Dairy farmers from around the Fleurieu were treated to hot coffee, warm doughnuts and spicy pizza for the official opening of a new robotic milking farm in Mount Compass in early April.

The Whispering Pines dairy farm is a partnership between the Hicks and Jacobs families, who came together to create an innovative dairy farming system using the latest robot milking technology.

This new technology has allowed the experienced dairy farmers to expand their herd to 500 cows while improving milk quality and reducing labour demands.

The open day put on by agricultural robotics manufacturers Lely gave curious dairy farmers an opportunity to see cows being milked autonomously and see a robotic dairy in action up close.  

Whispering Pines Dairy co-partner Warren Jacobs says he is excited about the integration of robotic technology on his farm. “At each stage of the process of moving to this new technology, I could see the benefits.”    

As a former dairy farmer, Finniss MP David Basham says he understands the value of this technology for the dairy industry. “It’s exciting technology with many positive advantages for the farmer which flow onto the entire dairy industry in terms of efficiency and information.

“The introduction of robotics and other technological advances in dairy farming have enormous advantages and it is clearly the future of the dairy industry.

“The life of a dairy farmer can be all-consuming with early starts and late finishes, making it difficult to juggle family commitments and holidays. The introduction of robotic technology has allowed dairy farmers to expand their herds and build their business while giving them more flexibility for family and work life balance.”