Mid-Knight Dairy, LLC

06/04/2026

Corn is officially all in the ground as of yesterday! 🥳 This was one of the first fields we planted, and it’s looking great. Soon, the crop scouts from WNYCMA (Western New York Crop Management Association) will be stopping by.

​To calculate our stand count, scouts count the plants in a 17' 5" section of a row and multiply by 1,000 to get the plants per acre. If the count is too low, we may have to replant—let’s hope we don't run into that this year!

​While the beautiful, dry weather let us get a massive amount of work accomplished, we are officially ready for rain. The corn, the grass, and our dusty driveways desperately need it!

06/03/2026

The “old girl” still has it. Over the past few years we have retired this chopper from chopping 1st cutting and corn silage. The volume and speed this machine can handle just can’t compare with the capabilities of the big self-propelled chopper that we hire to come twice a year. COULD it get it done? Absolutely. It has for many years.

In the past, harvesting these crops ourselves would take us 2 or 3 weeks to accomplish, leaving us with crops less mature in the beginning and overly mature by the end. Not optimum when trying to feed your whole herd the very best quality feed possible.

With harvesting crops, time is money. When you have variable weather and fields that are ready to go at the same time, we can hire the big chopper and have it done in a couple of long days, thus ensuring that best quality forage our cows deserve.

While we hired most of our 1st cutting done 2 weeks ago, there are still some fields left that were either too wet at the time or too tricky (weird shape and small) for the big chopper to mess with. Luckily we still have the option of using the “old girl”. I guess you could say we can have the best of both worlds!

05/31/2026

Here is how our cows get milked!

The cow enters the robot, enticed by grain that is automatically dispensed in amounts tailored to her specific milk production and stage of lactation.

Once she's in and enjoying her snack, the milking process begins:

Cleaning: The teats are cleaned twice with automated brushes and dried off with a blast of air.

Attachment: The robot uses a laser to "see" and locate the teats, attaching each milking cup separately.

Protection: After milking, the robot sprays each teat with a disinfectant to help prevent mastitis (an udder infection caused by bacteria).

Once the process is complete, the cow is free to leave.
At this point, the robot weighs and analyzes the milk for butterfat, protein, and overall quality. The amount of data we receive instantaneously is life-changing. It allows us to respond quickly to potential health issues and keep our girls thriving. Healthy cows make more milk, so the incentives to keep them happy and healthy are incredibly high!

05/29/2026

Sometimes I get help from my friend (aka Butterbean). 🤔 🤷‍♀️ This area that is being hosed down is a footbath. The cows walk through this every time they leave the robot to help keep their hooves nice and healthy. They also visit a hoof trimming chute twice a year to keep their feet in tip top shape.

05/27/2026

Beautiful bald eagle supervising plowing yesterday. Sometimes plowing is necessary when the fields are rutted up, rough or a lot of w**d growth is present. We decided to plow this field this year to smooth it back out again. We often get birds of prey, mainly red-tailed hawks, swooping in for a meal in the same field we are working in. It is pretty cool to see this guy though. Rodent control on duty.

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day from all of us at the farm! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙
​Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage and selflessness are the true bedrock of our country.
​The colors red, white, and blue can be found on our farm sign. The truth is, it’s about a lot more than just branding. Every time we look at our tractors, our barns, the beautiful blue sky, and our sign we want a daily reminder of the incredible land we get to work, the freedom we have to grow, and the heroes who protected it all. 🇺🇸
​As we spend the day with family our hearts are full of gratitude.
​To all who served, who sacrificed, and the families who hold their memories dear—we thank you. 🌾🎖️
​

05/24/2026

Strong contender for employee of the month...when you don't find lost in a corner and out of battery 🤣. Juno, nickname "Crash", has had some learning curves since we got it in 2022. A week into operation it got a hole in the top cover from running into it's own charger station. 🤷‍♀️ It has had a few other malfunctions since then, but boy when that thing doesn't run you wouldn't believe how many less cows get up, eat and subsequently visit the robot to be milked. That beeping noise does have a purpose. The cows hear it and many of them will pop up and go see what new goodies they can reach in the bunk. Like all technology, when it works things are golden, when it doesn't....a few swear words might be muttered and you set about fixing the darn thing.

05/23/2026

Watching them eat is just so peaceful. These are our heifers. They are in this barn up until 2 months before having their first calf. Living the good life... munching on some hay.

05/22/2026