New Era — One of the most fascinating modern advancements I’ve seen in recent years wasn’t a computer, a car, or a new AI chatbot. It was a cow that milked itself.
Technically, this cow—and the other 1,200 Holsteins at Country Dairy, a centennial farm in West Michigan—use what’s called an automatic milking system to deliver their milk supply.
It works like this: Without a human in sight, cows hang out in a large open barn (called a milking parlor) and decide for themselves when they want to be milked. Typically, this is when their udders start to feel full and uncomfortable. They will then meander over to the nearest robotic milking machine—often standing patiently behind other cows to await their turn—and the machine does the rest.
All of the Holsteins at Country Dairy are milked this way. In keeping with the dairy’s commitment to animal well-being, each cow is given a name and wears a name tag and chipped collar to track her production. During my visit, I watched as a gal named Ginger stepped up to the milking machine. First, the machine read her collar to ensure it’d been at least five hours since her last milking. Then, once she got the OK, a healthy snack descended for her while a robotic arm washed her udders. Soon after, another arm attached the teat cups, and she was off.
Cows who get milked via AMS are healthier and happier, Country Dairy farmers say. They make their own schedules—resting, socializing, getting outdoors, and getting milked as they please. On any given day, you can see these happy cows hanging out in the pasture when you visit the farm. And visitors are very welcome at Country Dairy.
Not only do they offer year-round tours (on wagons pulled by Belgian horses, no less), but their market and café has become a huge draw for tourists and locals alike. Here, you can get everything from ice cream, cheese, and sour cream dip to meat, bread, and pastries—all produced on the farm. Appropriately, every sandwich, wrap, salad, and soup comes with a glass of milk—your choice: white or chocolate. Take a small bottle home or dine in and dispense it from the milk fountain.
Some of the farm’s biggest fans are bicyclists. The Hart-Montague Bike Trail, a 22-mile paved bike path that used to be train tracks, winds through the picturesque countryside of West Michigan and runs just past the farm. Country Dairy offers bikes for rent, and cyclists come from all over the state, stopping on their rides to grab lunch and snacks.
It’s worth noting that expansions at Country Dairy—like the integration of AMS and the embrace of agritourism—didn’t just happen. As a centennial farm (continuously owned and operated by the same family for over 100 years), the Van Gunst family, who run Country Dairy, has made a point to stay ahead of the curve in the competitive dairy market. An emphasis on faith, family, and community guides their decisions, and treating their cows well is a priority. But their openness and enthusiasm for modern innovations and expansions have clearly impacted their success.
Most notably, Country Dairy is unique among Michigan dairies in that it controls every aspect of milk production. Everything happens on the farm—from raising calves and milking to processing, bottling, and distribution. This allows for peak freshness in that they can get much of their milk “from cow to store shelves” within 48 hours.
Safe practices and optimal nutrition are just as central. Country Dairy does not use genetically modified organisms. Instead, they grow 90% of their corn and hay feed right on the farm. The cows’ manure is even collected throughout the year and dispersed as fertilizer biannually. Because all of their cows eat the same thing, this means the taste of Country Dairy milk never varies. This is not the case with some other brands who source milk from a variety of farms.
Country Dairy also doesn’t inject their cows with the growth hormone Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST) either. Many dairies use FDA-approved hormones to increase milk production. However, in order to prioritize the health of both cows and consumers, Country Dairy has made a point of not using it.
Beyond milk, their “Simple” line of ice cream is made without artificial colors or sweeteners, and all of their beef comes from steers that are cared for without growth hormones and raised right on the farm. They are slaughtered locally at USDA-regulated Sanders Meats and returned to Country Dairy for sale. Purchase is available at the deli, or you can reserve your own beef quarter or half. In keeping with the exceptional quality, yet small-town charm, of Country Dairy, their website directs you to “Call Brenda” if interested.
Perhaps the true uniqueness of Country Dairy is that it strikes a difficult-to-achieve balance in the dairy world these days. Whereas some Michiganders are veering toward the extolled benefits of raw milk, not everyone feels comfortable drinking unpasteurized milk. At the same time, we all want milk that tastes good and feels natural and responsibly produced.
As the farmers at Country Dairy put it, “Happy, healthy cows make the best tasting milk.” Country Dairy milk is some of the finest in Michigan, and their cows prove the point—happy and healthy.
Country Dairy milk and dairy products can be found all over the state. To find a retailer near you, use their store locator.
Faye Root is a writer and a homeschooling mother based in Northern Michigan. Follow her on X @littlebayschool.
