It is like a Sandals Resort for Holsteins. Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal, Northumberland - Peterborough South MPP Lou Rinaldi and Kim Rudd, M.P. were on hand with the Crowley family of Hastings to officially open the Crovalley Holstein farm. The operation is a family-farm operated by now the fifth generation of the Crowley family on River Road in Hastings. The dairy farm is fully automated facility where cattle lounge about indoors and line up to be milked every 12 hours, as the cows feel like it. A computerized messaging device notifies the operator if the cow fails to meet its once every 12 hour appointment. A robotized milking system cleans the cows, attaches the milking device, tests the milk for colour, bacteria and butterfat. If the testing proves satisfactory, the device weighs the milk and sends it through a pipeline to a centralized cooler. If a problem arises, the milk is drained and the equipment washes and sterilizes itself for the next milking and notifies the farmer so that problems can be dealt with immediately. There is even a mechanized back scratcher where cows can walk through for a massage.
The cows are truly contented. They can go outside to pasture if they want but most prefer the comfort inside the exceptionally clean facility. Construction of the robotized operation started 2 years ago according to family member Justin Crowley. The 24 hour a day operation can be run with minimal staff, freeing up time that used to hold the dairy farmer on site most of the time.
