Everybody has walked inside a factory. They are full of bad smells, dirty workers, messy equipment, and bad lighting; so when people use the phrase, factory farm, you picture stinky and dirty barns, callous workers, and messy, neglected cows. When Milksource decided to build their newest and biggest dairy in Rosendale, Wisconsin, that phrase was thrown around like the basketball in a Marquette game. Apparently, none of these people have stepped one foot on this farm.

This metropolis of a dairy currently has 7200 cows, but they are working their way to a total of about 8000 cows. It has officially become the largest dairy in the state of Wisconsin. Equipped with two 80-stall rotary parlors milking 160 cows at a time, with each cow producing about 85 pounds of milk per day, it is easy to see how one could compare such a huge, smoothly working dairy to a factory. However, this farm resembles a vacation resort in Cancun more than it does a factory. “Our barn with its sand bedded freestalls, mechanically cooled environment, total mixed ration, and rotary parlor is the most cow friendly farm I have seen, “stated John Vosters, a partner owner.

Rosendale Dairy is changing not just the lives of cows but the lives of people. The current head manager at the dairy, Bill Powel-Smith, said working there has allowed him to become a better manager of people, and, because the owners care so much about the cows, they are always looking for ways to be more kind and gentle with the cattle. “This has been really rewarding for me,” claimed Powel-Smith.

Many people are against it for different reasons, whether it be its treatment of cows, environmental effects or effects on other farms in the area. A local farmer and student at Campbellsport High School, Nick Schuster, feels that cows on big dairies like Rosendale aren’t treated that well and “are only there to be milked.” However, little farms around the area are run exactly the same way. The point of dairy farms is to milk the cows, and just because there are more cows on a farm than usual doesn’t mean they are now supposed to play fetch with cows after their milking. It is all about how you treat the cows. Powel-Smith knows this: “Rosendale Dairy knows that the more we love our cows, and treat them with respect, the more the cows will trust us, feel comfortable, and be stress free; this results in cows who stay healthy, milk well, and make us a profitable farm. “

The size of the farm has created plenty of problems for Vosters and the other owners: “We applied for and received 32 permits to build Rosendale Dairy.” It wasn’t easy for them, especially with environmentalist attacking their every move. “We have to continue to tell our story of our cow and people friendly farm that will provide organic fertilizer for local crops and will be on of the state’s most efficient and least carbon footprint production models,” explained Vosters. This addresses another issue: will this farm put local area farms out of businesses? No, Rosendale Dairy only owns about 2500 acres of land, but works about 12000 acres. That creates work for the surrounding farms. Just building the farm created jobs for many of the small businesses and now employs 75 people, giving local feed companies and service providers business.

It has become a model for farmers and teachers in Wisconsin. Campbellsport High School’s Agriculture Department’s Head, Kirk Kramp, thinks it is a benefit: “I have no problem with it, it creates food. If we want to keep costs low we need to produce food efficiently, just as long as they are treating the cows right.”

Rosendale Dairy has had very positive effects on those involved, the owners and workers truly care about their cows and treating them exceptionally well. The company has withstood very close scrutiny from the DNR and has passed with flying colors. Instead of criticizing the farm and the effects it could have, visit the farm, meet the owners and managers, or do a little research. People are falsely accusing this farm of mistreating or neglecting cows and workers while, in reality, some of those little local area farms should be looking to Rosendale Dairy as something to emulate.