This Friday and Saturday, Agriland followers will get a glimpse into life on the mammoth Drumgoon dairy farm in South Dakota.
The Elliott family will be taking over our social media on February 11 and 12, in another Agriland Takeover – on Instagram and Facebook.
Originally from Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, the family moved to the US in 2006 and set up a 1,500-cow farm.
Rodney, his wife Dorothy and their son David, now manage and milk 6,000 crossbred and purebred Holsteins, plus a heifer herd of over 5,000 animals.
Today, the Drumgoon Farm employs 50 people in total.
The family has built up a following of 60,000 on Facebook, where they take those interested along the farm’s journey.
Some challenges they deal with in South Dakota, midwestern America, is milking on days with temperatures of -27°, when the moisture leaves the barns freezing and the ground is coloured white.
About a year ago, robots were introduced on the farm, and all is going well so far, according to the family. The robots milk 165-195 cows daily, with about 4,500-6,200lbs (about 2,041-2,812L) of milk per robot.
The farm often plays host to visits and tours, and will be familiar with answering questions should Agriland readers have any to ask.
If you do have a question be sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook pages to send them to the Elliott family during the takeover this Friday and Saturday, February 11 and 12.