Harmonie Farm of Colchester LLC

Cow Comfort Project

Preparing to bring the next generation into the family dairy farm business, Harmonie Farms of Colchester is undertaking a large-scale farm renovation. The Delaware County Farm Enhancement grant was able to help the Mattson family complete one portion of their farm enhancement with a cow comfort project for the milking cow herd.

The full scope of the project includes an addition to the barn to accommodate the installation of a robotic milking system, additional milking herd housing, and renovation of the current dairy herd stalls. The grant enabled Harmonie Farm to install a foam core, rubberized mattress for each cow in the herd. The Mattson family believes investing in cow comfort is an investment in the future. The new stalls, coupled with the mattresses, assure each animal has a clean, comfortable place to lay down. This prevents injury to the animals, optimizes comfort and allows for ample rest to maintain animal health and improve longevity and productivity.

With the 3rd generation poised to manage the farm for years to come, the family is looking to maximize quality life for animals, employees and family alike. There is a buzz of excitement in the air around the farm as they prepare to go live with the robotic milking system. While the anticipated increased milk production is a welcome advantage, the people on the farm are most looking forward to working with the animals in a different way. With more time free to manage the cows and work with them in the barn, coupled with cutting edge data collection from the new milking system, the family is expectant of improvements to herd health with early diagnostics and interventions, production with tighter management practices in place, and more time to spend with young stock. The family farm has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1958, when the first generation decided to realize a dream contrived from summers escaping to “the farm” for his Jersey City upbringing.

Last updated September 25, 2025