Robotic milking

Dexcel’s Greenfield Project
A summary of the project, including a comparison between conventional and automated farming systems and links to research articles. There is also the option to link to live video footage collected from four cameras operating on the farm.
www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145836818

Automatic milking in New Zealand: Fact or fantasy?
Murray Woolford from Dexcel explores the likely uptake of Automated Milking Systems by New Zealand farmers and factors impacting their decision-making. This article was written during the early stages of the research project.
www.dairynz.co.nz/file/fileid/5665

The European project on automatic milking on dairy farms
This project was set up to integrate knowledge on, and developing solutions for, any adverse effects of the introduction of automatic milking systems as a major technological innovation on dairy farms in the European Union. Information is provided on socio-economic impacts, animal health, milk quality and hygiene issues.
www.automaticmilking.nl/index.asp?symposium/science/abstracts/index.asp

Robotic milking around the world
The potential advantages and disadvantages of automatic milking systems in the European context are explored, providing an interesting comparison between AMS on European and New Zealand dairy farms. The article includes a graph showing the increasing number of farms (worldwide) using AMS up until 2003.
www.automaticmilking.nl/index.asp?symposium/science/abstracts/index.asp

The changing face of dairy farming in New Zealand

The History of Dairy Farming in NZ
This short historical overview by Roger Dickie includes a 1900’s picture of a walk-through milking shed.
www.rogerdickie.co.nz/coldstream/nzdairnhistory.htm

History of dairying in New Zealand
Brief history of dairying in New Zealand from the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ).
www.dcanz.com/nzdi/index.html

The story of Merv Hicks
Find out more about Merv Hicks from Taranaki and how he invented the rotary shed.
www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/farming/turnstylerotarymilkingplatform.asp

Setting up the Greenfield Project's research farm

Automated Milking Systems: Stage one of the research project
A news article from DairyNZ about Phase 1 of the Greenfield project, which will close in May 2009.
www.dairynz.co.nz/news/pageid/2145842229

Scaling up an automatic dairy farm
Jenny Jago, Kendra Davis and Murray Woolford, describe the stages involved in scaling up the Greenfield Project, an automatic dairy farm.
www.dairynz.co.nz/file/fileid/6263

Training cows to milk themselves

How it’s done: Cow training at an automated milking farmlet
Scientists Jenny Jago and Kendra Davis write about how they train the cows to use the Greenfield farm system.
www.dairynz.co.nz/file/fileid/5661

Other useful links

Milk as a material

Mining milk focus story on the New Zealand Biotechnology Learning Hub.
www.biotechlearn.org.nz/focus_stories/mining_milk

Foodreference.com — Quirky facts on milk.
www.foodreference.com/html/fmilk.html

The story of milk production in New Zealand, a series of colourful animations made by Fonterra.
www.fonterra.com/wps/wcm/connect/.../Our+Products/The+Story+Of+Milk/

Department for environment, food and rural affairs — UK Information on milk and milk products.
www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/milk/

Journal of Young Investigators 2002 article, ‘Milk, doing your body good?’
www.jyi.org/volumes/volume6/issue3/features/lee_and_wei.html

Data on milk history, consumption, production and composition
www.energymanagertraining.com/dairy/introduction_production_milk.htm

Harvesting milk in NZ

Lifestyle Block — the information hub for small farmers. Article on the House Cow by Dr Clive Dalton.
www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/index.php/cattle/article/23-the-house-cow-.html

An overview of NZ dairy industry, produced by MAF
www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/overview/nzoverview007.htm

NZ Agritech Inc— Pasture based dairying the NZ Way
www.agritech.org.nz/dairy.shtml

Projections made in MAF’s 2004 "Situation and Outlook" for New Zealand Agriculture and Forestry (SONZAF)
www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/press/211204sonzaf-dairy.htm

Key facts about Fonterra the world’s leading exporter of dairy products.
www.fonterra.com/wps/wcm/connect/.../fonterra+at+a+glance/about+us/key+facts

It costs US$54 on average to produce 100 kg of milk in Germany in 2003.That compares with US$34 in the US, US$18 in China, US$17 in New Zealand and US$13 in Argentina. This NZ Herald article discusses the implications.
www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=7&ObjectID=10349759

Innovation in the NZ dairy industry

Timeline of changes in dairy farming in New Zealand
The changing face of dairy farming in New Zealand

Milestones of Milk History in the United States
www.idfa.org/facts/milk/miles.cfm

Rural News article which considers the question - What do dairy cows look for in their feed, be it pasture or a supplement?
www.ruralnews.co.nz/Default.asp?task=article&subtask=show&item=9161&pageno=1

Altis - Provides a range of milk production, dairy science and technology references
http://altis.ac.uk/browse/cabi/5da088d3a3aa10fe0d711016fed78171.html

Farm stories collected by Puke Ariki - a united museum, library and visitor information centre for Taranaki
www.pukeariki.com/en/stories/farming/default.asp

Techhistory.co.nz — linking technological innovation in NZ to economic growth
www.techhistory.co.nz/OntheLand/Dairy.htm

Agritech — Article - Kiwi Grazing Technology: Profit - The Focus
www.agritech.org.nz/promotions-grassprofit.shtml

Information about once-a-day-milking from DairyNZ.
www.dairynz.co.nz/page/pageid/2145844584/Once-a-day_milking