cows. The farm has drive-through feeding and a new freestall barn with cross ventilation.
• Malcook Farms, Inc., N989 Mount Hope Road, Brodhead. The farm, owned by Duane, Scott and Steve Malcook, has 280 cows. The farm has a double 12 parallel parlor built onto the existing barn and it also is used as a holding area.
• Brugger Dairy, N4611 Rechsteiner Road, Monroe. The farm, owned by Brian, Theresa, Dave and Barb Brugger, has 500 cows. The farm has a new milking parlor and a new four-row freestall building.
• Hickory Hill Dairy, W1702 Wisconsin 11/81, Juda. The farm, owned by Hickory Daniels, features a new milking facility and a new three-row freestall with 130 stalls, calving pen and drive-through feeding.
• Mill Hill Dairy, N320 Mill Road, Juda. The farm, owned by Neal and Lisa Boeke, has 150 cows. The farm has a new milking parlor and the old dairy barn has been converted into a calf barn for animals up to 5 months old.
• Binder Farms, W3054 County FF. the farm, owned by Blaine Binder, has 110 cows. It has a new calf facility and outside drive-by feeding.
On Thursday, six dairy farms in Green County will host tours to show off recent modernization improvements to facilities. The improvements are meant to help reduce labor and increase production and animal comfort.
The host farms all have different ways to house cows, including three- and four-row freestall barns, cross ventilation systems and a composted bedded pack barn. One of the farms on the tour has a new calf and heifer facility for calves ranging from 3 to 22 months old. The building features include bedded packed bays, natural ventilation, outside drive-by feeding and headlocks.
Different manure handling and storage systems will be featured on the tour, including both sand and compost-bedded pack systems.
Farms on the tour include:
• Bedrock Bovines, N1233 County G, Brodhead. The farm, owned by Jeff and Brad Williams, has 870 cows. The farm has drive-through feeding and a new freestall barn with cross ventilation.
• Malcook Farms, Inc., N989 Mount Hope Road, Brodhead. The farm, owned by Duane, Scott and Steve Malcook, has 280 cows. The farm has a double 12 parallel parlor built onto the existing barn and it also is used as a holding area.
• Brugger Dairy, N4611 Rechsteiner Road, Monroe. The farm, owned by Brian, Theresa, Dave and Barb Brugger, has 500 cows. The farm has a new milking parlor and a new four-row freestall building.
• Hickory Hill Dairy, W1702 Wisconsin 11/81, Juda. The farm, owned by Hickory Daniels, features a new milking facility and a new three-row freestall with 130 stalls, calving pen and drive-through feeding.
• Mill Hill Dairy, N320 Mill Road, Juda. The farm, owned by Neal and Lisa Boeke, has 150 cows. The farm has a new milking parlor and the old dairy barn has been converted into a calf barn for animals up to 5 months old.
• Binder Farms, W3054 County FF. the farm, owned by Blaine Binder, has 110 cows. It has a new calf facility and outside drive-by feeding.