FACILITIES & EQUIPMENT

When you wake up in the morning, you have two jobs that must be done regardless of everything else – you need to get your cows milked, and you must get them fed. Everything else can be put on hold to ensure these two activities are completed.

While it is satisfying to see a clean and shiny piece of equipment, I must say, as I get older and acquire more machinery to wash, the motivation to clean up is far less than it once was.

When buying equipment for a freestall barn, all owners want equipment that will stand the test of time, bringing them the most value for the money spent. Shy of purchasing stainless-steel headlocks and loops, how can you be sure your hard-earned dollars are going into a product that will last?

When the time came for brothers Chad and Brent Koopman, Epworth, Iowa, to take the reins of the second-generation dairy farm from their dad and uncle, they recognized changes were imminent. They wanted to keep investment costs within a budget they felt comfortable with while still utilizing their existing freestalls and milkhouse.

We’re finding more dairy farmers are looking for experts in specific areas of barn design rather than accepting a “one-size-fits-all” approach. The best builders coordinate these experts, ensuring the new building will not just look good in the photo taken on day one but will continue to provide a return on investment 30 years later.

Whether planning to build new or working on a master plan, it can be overwhelming. Each farm sits in a different situation whether it be financial, age, land base, future goals or geographic regions.