How to Keep Your Milking Barn Running When the Electricity Is Out
by Clayton James
Running a dairy farm requires farmers to get up very early to milk the cows and stay out in the late evening milking the same cows again. Without electricity, the entire milking barn would shut down. As a farmer, that is one of the worst things that can happen. There are a few things you can do to prevent your worst nightmare from coming true. Here are just a few options.
Put Your Barn on a Separate Power Grid
If you have not done so already, switch your barn's power supply from your house and the rest of the property over to its own power grid. That way, when an ice storm hits and blows the power to your house, your milking barn may stay operational. When an ice storm blows all the power to everything on your farm, then you have to move on to generators.
Generators
Crank and fuel these machines up, and they will keep your milking barn going. When you buy your generators, make sure you are matching the kph (kilowatt per hour) your barn needs against the amount of power the generators can create every hour. Even when you are not milking cows during the day, the refrigerated tanks need to stay on or you will lose all the milk you collected. If you have an exceptionally large milking parlour, you may want to purchase your own industrial generator through resources like Southern Rewind Ltd generators in Lethbridge to keep up with the power demands.
Insulate the Power Lines
Some farmers are fortunate enough to have most of their power lines buried underground. For them, a generator or two is all they need for backup. If all of your power lines are exposed, you may ask the electrical company or an electrical contractor to insulate the lines against the harsh Canadian winter.
Preserving the lines from freezing and snapping in the cold ensures that you will not have to worry about your millking barn shutting down or your milk collection tank going sour.
Searching for Agricultural Equipment, Electrical Supplies and Installation
As a farmer, you are accustomed to performing some basic electrical repairs. However, you are a farmer and not exactly a certified electrician. You can buy all the agricultural equipment and electrical supplies you need, but then you will need to hire a professional to install some of it too. Sometimes you can find all of the above in one place.
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About Me
Getting into the agricultural business can be a profitable one, but you need the right tools and equipment put into place in order to ensure your success. There is no reason to create your business by hand when so many awesome options are available on the market to help you. Whether it comes to watering your plots or keeping pests at bay, there is machinery and accessories available to get the job done with less manpower, electricity, and money. On this blog you'll learn about the best pesticides, fertilizers, and weeders to use on your farm. You'll also gain some insight into the best machinery to use depending on your specific type of agricultural endeavor. And once in awhile you may even gain some insight into the best times of year to grow particular types of crops.