Students see technology at work

TOMAH, Wis. — The dairy industry is always advancing and Western Technical College in La Crosse is helping to prepare students for the workforce by learning about new technology, like robotic milkers. Students involved with the school’s Agri-Business Science Technology Academy experienced this firsthand Oct. 23 when they visited Bailey’s Cherry Valley Dairy near Tomah.

The academy is led by Dona Goede, an instructor with WTC, and Rochelle Hoffman, the high school academy coordinator.

The pair teamed with farm owners Nelda and Brock Bailey for a tour of the Baileys’ 300-cow dairy that features six robotic milking units. Helping with the effort were Alleck Olerud and Aimee Schomburg of Seehafer Refrigeration. Olerud and Schomburg explained the technology behind the robots and the nutrition required to produce high-quality milk.

The academy offered by WTC came about because of a growing need for higher-level agriculture classes. Though students at Tomah High School have agriculture classes early in their education, the further they progress, the fewer their options become. Goede, in conjunction with Nelda Bailey, who in addition to dairy farming is the Tomah agriculture educator, now has seven students enrolled in the academy,
six from the Tomah area and one from Melrose-Mindoro High School. They are also working on expanding the academy to two or even three locations next year.

The academy helps streamline the path for these students to earn an associate’s degree one year after high school.

“Our goal is to get employees ready for work at an earlier rate,” Goede said. “It’s hard to find employees in the agriculture industry, so our goal is to get them educated and entered into the workforce quicker.”

Among the students with a background in dairy is Mason Stanton, who works at his family’s dairy farm near Black River Falls.

“The best part about this program is being out and getting to experience new things,” Stanton said.

Stanton’s family milks in a double-6 parlor, so the robots were a new experience.

“This was pretty cool,” Stanton said. “I grew up on a farm, but this was really the first time I got to see robots in action.”

Along with the visit to Bailey’s farm to see the robots operate, the group has also visited Allied Cooperative in Tomah to see how technology is used in different avenues of the dairy industry. The class also illustrates the changing environment the agriculture industry experiences.

“We think back 50-100 years ago, and what production used to look like,” Hoffman said. “There’s been leaps and bounds of advancement in technology. When we think about industry opportunities on the farm, we look at automation and how to reduce cost. We’ve talked about different herd management styles and how to optimize nutrition. All of that is important when preparing new employees.”

Brock Bailey, one of the owners of Bailey’s Cherry Valley Dairy, knows the importance of educating the incoming workforce.

“There’s a lot more computer technology now,” he said. “It’s been a real advantage, but it’s also been a big change.”

That change is what Goede, Hoffman and Nelda Bailey have been trying to help their students get ahead of.

“We want to raise the next generation of thinkers, fixers and doers,” Hoffman said. “These kids are going to be going into fields, and they’re going to have new problems that they’re going to have to find solutions for. So we’re trying to expose them to different experiences and problems while they’re here to help prepare them to move forward.”

The newer technology paints a clearer picture for the students that shines light on the process, more than just the output.

“There’s a lot more that goes into farming,” Stanton said. “It’s not what people think. It’s not just thrown together. There’s a lot that goes into it: time, money, people you work with.”

Not only does the academy teach about the advancement of milking practices, it also offers classes related to soil fertility, technical reporting and development. All this leads to an internship to help the students gain real-world experience, and eventually, a full-time position where they can further advance the agriculture industry.