PHILADELPHIA, Tenn. — It's the future of farming. Sweetwater Valley Farm in Philadelphia, Tennessee milks a third of their cows with robots!
It's an innovative way to get dairy all across East Tennessee. The farm opened up tours for the "Robotic Milking Facility" in April.
During the tours, visitors are able to see how the robotic milkers work. The cows are not on a schedule and are able to go into the milking machine whenever they please.
Mary Lyndal, the marketing director at SVF, said the cows actually enjoy the process because it relieves pressure on their udders. The cows wear a sort-of necklace that serves as identification and chew counter.
"Nobody forces them to come in, the cows choose on their own," David, one of the tour guides, said. "We call this a free flow system. Cows walk into the stall to see if they are eligible to be milked, then we start the milking process. We actually feed the cow while she's being milked, she gets a high energy pellet."
The cow milkers are applied using lasers. After the cow is finished, she's treated with a iodine base dip to protect the udder.
There's absolutely now human interaction required for the process. Out of the 1500 cows at the farm, about a third are milked with robots.
The farm also opened up a new café with grilled cheeses and milkshakes using the dairy produced on the farm.
Tours are Tuesday through Saturday and start every hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
You can book your spot online here.