Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation wants to add a robotic milking system

The NICC Board of Trustees has scheduled a public hearing for 3:00 p.m. Monday, October 15th, on plans by the Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation for a $1.2 million expansion of the Dairy Center.

The proposal calls for the addition of a robotic milking system to the dairy science curriculum, extra classroom space and a new visitor's center which would include an observation platform to allow viewing of the robotics system in operation.

The goal of the cooperative venture between NICC and the Dairy Foundation is to demonstrate the value of a robotic milking system.  Experts say it can lower labor costs, increase milk production, improve cow health and provide for improved quality of life for the small family farmer.

The proposed robotics system will allow collection of over 100 data points for each cow being milked.  The data collected will educate dairy science and veterinary technician students on the importance of monitoring animal health and production, improve herd management and provide excellent research potential.

NICC dairy science faculty member Dave Lawstuen, a liaison to the Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation Board, told the NICC Board on Monday that many students choose NICC for its hands-on experiences with the dairy cows and for its state-of-the art technology. "If we want to be relevant to the next generation of dairy farmers, we need to adopt the newest technology in the field," stated Lawstuen.