- German outlet Agrarheute writes about a farm that is unusual by today’s standards. It is the family-run Weserbergland Milch farm in Ottenstein, Lower Saxony.
- It is run by the two-generation Schomburg family, who have deliberately chosen to do without robots in the cattle-milking process.
- It is probably the only dairy farm of this production scale in the entire European Union.
Agrarheute describes a farm that is unusual by today’s standards. It is the family-run Weserbergland Milch farm in Ottenstein, Lower Saxony.
It is run by the two-generation Schomburg family, who have deliberately chosen to do without robots in the cattle-milking process.
This is probably the only dairy farm of this production scale in the entire European Union.
Why doesn’t the dairy farm use milking robots?
As we read, farmers currently keep a herd of 1300 dairy cows at 6 locations. The largest is the newest barn, for 700 cows, which was built just a few years ago—in the year 2022. The other livestock buildings are also not old and meet all modern standards for animal husbandry and welfare. So why don’t the farmers use milking robots?
The farmers’ explanations indicate that this decision was entirely deliberate and based on unpleasant experiences with machines. A report on a German agricultural industry website tells us that the farmers gave modern technology a chance twice, but were disappointed each time.
Robotic milking systems failed. What happened in the years 2012–2015 and in the year 2021?
In the years 2012–2015, the Schomburg family invested in a robot and used automatic milking technology in one barn. The machine's constant breakdowns, downtime, and the stress caused by having to care for the animals on the one hand and deliver the milk to the dairy on time on the other led the farmers to get rid of the robot.
The next attempt with a milking robot took place in the year 2021, when the Schomburgs bought another modern barn from other farmers, which was already equipped with an automatic milking system. The robots had been made by a different company from the one whose robots they had tested before, but they also failed to meet the new owners' expectations. As a result, after one and a half years, the milking station was permanently removed from the barn.
Workers from Romania and Azerbaijan: how does the farm organize milking 1300 cows?
From then on, instead of relying on machines, the Schomburgs relied solely on their employees. Their farms employ 35 people who milk the cows by hand—that is, with pipeline milking machines—in a three-shift system. According to the well-tested system for organizing work on farms, this staffing level still represents 110–120 percent of the requirement. However, this means that an illness or some unforeseen circumstance affecting one milker does not disrupt the normal work with the cows. The “surplus” employees simply do other farm work—they operate machinery, care for calves, and so on.
The Schomburg family admits that finding workers nowadays who already know how to milk cows by hand is a real challenge. In the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, this is now practically impossible. That is why, for over a dozen years, milkers have been recruited mainly in Romania, but also in the Balkans or in Asian countries.
Currently, for example, 14 milkers from Romania and 3 from Azerbaijan work on the farm, explains Agrarheute. Over the years, the dairy farming family has built a circle of around 60 Romanian workers who regularly return to the farm seasonally and take turns at work. They also bring along relatives and friends who want to earn extra money by working in the West.
Thanks to these connections, the daughter of the young farm successors is already fluent in Romanian. The other family members know basic phrases, and in their everyday conversations with staff they rely on “translators” in apps installed on smartphones. And because the family’s business and livelihood really depend on foreign workers, it makes sure there is a good atmosphere at work and has shared lunch with its staff for 15 years. It recently also purchased an additional building to serve as a staff common room and a place for socializing.
Milk production and farm-gate prices: what determines profitability today?
However, the fact that the farmers have given up milking robots does not mean that they avoid modern technology altogether. Quite the opposite. For example, a cow health monitoring system is in use in the barns, enabling the early detection of potential illnesses and risks to the animals. Above all, however, it is the constant, daily contact with their caretakers that ensures the animals receive good care and stay healthy.
However, the unusual operating model of a dairy farm in Lower Saxony is delivering excellent economic results. According to the farmers, the average milk yield is over 12 000 kg per cow. The Schomburg family does not replenish its herd using its own heifers, but buys them from trusted cattle breeders.
The milk price is wiping out profitability. Farmers are not giving up
As we read, the Weserbergland Milch farm began operating in 1986 with 18 cows and 7 sows. Today, it produces milk from a herd of 1300 cows. Unfortunately, excellent process organisation and good productivity no longer guarantee economic success today, due to low purchase prices. A price of around 32 cents per kilogram of milk is not sufficient from the producers’ point of view. It would have to be at least 40 cents for farmers to be able to sleep easy.
Nevertheless, the farmers from Ottenstein are not considering changes to the farm and are sticking to their strategy of relying on people rather than unreliable machines, as reported by Agrarheute.