The way farmers feed their cows has drastically changed over the decades. Half a century ago, weighing and fine-tuning feed ingredients was not yet a common practice on most operations. “A little of this and a few pounds of that,” written down on a clipboard was the extent of most farmers’ feed management software. Fast forward to today, however, and farmers now have the ability to access feed data with a single click of a button. Paul Lippert, co-owner of Grass Ridge Farm, LLC., in Pittsville, Wis., understands firsthand just how important feed technology is on to his century-old dairy operation. Lippert, who works alongside his brother, Carl, and father, Matt, milks 700 head of registered Holstein and Jersey cows and farms 1,600 acres of corn, alfalfa, soybeans and wheat.
After graduating with degrees in dairy and computer science, Lippert’s brother returned home to the farm for a brief while and developed his own feed technology software in 2016. This system allowed the farm to track basic feed information on an as-fed basis and manage purchased feed inventory.
By TAYLOR LEACH
September 2, 2022
dairyherd.com
