When consumers think of milking a cow, they might be tempted to picture a farmer sitting on a three-legged stool with a tin pail to milk each cow by hand. But modern dairy operations have come a long way. In the last couple decades, automatic milking machines have made milking a lot more efficient, both for farmers and for cows.

As part of their mission to introduce consumers to modern farming, the IQhub museum asked us for a display about modern milking technology. We teamed up with another local business to deliver an impossible-to-miss exhibit — a sculpture of a cow that’s nearly life-size tends to catch people’s eye, after all.

Details of the Display

The cow comes equipped with a real automatic milking machine, donated from Roberts Dairy Service. Roberts Dairy even engineered the machine to turn on when visitors press a button. It pumps water through itself (in a closed, leakproof system). That way, people can see how the udder attachments automatically contract and release and how milk travels through the pipes to the bucket.

But that’s not all. The video monitor we installed in front of the exhibit offers video interviews with local dairy farmers. The farmers explain how they prioritize animal care, sustainability, and milk quality. It’s a particularly direct way to connect consumers with the farm.