OLD TOWN — The University of Maine unveiled its new robotic milking barn — the third of its kind in Maine and a new resource for bolstering the agricultural workforce and pursuing research activities — at Witter Farm in a grand opening ceremony on April 2.
Featuring the latest technology in the dairy industry, the barn will offer new experiential learning opportunities that better prepare students for careers in agriculture, including farming, research and development, livestock care and education. Witter Farm employs 15-20 student workers and hosts dairy classes from UMaine’s animal and veterinary sciences program, one of the largest in the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences with 190 students enrolled.
The new barn will also modernize the research and experiments conducted there to enhance, optimize and adapt farm operations to the changing economy and environment. With improved research and workforce development capabilities, the new barn can help address challenges faced by the dairy industry, which has lost one-third of its farms since 2020 due to rising costs and other challenges, in alignment with the state’s Dairy Task Force report.
“The facility is a demonstration of our university’s commitment to its land grant mission, and its technology is vital for our students and researchers to keep pace with modern teaching and research,” said UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “The modernization of Witter Farm will enable our land-grant university to de-risk and research the integration of new milking technologies to better support the industry’s sustainability and resilience, and prepare the future Maine dairy workforce to innovate and increase the production and profitability of Maine farms.”
The project is supported by federal and state investments in the university’s Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station, which includes Witter Farm, and the College of Earth, Life and Health Sciences, as well as through funding for the University of Maine System.
“Dairy farmers in Maine are pleased to see the investment the university has made into their dairy program. It encourages a commitment to the dairy industry from not only the university, but all students who are able to learn and be impacted by this innovative technology,” said Maine Dairy Industry Association President Annie Watson.
The technology improves cow comfort by allowing for voluntary milking. Within the free-stall barn, each cow can walk up to the system when they’re ready for milking, at which point robotic arms will connect pumps to their udder. This allows cows to set their own milking schedule, which has shown to increase production.
Rather than rely on human resources for this task, robotic milking will create a more efficient system for farm staff and students. These systems also record milking frequency and volume, milk quality and the number of visits to the robots by each cow, which offers dairy producers better insight into herd management, nutrition and health. The information collected by the robotic system will be essential for enhancing data science education for UMaine students.
“One of the biggest things I’m excited about is that it’s going to be a game-changer for students across all different types of fields. It’s not only going to help pre-veterinary students, but also students who are interested in nutrition, data analysis, different aspects of research and agricultural engineering,” said Annie Leahy of Marshfield, Massachusetts, a third-year student majoring in zoology with an animal science minor. “I like a lot of hands-on involvement, so spending less time milking the cows and with facility maintenance allows us to spend more time with the cows, which is how I learn my veterinary skills.”
Although the milking process is now automated, students will still learn how to do hands-on milking and herd management, with a new focus on technological advancements.
Daily maintenance and hands-on experiences with the cows, including assistance with bottle feeding and vaccinations, will continue to provide the educational experience students have come to expect. Gaining experience with new and emerging technologies, as well as hands-on work with large animals, is a unique aspect of animal education that UMaine provides to students. The new barn also includes teaching spaces, staff and research offices and a public viewing platform.
“This barn is part of the larger Witter Center Teaching and Research operation. This is not a small operation but rather involves several students, staff and faculty, as well as members of the public,” said Diane Rowland, dean of the College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences. “Offering hands-on experiences to our students with both dairy cattle and horses are a key component of the AVS degree program and a significant draw for students from across the country.”
The robotic milking barn isn’t the first technological advancement at the farm. Staff have implemented an automated health monitoring system for the herd, which allows staff to get ahead of potential issues with individual cows.
Witter Farm, part of the J. Franklin Witter Teaching and Research Center in Old Town, is home to the UMaine undergraduate and graduate education and research programs in dairy and equine science. It attracts students from multiple majors, including animal and veterinary sciences; biology; ecology and environmental sciences; and those pursuing a pre-veterinary concentration, among others.
As part of MAFES, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, Witter Farm is one example of a resource that provides capacity support to faculty who conduct fundamental and applied research. Technological advancements at its facilities will prepare students for the future of dairy in Maine and beyond.
