Got Robots?

Stevens Point Area Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a "Tourism Takeover" this evening at the new Feltz Family Farm and Dairy Store in Plover. The organization holds these events so people can act like a tourist and see new and/or exciting things in the area.

We know the family who opened this dairy store last month. Well, Jim and his sister Sherry know them best. She played ball with all of the Smits girls and one of them is married to farmer Feltz. The 5th generation one on this farm.

Jim and I have wanted to stop by in the past few weeks but it hasn't worked into our schedule. So this was the perfect opportunity to play tourist, see the store and take a free tour of their high-tech robotic milking facility. Plus, you can't beat a date in the milk house, can you?

What do I know about dairy farming? Not a darn thing. I am about as close to being a Dairy Princess as a Beauty Queen... ooooh, does that make Dairy Queen? OK, off track. But I do like ice cream and I do like cheese, so bring on the tour!

The store has awesome displays and decor. I like this "8th Day" quote I have seen other places. But it really fits here.

Since this was a tourism event, they had some fun with a photo booth of sorts. I just saw the words King Cone from across the store and had be a part of it!

They have a Barnyard area for kids, including a cow they can milk. Well, the cow isn't real and neither is the milk. But I bet the experience is! Had to get on our tour so I will have to maybe try that another time.

Our tour guide was Jared Feltz, the 6th generation to work the farm. He certainly knew his stuff. And us city folk were simply amazed at what they do there.

Why is it a robotic milking facility? It's not just the milk machines that are robots. This robot here travels the length of the "barn" on a routine basis, pushing the feed back toward the cows.

You can see they tend to spread the piles out as they mow down.

Just a friendly kiss.

One wall is comprise of mostly fans to work the air flow. The climate-controlled building is mostly open on both sides. The breeze comes in and the hot air blows out. And in the winter it still is above freezing. Don't ask me how it works. It was pleasantly cool on a hot and humid July night!

You can see a hint of the 750 acres of land that grow alfalfa and corn silage for the 700 total cow herd.

Last year, they installed the high technology facility for automatic milking. It includes two robots that service 100 cows. Jared said the robots allow the frequency of milking to be determined by the cows themselves. Yes, that means the cows are trained. Seriously. No human supervision and they manage to get themselves fed and milked three times a day.

The milk goes to Dairy State Cheese in Rudolph and a few other places that make products, such as soap, for their store. It's really a central Wisconsin operation. Local business are represented through the variety of cheeses, meats, treats and even wine.

For our final treat of the day, Jared showed us a pretty new calf. Isn't he adorable?

I should say, that WAS our final treat until we stopped in the store again after the tour. Yep, that is the King Cone logo up there. They gotta support the locally made ice cream, don't they?

And we have to support friends, don't we?