Farmer Henk places all his trust in technology

How do I run my farm efficiently and flexibly? That’s the issue faced by lots of young farmers. Henk Mulder from Nieuwehorne (NL) has the answer right in front of him. He’s placing all his trust in technology to ensure a bright future for the farm he’s a partner in. JOZ has just delivered his new manure robot.

Invest in innovation

Henk says, “I’m 34, and want to spend the rest of my life working here. In his respect, technology helps me, and I trust it. It’s efficient, safe, and helps me organise my life more flexibly. The manure robots do their job 24/7, so I can just let them get on with it. If anything does go wrong, I get a warning on my phone. That’s why we’re investing heavily in innovation so we’re prepared for the next twenty years. In fact, the idea is that I can run this farm on my own.”

The role of robots

Henk’s parents, Frietsjeand Sytze, have already spent most of their working lives on the farm. They’ve built up a great business and have been working in a partnership with Henk for 9 years. A lot has changed in recent years. 874 solar panels have just been installed on the roof, and the 22-year-old milking parlour was recently replaced by milking robots. Further inside the cowshed, the JOZ manure robot and JOZ MoovPro feed pusher robot are quietly and automatically getting on with their work.

Technology: save time and energy

“This saves so much time and energy,” explains Henk. “It also means I can carry on working in a physically healthy state for much longer.” His mother Frietsjeagrees. It saves a lot of manual work. She and her husband know exactly how much time and effort are involved in removing manure. The new manure robot has just started working in the cowshed. It leaves the charging station and scrapes the aisles between the cows clean. The still shiny device arouses the curiosity of the cows, who sniff at it.

An easier life for the farmer and a better life for the cow

“This manure robot might still be shiny, but tomorrow will be a different story,” says Henk while he watches. “The old manure robot, also supplied by JOZ, was collected this morning after twelve years of loyal service. It lasted a long time, but at a certain point it needed replacing.”

“The new robot is clearly a different generation. It’s more advanced in terms of technology, ingenuity and ease of use. The design is robust and heavy to prevent it from slipping or being pushed away by a cow’s nose. The aisles are kept nice and clean, the hooves stay clean, there is less mess and fewer bacteriological hazards in the cowshed. Absolutely perfect. If there’s any problem, I get a message on my phone and can check what’s going on.”

“Exactly the way we want it”

The feed pusher robot is also preparing to do its rounds. Henk says, “The first round is to warm up. Then it follows the exact route as we set it. It pushes the feed to the cows accurately, exactly the way we want it”. The cows waiting at the feed fence see the MoovPro arriving, and don’t mind at all. Let the robots get on with pushing feed, they’re a great addition to the farm.