At Harmony Way Dairy, sixth-generation dairyman Riley Mason is pleased with the progress his family has made in their operation — thanks largely to cutting-edge ag technology.

The milk cows are relaxed. Production is up and somatic cell count is averaging below 200,000, which means the cows are healthy as well. 

The automation is just one aspect of the business that has the dairy running like a well oiled machine. However, Riley, his dad, Matt, and grandmother, Janette, are still very much engaged in the operation in the Mt. Harmony community of McMinn County.

Riley is at the farm full-time, and Matt works there in the mornings, evenings, and on the weekends, in addition to his job at a local bank. Together they manage the operation with only one other employee and occasional custom labor to help with cropping chores. 

It’s been three years since the family installed a DeLaval Voluntary Milking System purchased from AgCentral Farmers Co-op in Athens. The dairy’s conversion to the robotic milking system was profiled in a Cooperator story in June 2020, when the system was barely six months old. The family installed three of the units in their tunnel-ventilation barn for their 150-head milking herd. 

Things have not changed dramatically since that time, but rather subtle tweaks and minor adjustments have led to a slow but steady increase in production and efficiency. 

“We were still adapting and learning how to milk with the robots when we were interviewed last time,” says Riley.” It’s hard to go from just milking in a parlor to using the robots and expect everything else to be the same. It really changes the way you farm.”

The robotic system has indeed allowed for the reduction of the labor required to round the cows up and get them into the milk barn, explains Riley.

“The labor required now is more about looking at each cow’s records to figure out how I can make this animal better,” he says. “I have good information, and it tells me exactly what I need to work on.”

Each cow wears an RFID transponder that allows it to enter stations where it is milked and fed according to a production schedule. Each cow’s udders have been mapped so the robots can attach the milking machine properly. The system logs information about individual animals, allowing Riley to review the data on his farm office computer or via his smartphone from the comfort of his living room. Critical information like when a cow is ready for breeding or is exhibiting signs of illness are logged. Two years ago, the system’s “incompletes” — which may mean a cow is exhibiting a variation in production or simply that its transponder has slipped off — averaged around 7 to 8%. Now, the incompletes are 3% or less.  

“The system will take a guess at what is wrong and suggest things to consider, and it’s often a very good guess,” says Riley. “It’s been wrong a few times, but not much.”

The system also notifies Riley any time there’s an issue with an animal or the machinery.

“I get alerts 24 hours a day on my phone when something is wrong, and it’s critical I get the problem fixed as soon as possible,” he says. “Every hour I miss, it’s not easy to make up [production].”

The cows have adjusted to the new way of working, too. They’re now averaging three milkings a day on their own. No longer does Riley nor his employee, Jack Everhart, have to prod them along. 

“They’ve had to learn the system, too,” says Riley. “But now they just pretty much go about their business and live their own life.”

This in turn, gives Riley a chance to live his life as well. He still spends a lot of time working on the cows, but he is more able to control his time. 

“I prefer getting here the same time every morning and eating breakfast at 8 a.m.,” Riley explains. “I like doing my chores and starting again at 3 p.m. Then, I can finish and leave the barn at a reasonable hour. The work still has to be done; you just get to pick when you do it.”

Cows that can’t learn the system are culled, and that process has also made the system more efficient and led to further increases in production. Two years ago, production was at a rolling herd average of around 22,000 to 23,000 pounds. It has now increased to around 28,000 pounds.

“Production throughout the year is much steadier without big swings one way or another,” says Matt Mason. “That helps us as we work to manage our business in the most efficient way possible.”

AgCentral Farmers Co-op has worked with the Masons every step of the way as they installed the system and continued to make improvements along the way. The Co-op has also set up a preventative maintenance program that helps the Masons avoid issues before they become problems. 

“We would never want to stop that program,” says Matt. “It has allowed us to keep things up and running and avoid breakdowns. We rely on AgCentral Co-op for help with the robots, but also for every part of our farming operation, whether it’s spraying our crops, working with Rick Barham on the feeding program, or the service guys working on the robot system, we couldn’t farm without them.”

While the system is a high-tech solution, the real benefit to the dairy lies in the way it allows the Masons to focus on making their business better. 

“We continue to see improvement in production and in the quality of milk,” says Matt. “We’re still learning, but we’re getting it.”

“It sounds super complicated, but it’s not, adds Riley. “I wouldn't go back to the way we worked before. This has given me too much freedom.”