‘We went from one of the oldest barns to one of the most modern barns in North America’
The Craswell family and their farm are part of a four-page spread in the 2017 Milk calendar. The Craswell family and their farm are part of a four-page spread in the 2017 Milk calendar. (Milk Calendar)
An investment in technology and a long history have landed a P.E.I. farm family a spot on this year’s national Milk Calendar, released by Dairy Famers of Canada.
The Craswell family story combines both tradition and modern methods.
The family has operated the Crasdale Farm in Hunter River since 1850. More recently, in 2014, they built a no-stall, parlour-style dairy barn, with a robotic milker and an automated feeding system.
Cow comfort
The cows can eat, sleep and get milked when they want.
“It’s kind of been a little bit of a poster child for advances in technology and how farms have progressed,” said Amber Craswell.
With the technology in the barn the cows can even get a back scratch whenever they want. (Milk Calendar)
“I think we went from one of the oldest barns to one of the most modern barns in North America, and there aren’t that many of them, so I think that’s why we made it on the calendar.”
Craswell said she and her husband, Brian, were thrilled to be featured in the popular calendar, published by the Dairy Farmers of Canada.
Craswell said they were also just awarded the P.E.I. Veterinary Medicine Association’s Cow Comfort Award for 2016.
