McCOSHEN, SCOTT ROSS. >> THANK YOU.
>> IN AGRICULTURE NEWS, A SMALL
BUT GROWING NUMBER OF WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMERS ARE EMBRACING
ROBOTIC MILKERS AMID DIFFICULTIES MAIN TAKING A
WORKFORCE, ONGOING MARKET SWINGS AND UNCERTAINTIES OVER AN
UPDATED FARM BILL. "HERE AND NOW" REPORTER ADITI
DEBNATH HAS MORE ON WHAT THIS TECHNOLOGY MEANS FOR THE FUTURE
OF WISCONSIN DAIRY FARMS. >> IT HAS BEEN LIFE-CHANGING
EVER SINCE. >> THIS DECEMBER MARKED FIVE
YEARS SINCE THE HINCHLEY FAMILY MOVED THEIR HERD OF NEARLY 300
COWS TO A NEW BARN WITH ROBOTIC MILKING MACHINES.
>> SO IT'S BEEN LIFE-CHANGING BECAUSE BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND
JUST CHECK ON WHAT COWS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AND NOT HAVE TO
FOCUS ON EVERY SINGLE COW HAS BEEN SO BENEFICIAL TO MY
PHYSICAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO MY MENTAL HEALTH.
>> IN ADDITION TO A FEW PART-TIME STUDENT EMPLOYEES, THE
HINCHLEYS HAVE JUST ONE FULL-TIME STAFFER SINCE
AUTOMATING PROCESSES LIKE MILKING AND FEEDING.
>> TYPICALLY, WE END UP WITH HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE STUDENTS
BECAUSE WE ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO MADISON, BUT THERE HAS BEEN
TIMES WHEN IT'S BEEN DIFFICULT. >> HOPEFULLY, SHE'S GOING TO BE
AN AMAZING MILK GIRL. >> NO LONGER TIED TO MILKING
COWS TWICE A DAY HERSELF, BOTH SHE AND HER COWS ARE HAPPIER
WITH THE ROBOTIC MILKERS OPERATING 24 HOURS A DAY.
>> IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO
IN ORDER TO STAY IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS. >> MADISON PROFE
SSOR OF ANIMAL AND DAIRY SCIENCES, CHUCK
NICHOLSON, SAYS ONLY ABOUT 8% OF WISCONSIN'S DAIRY FARMERS HAVE
IMPLEMENTED THE NEW TECHNOLOGY. TYPICALLY FAMILY FARMS THAT WANT
TO SAVE ON LABOR COSTS. >> THE LABOR SHORTAGE IS
DEFINITELY A KEY MOTIVATING FACTOR.
>> THE HIGH TECH COLLARS FITTED TO EACH COW SEND ABOUT 130
DIFFERENT DATA POINTS ABOUT EACH ANIMAL DIRECTLY TO HINCHLEY'S
SMART PHONE. >> THERE ARE OTHER BENEFITS THAT
FARMS GET FROM ADOPTING THESE ROBOTIC MILKING SYSTEMS, BETTER
MILK PRODUCTION, BETTER ANIMAL HEALTH, IMPROVED MILK QUALITY.
>> Reporter: WHILE MANY WISCONSIN FARMERS ARE
CONSIDERING THE IMPACT A.I. MAY HAVE ON THEIR DAIRY PRODUCTION,
NICHOLSON SAYS 75% OF WISCONSIN FARMERS SAID THEY HAVE NOT AND
WILL NOT IMPLEMENT ROBOTICS ON THEIR FARM.
>> I TOLD THE PEOPLE THAT WERE DESIGNING IT AND STUFF THAT I
DON'T WANT ANY MOVING PARTS. YOU'RE ALWAYS HERE THIS TIME OF
YEAR. YOU KNOW THAT? >> Reporter: JOHN ROSENOW
MANAGES A 600-COW HERD. >> IT'S OUR KITCHEN WINDOW.
WHEN WE WERE HIRING PEOPLE, I HAD TO SEE THE PARKING LOT, AND
SEE WHO WOULDN'T SHOW UP AND THEN I HAD TO COVER FOR HIM.
>> HE HIRED HIS FIRST IMMIGRANT EMPLOYEE NEARLY 25 YEARS AGO.
>> SINCE WE'VE HIRED MEXICANS, I NEVER HAVE TO DO THAT ANYMORE.
I COULD LIVE IN TOWN, BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS COME ON TIME AND
THEY'RE HERE ON TIME. >> Reporter: ROSENOW FOUNDED
THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION PUENTES WHICH BRIDGES THE GAP
BETWEEN FARMERS AND THEIR IMMIGRANT EMPLOYEES BY SENDING
THEM BOTH TO MEET THE EMPLOYEES' FAMILIES IN MEXICO.
HE SAYS HE'S NEVER CONSIDERED ROBOTICS BECAUSE OF HIS
COMMITMENT TO HIS HUMAN RESOURCES.
>> I LIKE SEEING -- IN MEXICO, THE DIFFERENT HOMES AND STUFF
THAT THEY'VE BUILT AND THEY'VE EDUCATED THEIR CHILDREN, THEY'RE
GETTING HEALTHCARE, THINGS THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO GET BEFORE.
WHEN I LOOK AT BOTH SIDES, THE BUSINESS SIDE AND THE
HUMANITARIAN SIDE, IT LEANS REAL STRONGLY TO THE HUMAN SIDE OF
IT. >> Reporter: ROSENOW T HAT SAYS
THE SALESMAN THAT HAVE PITCHED HIM THEIR TECHNOLOGY ARE CLEVER.
THEY CAPITALIZE ON OLD FARMERS AND CONVINCE THEM THAT THEY'RE
OUT OF TOUCH. >> A LOT OF IT IS, WHEN THIS
FIRST STARTED, I WOULD FEEL BAD, AM I AN OLD FUDDY DUDDY?
YOU QUESTION YOURSELF. >> Reporter: ROSENOW'S HERD
WOULD REQUIRE ABOUT EIGHT AUTOMATED MILKERS AT ABOUT A
HALF MILLION DOLLARS A PIECE AS WELL AS A NEW BARN.
HE SAYS MODERN FARM EQUIPMENT ALSO REQUIRES MORE EXPENSIVE AND
SPECIALIZED LABOR TO DO THE REPAIRS. >> DOESN'T MATTER IF
IT'S NEW OR OLD OR WHATEVER.
IT'S GOING TO BREAK. >> Reporter: AND WITH THE
VOLATILE NATURE OF THE DAIRY ECONOMY, HE SAYS OLD EQUIPMENT
THAT YOU CAN FIX IS BETTER THAN NEW EQUIPMENT YOU CAN'T, LIKE
THIS FRONT END LOADER. >> IT ONLY COST YOU ARE $25,000
40 YEARS AGO AND SIMILAR TO THAT NOW, I'D BE LOOKING AT 200,000
AND THEN WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIX IT.
WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THE DEALER FIX IT.
>> NICHOLSON SAYS THAT FOR THE PAST NINE MONTHS IN PARTICULAR,
ALL DAIRY FARMERS HAVE BEEN LOSING MONEY.
>> THE CIRCUMSTANCES WE'RE IN ARE REALLY UNUSUAL RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: THAT'S BECAUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN
20 YEARS, THE U.S.D.A. IS HEARING PROPOSALS TO AMEND THE
SYSTEM THAT DETERMINES HOW MILK IS PRICED.
NICHOLSON SAYS THE SYSTEM, CALLED THE FEDERAL MILK
MARKETING ORDERS, DOESN'T HAVE A MECHANISM TO ADAPT TO ECONOMIC
OR TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES OVER TIME. >> THERE IS A LENGTHY
AND SOMETIMES EXCRUCIATING PROCESS
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. >> Reporter: ON WISCONSIN
FARMS, HOWEVER, PRODUCERS CAN'T AFFORD TO FOLLOW THE LENGTHY
DISCUSSIONS TAKING PLACE IN WASHINGTON. >> WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET.
WE HAVE NO IDEA WITH COMMODITIES THAT WE ARE PRODUCING, WE'RE IN
A GLOBAL SCALE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON
WITH CHINA UNTIL IT HAPPENS. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH BRAZIL IS
PRODUCING. ALL OF THAT AFFECTS OUR BOTTOM
LINE. >> Reporter: AND SO WHETHER BY
MACHINE OR BY HAND, WISCONSIN FARMERS PRESS ON MILKING THEIR
HERDS. HERDS.