Hillcrest Farms: Producing Milk with IoT

Wherever we are these days, we are surrounded by the Internet of Things, or IoT. Increased technology with wireless access to the Internet has created a network of items, allowing us to be more productive and make the most of our busy days.

Maybe in our wildest imaginations, would we have thought that we could use our phones to change the temperature or lights in our home. Refrigerators can now let us know when we are running low on milk or eggs, and ovens can be programmed to have dinner ready when we get home. No, this isn’t something directly out of Star Trek or The Jetsons; this is real life.

But IoT is not just taking over our homes, it is also finding a niche in manufacturing facilities and even in how our food is produced. IoT technology provides a network and a backbone to track the movement of food in every stage of the process and helps to ensure food safety for consumers.

Since its founding in rural McDuffie County four generations ago, Hillcrest Farms has operated under a sustainable agriculture model and even today, 65% of the feed used in the dairy is either grown on the farm or from neighboring counties. It has always employed technology and the latest practices to produce the best product possible. And that technology has changed significantly since Hillcrest’s founding in 1941.

Using traditional parlor milking, the cows would have to be led in 100-cow groups into the milking parlor, milked and then returned either to barn or pasture. This process was repeated three times each day, rain or shine. Not only does this place a heavy burden on the dairyman but on the cows as well.

But IoT is rapidly changing how dairies, like Hillcrest Farms, does business. When the new technology is fully implemented, the robotic milking machines will be used to get cows from the barn, milked and returned to the barn. Computer systems will be used to track which cows have milked and for how long. The milk will then be tested automatically and any anomalies will result in the milk being dumped and not entering the food supply.

The new technology not only helps to increase the productivity of the dairy and improve the quality of life of the dairyman, but it also creates a new avenue for Hillcrest Farms: agritourism.

The addition of technology makes the dairy operations more streamlined and interesting for visitors. Hillcrest Farms also works with area schools as students learn more about agriculture, farming and STEaM (Science, Technology Engineering and Math).

“We want them to know where their food comes from and how hard the farmer works 24-7, working to put safe food on the table,” commented Mark.

Mark and the Hillcrest Farm team has been working with the local Farm Bureau to partner with other points of interest in the Dearing community. This will increase visitor opportunities in the community and widen the exposure of Hillcrest, and other area businesses to the global economy.

In total, a 600 square-foot visitors’ room is being constructed, which will allow visitors to the dairy to see the milking process first-hand and how it goes from production to the refrigerator.

The Rodgers and the Hillcrest team are also working to create a visitor’s experience that will include food components, hands-on activities and a meeting space. Weather permitting, Mark hopes to have construction completed by May.

“[On their new visitor’s experience] No one in the state has anything like this…yet.” – Mark Rodgers, Owner and Operator, Hillcrest Farms

Once complete, Hillcrest Farms will have 330 dairy cows, increasing the ratio to approximately 100 cows per employee. Three robotic milking machines will be housed in a 96-foot long room,  and two machines will be housed adjacent to the new visitor's center, where the milk will be filtered, stored and shipped.

But the additions are not stopping there. Hillcrest Farms is also adding a new maternity barn. This will allow for increased observation during the final weeks before calving as well as the ability to provide a better diet to the cows before and after birth. Cameras will allow the Rodgers to monitor a cow’s progress before delivery and keep a watchful eye out for any abnormalities. The addition of new technology will continue to add flexibility to the farmer’s lives.

For more on Hillcrest Farms and what they are up to, be sure to check out their Facebook page.

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