Hedrick's Farms Robotic Cow Milker

[Holly Moore]

A couple of friends and I did the short drive to Hendrick's Farms and Dairy this past Saturday. We went there for cheese. We left with cheese - and amazed by their automatic cow milking contraption.

When we arrived they asked if we'd like a tour. I was expecting barns and stuff. Instead they lead us to the robotic milker. The milker was going through a sanitizing cycle. More than a dozen cows were patiently waiting in line for their turn. There is always a line. The cows like that milker - or maybe the sweet syrup they lap up while being milked.

Once the milker was sanitized, its entry gate opened and one cow passed through.

Each cow wears a computer readable id tag around its neck. The milker reads the tag and determines if the cow has waited the required 6 hours since its last milking. If insufficient time has passed, the exit gate opens and the cow leaves, unmilked. If the cow is hesitant, a mild zap to encourage the cow to move out. Rules are rules and the errant cow must go to back of the line.

When a cow qualifies for milking the robotic milker glides into action. First orange and white roller brushes clean and sanitize the cow's udder.

Once clean the milker uses laser technology to individually locate each teat and attach a milking tube.

After all four milkers are attached the pump cycles on and the cow is milked.

A view from the open side, away from the milker:

The milking process is somewhat quicker than the old fashioned, hands-on way. Cows seem to prefer the robot - no human contact. The milker has a capacity of about 80 cows, four times a day.

Hendrick's give tours of the robotic milker during their store hours.

Edited July 2, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[cdh]

You beat me to the punch, Holly. I got the tour about a month ago, and have been meaning to go back with camera, but have put it off too many times... Isn't that thing the coolest? The fact that engineers figured out how to make something like that just astonishes me.

The cows are happy, the cheese is good, and the farmers don't have to wake with the sun to milk the beasties (though probably to do other stuff). They told me that the machine will send messages to their phone if certain alarms are tripped, and that leads to some middle-of-the-night antics...

Anyway, good photo evidence of a really cool feat of engineering...

How was the cheese? Have they got the goat's milk stuff back in the line-up yet?

[KatieLoeb]

Holy Cow, Batman! That has to be just about the coolest thing I've ever seen. Amazing that the cows seem to take to the robot moreso than the farmer. I guess they're more afeared of us than we are of them...

[rockhopper]

A couple of friends and I did the short drive to Hendrick's Farms and Dairy this past Saturday. 

←

I like the juxtaposition of the photo with your first sentence

So, what cheese did you get and how was it?

[johnb102]

Where is Hedrick's located? Is it generally open to the public?

[Laura Semmens]

www.hendricksfarmsanddairy.com

[Carolyn Tillie]

Who knew???? Brilliant report - thanks!

[percyn]

Besides making great cheese, Hendrick's makes some might fine bacon too.

[Ducksredux]

Besides making great cheese, Hendrick's makes some might fine bacon too.

←

also some amazing cottage cheese and strawberry jam. We were there on Monday and got to see a 1-day old calf. We got the Gruyere, the Tomme, and the Dirty Laundry. The Gruyere and Tomme were both good table cheeses, altho I prefer french Gruyere which is oilier and more delicate and unctuous with lots more subtlety. Hendricks' Gruyere was heartier and more robust, but frankly for the price I'd rather do French. The Dirty Laundry, despite the horrible name, was a stunner. Less blue than blue, but still with plenty of moldy bite. The pate is sheepy, with an edible rind. A cheese to return for again and again, altho I may call in advance next time to make sure they have it in stock (altho I guess I could just read the email newlsetter).

[Bluehensfan]

We stopped by there. Excellent swiss cheese. There is also a more elaborate robotic dairy outside of York, PA that people may be interested in. I can try to find the name if anyone wants it. They have bigger scheduled tours and pretty good ice cream from the cow's milk.

[cdh]

Must concur on the bacon and the Dirty Laundry. Both rock! The special Christmas edition of the Dirty Laundry with dried cherries in was particularly good.

[Holly Moore]

...

How was the cheese?  ...

←

Today, in a conversation on butter, it was observed that I had not answered this question.

For all who have waited with baited breath...

The cheese is great.

Edited October 12, 2007 by Holly Moore (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Yesterday, at the Headhouse market, I heeded the advice of mattohara and tried, and then bought, some of Hedrick Farms' robotic, probiotic, yogurt. Whoa, that's good stuff: rich, tangy and pimped up with a little vanilla and cane sugar. I wish I'd gotten some back in the summer, as it really cries out to be served with berries or peaches. Rocks my little world, it does.

[mattohara]

and the little one's little world? can caroline type yet?

[TarteTatin]

Mr. Tarte Tatin is addicted to that probiotic stuff.

He puts it on his muesli every morning.

I bought a pound of Hendrick's butter there last weekend.

(They don't usually have it, very hard to get)

It's $16 a pound!

I almost died, but they said it would be worth it.

AND IT WAS.

Oh, my Gosh, outrageous. Like eating cheese itself.

We are going to a butter tasting in Paris next week

(that's not the only reason we're going to Paris!),

and promised to bring some great local butter.

It's an egullet event, you can read about it on the France site.

Anyway, we cut it up, put half of it in the freezer to take with us. We've done this in reverse, taking butter home from France. Freeze it for a few days, and then it lasts in the luggage, and is still good when we take it out at home...

The other half, we cut into precious slices, and froze individual slices. Except for one slice, that we ate with homemade outrageous Brioche that Mr. Tarte Tatin made in our new BlueStar oven.

PURE DECADENCE.