Those looking for a career in tech might be inclined to disregard the farming industry. After all, we often think of careers in the agriculture industry as including honest, hands-on work that gets you down and dirty.
However, with recent technological advances on the farm, this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, over recent years, there have been tonnes of high-tech solutions integrated into farmwork to improve efficiency and productivity. What’s more, they’re pretty exciting to learn about too!
Working with Animals and Tech; It Doesn’t Get Much Better!
If you’re still a little sceptical about starting a tech career on the farm, we’re here to ease your concerns! As you’re about to discover, so many exciting developments are happening in the agriculture industry, and those who blur the lines of farming and technology careers will be at the forefront of many more to come.
To get you hyped up about the possibilities of tech, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Dairy Australia to bring you our top four technological advancements. Trust us, we chose our top four very well!
#1 Robotic Milking
Ok, we know; this one sounds a little kooky, but once we explain it properly, you’ll be just as excited about it as we are!
Can you imagine a robot milking a cow? It’s a reality in Australia, thanks to the development of automatic milking systems that make the entire milking procedure free of human assistance! If you want to know how it works, the process goes a little like this:
- The cow voluntarily enters the robotic milking unit for milking and is recognised by an electronic transponder
- A teat position sensor (usually a laser) on a robotic arm automatically applies the teat-cup for milking and determines timing of removal base on milk flow
- Cows then leave the shed via an automatic gate system to manage cow traffic
- Simple as that!
The technology has huge potential to reduce the amount of time dairy farms spend on milking, freeing up the farm staff to concentrate on other farm and business management activities, such as monitoring the performance of individual cows and the whole farm system. Forty Australian dairy farms are already using the automatic milking system, and it’s going super well!
#2 Carbon Calculator
If caring about the environment matters to you, you’ll love this next one. The carbon calculator, created by Dairy Australia, equips farmers to:
- Measure their farm carbon footprint
- Understand sources of emissions on farm
- Explore options for reducing emissions through herd, feed and fertiliser and manure management or reviewing their farm system
In short, it helps them operate in a way that best serves the environment and improving efficiencies. It’s a big win for everyone: us, the farmers, and the planet!
#3 Use of Drones
Believe it or not, drones are also often used by dairy farmers to:
- Monitoring pasture health
- Spraying and spreading seeds
- Monitoring livestock and stock water
- Inspecting water sources to ensure cows have access to clean fresh water
- If you ask us, it all sounds super high-tech and fancy.
#4 Computer Technology
Gone are the days of using pen and paper to monitor the inner workings of your farm. Nowadays, many farmers now use powerful computer databases to:
- Monitor water use on farm, including use of apps to remotely turn on and off pumps, and irrigation
- Monitor soil nutrients
- Real time monitoring of individual health and wellbeing for example, collecting data on their physical activity via a pedometer via a sensor!
- Locate cows needing attention quickly and easily. See and follow their real-time position on your farm map via a smart tag.
- Work out how much to feed the cows
- Calculate how much daily operations will cost
- And much, much more!
This information is often fed directly into the milking process to increase the efficiency of the milking shed. How cool is that?
Start Shaping the Future of Farming Today
Ready to combine your love for technology with a rewarding career? Dairy farming offers a unique blend of technology and agriculture that is both challenging and rewarding. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to Dairy Australia’s employer page and start your journey today!
