DRUMGOON DAIRY
Rodney and Dorothy Elliott
Lake Norden, South Dakota, USA
HISTORY
•
1982 – April, started milking 22 cows in a 4 point pipeline .
•
1983 – Introduction of milk quota, my farm allowance 111,000 litres but gained 6,200 litres
under development.
•
1987 – started buying quota, leased more land and built a double 5 milking parlour. Now
milking 45 cows.
•
1995 – we bought land and we’re milking 70 cows.
•
1999 – moved back home to Drumgoon to live, more building was required, milking 110
cows.
•
2002- I concentrated on all Dairy built a new 14 point swing parlour, and increased the
herd to 140 cows milking.
•
2004 – Production reached 1 million litres of milk, went on a Dairy tour of South Dakota!
REASONS TO RELOCATE
Northern Ireland
South Dakota
•
Land prices, £7 – £10,000 an acre
•
Land prices, £1200 -£1500 an acre
•
Labour– difficulty to find and retain
good employees and competition from
construction
•
Labour – easy to recruit
•
Free trade
•
Legislation
•
Quota
•
Legislation
• Animal movement
• Manure management
• Labour
• Permitting
• Animal health
• Labour
LOCATION
SOUTH DAKOTA VS. NORTHERN IRELAND
South Dakota
WINTER IN SOUTH DAKOTA
DEVELOPMENT OF DRUMGOON DAIRY
•
2005 Purchased 153 acres for a dairy site
•
February 2006 – we moved to South Dakota
•
Construction started May 2006 for a 1400 cow facility.
•
2006 purchased an acreage with 40 acres of land, some farm buildings and a dwelling.
•
Started milking December 2006.
•
Expanded 2008 to 2000 cows.
•
2007 – 2011 continuous expansion and development of calf and heifer raising facility.
•
2009 purchased 154 acres of crop land adjacent to the Dairy.
•
2010 purchased 100 acres of cropland and another acreage.
•
2010 began renting 230 acres of land, cropland and some pasture.
FEED AND CROPS
CURRENT OPERATION
•
MILK COWS
1950
•
REPLACEMENTS
1750
DAILY
ANNUAL
•
PRODUCTION
34 LITRES
10,680 LITRES
•
BUTTERFAT
4.01%
3.87%
•
PROTEIN
3.44%
3.52%
•
SCC
196
218
•
PRICE
30 PPL
28.75 PPL (2011)
CROSS VENTILATED BARN
Picture of inside of the barn on a
working day, pushing up feed. This
task is done every two hours to ensure
that the cows have always feed
available.
RELEVANT DAIRY PURCHASES
Prices in USA
•
Petrol- 64p per liter
•
100 ml of Excnell- £41.50
•
Diesel- 66p per liter
•
John Deere 6430- £55,000
•
Electricity- 5p per Kw
•
Ground Maize- £160 per ton
•
Soy Bean Meal- £187 per ton
•
Labour- £6.50 per hour
•
Milk replacer- £52 per 25 kg
•
Vet/Mechanic- £60 per hour
MANAGEMENT AND STAFF
EMPLOYEE BREAKDOWN
•
Milkers- 14
•
Herdsmen- 5
•
Parlour Manager- 1
•
Feeder- 1
•
Operations/Maitainance-3
•
Manager/Owner-2
•
TOTAL-26
INNOVATION WILL FEED THE WORLD
EMBRACING CHANGE
•
Learn from the past
•
Efficiencies
•
Accepting technology
•
Larger, specialized units
• Combine harvester
•
Corporation
• Milking parlour
•
Education
• Computers
•
Youth
•
Consumer awareness
•
Genetics
•
Vaccines and drugs
• BST– carbon footprint
• Hormones
• GMO Crops
PITFALLS
DRUMGOON DAIRY
Rodney and Dorothy Elliott
19048 US Hwy 81
Lake Norden, SD 57248
1 605 785 2151
drumgoon@itctel.com