 |  |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |
What We Do
GAR-LIN DAIRY - WHAT WE DO
It Starts With People
​
At Gar-Lin it all starts with the quality people that are needed to run the dairy , young stock, and agronomy operations. Operating the 50 cow rotating parlor, three free-stall barns, sand separator, animal hospital, calf nursery, calf barns, are among some of the responsibilities of running a successful large dairy operation.
​
​
Community Involvement
​
We are active leaders in local, state, and national organizations. Our involvement over the years has included Southeast Minnesota Ag Alliance, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, US Dairy Industry’s Sustainability Council, City of Eyota-Planning and Zoning, US Dairy Forage Research Center Advisory Board, Farm Bureau, and MFA (midwest forage association).
Gar-Lin Dairy
​
Since 1971, when Gary and Linda Allen took over the farm with 40 cows, and now has in excess of 1,850 milking cows. Gar-Lin Dairy, LLC today is owned by Gary and Linda along with their children Dean Allen- Outside Operations Manager and Dana Allen-Tully - Dairy Operations Manager, helping farm the over 4,100 acres consisting of corn, alfalfa, sweet peas and sweet corn...
​
Animal Health and Comfort
​
For cows at Gar-Lin Dairy, every day is a beach day. Cows are housed in barns with sand-bedded freestalls, with continuous access to fresh water and feed. Thermostat-controlled fans and sprinkler systems keep cows comfortable in warm weather and the stalls are bedded with sand and pens are cleaned three times a day; fresh sand is added twice a week to keep the cows clean and dry. The sand bedding is clean and comfortable for the cows...
​
​
Milking
1,850 cows are milked three times a day in a 50-cow carousel parlor. The parlor is used 21 hours a day and shut down for maintenance and cleaning for 3 Hours a day.
Four people do the milking with a fifth kept busy moving cows from the barn to the holding pen to the parlor. The people doing the milking stand in the same area while the cows rotate around. It takes 10.5 to 11 minutes for the carousel to make a full revolution...
Calves
​
At Gar-Lin Dairy, approximately 7 calves are born a day. Cows that are close to giving birth are monitored 24 hours a day and give birth in birthing pens with other expecting cows and social groups...
Gar-Lin Agronomy
In 1981, the north farm location, with 206 acres was purchased by Gar-Lin Dairy and became what is known today as Gar-Lin Agronomy. Dean began managing the agronomy center after many years of the farm being owned by another family relative. The operation continued to slowly expand, supplying 100% of the crops for the original 40 milking cows to the now over 1,850 milking cows, and 1740 replacement young stock.
​
Environmental Stewards
​
Sustainability, technology and progressive agricultural practices are a few main goals of the dairy and we have hard working professionals and educated staff to run the large dairy operations...
​
​
Milk Producers
​
Gar-Lin Dairy has a rolling herd average of 30,370 pounds of milk, 1,229 pounds of fat and 915 pounds of protein. Milk is loaded directly onto three 6,000 gallon tankers and marketed through Land O’Lakes. They sell about 17,500 gallons of milk per day...
​
Award Winning Minnesota Dairy Producing Farm, Gar-Lin Dairy, LLC of Eyota, Minn., knows it takes great people to run a first-in-class dairy operation.
