Farmer Josh Lathrop walks with his robot feed pusher during an open house showing local farmers the new technology. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)

SHERBURNE - In the rolling hills of Sherburne, at the Lathrop Family Farm, a quiet revolution is underway.

On Wednesday, April 23, Josh and Heather Lathrop opened their barn doors to the public, offering a glimpse into the future of farming, powered by robotics, automation, and rooted as much in preservation as it is in progress.

The Lathrops took over the farm in 2016, stepping into the boots of Josh’s parents, Barry and Paula Lathrop, who began building the family business back in 1969. Like many small family farms across the country, theirs faced the question of how to keep operating in a world demanding more from fewer hands. The answer: technology.

The centerpiece of the tour was a sleek, red-and-white machine known as the Lely Astronaut, an automatic milking system that lets cows milk themselves.

The cows, following a natural rhythm and the biological urge to release milk, wait their turn in line and walk into the machine voluntarily twice a day. The Lely Astronaut reads each cow’s electronic tag and keeps track of her habits - how much she’s rested, what she’s eaten, where she’s been, and how much milk she’s produced.