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Advancements
Cropping
Here at S&S Jerseyland Dairy we manage all of our own farm land to ensure safe quality food is being distributed to each of our cows. All of the forages and grains a cow consumes have been grown and harvested on land that we manage. Our employees work day in and day out during the summer getting all of the field work done before fall and winter approach. It is very important to make sure there is enough feed being stored on the farm to be able to feed the cows through the winter.
Ultrasound Technology
Once a cow is confirmed pregnant by our veterinarian and herd managers, we perform an ultrasound on the cow to make sure there are no problems with the developing baby calf. We also ultrasound our cows during their pregnancy to ensure that the baby is continuing to develop correctly. All of the ultrasound results are recorded in a software program that has a medical record for all of our animals-similar to what people have at the doctors office!
Alternative Energy
Being up-to-date on the latest technology is important to the Jerseyland crew. "We are all about recycling the by product of our cow's manure, to save on surrounding resources while supplying the neighborhood with electricity" states Dena Schmidt. The Methane Digester here at Jerseyland produces enough energy to supply electricity to over 600 homes while producing bedding for our freestall barns. The digester also reduces the amont of nutrients in the manure.
Rotary Milking System
Jerseyland Dairy uses a 70 stall rotary milking system that is manufactured by Dairymaster. This rotary is designed to stay at a constant speed allowing the cows to step on and off the rotary before and after milking. Each milking stall is designed to measure the amount of milk each cow is producing and send that information to a computer for the herdsman to view. Our cows love to ride on the rotary!
Depth to Bedrock
Since we are a CAFO, we are restricted on where we can spread manure. We are not allowed to spread on soil types the NRCS classifies as potentially being less than 24” to bedrock. We have the option to verify these soil types to determine the depth to bedrock. We have a probe mounted on the front of a skidsteer that we use to determine soil depth. We use a GPS grid to verify at least one spot per acre. If bedrock is present in a field, the shallow area is marked in red on our restriction maps to ensure that area is not spread.
