Tradition Meets Technology
Lynn Strite’s family has been farming for over 50 years, managing through the ever-changing industry. It wasn’t a surprise when his son, Joel, decided to take on the same business.
“For much of my time farming, we milked out of the same barn that my grandfather milked in,” said Lynn. “A 24-unit tie-stall barn converted to a 12-unit step-up that was redone in 1996.”
Within the last ten years, they decided an upgrade was due to keep up with industry demands and introduce more cattle. Upon transitioning, they chose to partner with neighboring dairyman Lyndon Miller, who was also looking to upgrade his herd. Lyndon previously milked 120 Registered Holsteins in a BouMatic double-6 parlor.
“I felt that installing a new parlor wasn’t the best move forward,” said Lyndon, who handles most of the cattle care at the current facility where he offers his expertise in dairy management. “Joining with the Strite family was the most sensible shift for my operation.”
It’s no surprise that finding and retaining labor is an issue within the ag industry, so the partners decided to consider their options and found robotic milking to be an ideal set-up for them.
“We went on many tours and visited with other producers who use robots,” said Joel, who works with the family’s custom harvest business, and oversees labor management and expansion to their now 420 cows. “My wife, Evalinda, and I started to obtain ownership of the farm in 2015, and we decided a retrofit parlor was off the table.”
Advancing for Future Generations
In the winter of 2018, they began their journey of pursuing robotic milking, which included construction of a new barn and installing robotic milkers, feeding vectors, and manure collectors.
In addition to Lyndon and Lynn, Joel and Evalinda worked with consultants and banking representatives to bring the plan to life. The partners sought advice from their current dairy advisor, Glenn Flickinger at 21st Century Consulting, who reached out to a Farm Credit peer in the Lancaster area as the project was nearing its start. Paige Hargett, Farm Credit Ag Lending Manager, joined the planning process in July 2021.
“Time was of the essence for this project,” Paige stated. “The initial timeline was delayed, so it was imperative for Farm Credit to work quickly to provide approval and start funding the project. It was completed and the cows were moved in April 2022.”
Six robotic milkers, two feeding vectors, and six robotic manure collectors were installed. The partners initially began working with another bank, but felt they weren’t receiving service that adapted with fluctuating ag industry needs.
Farm Credit: A Trusted Lender
After seeking out Farm Credit, the partners felt like Farm Credit treated them better than just an account, and the association has remained involved to help them succeed.
“Farm Credit has been good at keeping up with our needs,” explained Joel. “Even after the deal was closed, they continue to cheer us on to thrive and have remained engaged with planning out our yearly numbers.”
The adjustment for cattle took a while, but they are familiar with robotics now. It took the partners one year to fill the barn with additional purchased cattle.
“The service from Lely hasn’t changed from day one,” he shared. “They fix issues and have people on call to attend to needs as they arise.”
The team at Skyline Dairy successfully secured the future for generations to come by thinking outside of the traditional box.
“I am excited for continued success for them, and a mutually beneficial relationship with Farm Credit,” said Paige. “I cannot wait to see where the facility and technology takes their operation, and how it helps bring the next generation back to the farm.”
