National Dairy Month: How Dairy Farmers Use Monarch to Address Food Security

Food sustains life. It’s a seemingly simple concept, but for many people, access to good food is a complicated affair. Food security, or lack of it, has always been a hot topic, and issues like affordability, accessibility, and environmental pressures in farming are turning the dial up even more.   

Dairy farmers have long known that when it comes to strengthening food security, they are valuable players. Recognizing dairy’s contributions to a reliable food network, Monarch is nourishing the industry’s potential with cream of the crop technology.  

What is Food Security? 

Access to healthy, affordable, nutrient-dense foods is necessary for a high quality of life. Lack of access, either due to poverty or living in a food desert (an area with limited supplies of fresh wholesome foods), pushes individuals to rely on cheap high-processed foods to fill their shopping cart or fast-food chain meals. This diet deprives the body of nutrients needed to thrive and often leads to chronic, costly health issues like obesity, diabetes, and mental health disorders. 

According to a Feeding America report, 86% of counties with the highest food insecurity are rural. Food deserts are predominantly found in impoverished areas, mostly rural regions and inner cities. At the same time, fast food restaurants are more concentrated in these environments than places that sell fresh food. 

Dairy Delivers 

Dairy products are a power-packed nutritional punch in an array of delicious foods with universal appeal. They are rich sources of essential micro and macronutrients, including high-quality protein, vitamins, calcium, potassium, and other minerals. These are necessities in healthy development and the U.S. Dietary Guidelines of America (DGA) classifies many of these nutrients as a source of concern due to their underconsumption in the standard American diet. Milk, cheeses, yogurt, butter, cream — there are many ways to get dairy into the diet, and can be packaged as appealing convenience foods.

The Dairy Sustainability Alliance, a multi-stakeholder group from across the dairy industry, says that at community food pantries across America, milk products are the most requested, but the most under-represented. Food pantry managers, buyers, and corporate representatives are working together to overcome barriers to get dairy products into the hands (and refrigerators) of those who need it most. 

Affordability is also a factor. Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) reports that milk costs a mere 24 cents per eight-ounce serving. Ounce for ounce, milk delivers higher nutritional value for its cost than many other drinks on the market.

Dairy farms bolster food security at the root by helping reduce poverty in rural areas. Farms hire workers to help with the endless tasks involved in running a dairy farm. For every dollar generated in dairy farming, it turns over three to seven times in local communities, generating $750 billion in the United States, according to the National Milk Producers Federation.  

Food Heroes 

Farms are the foundation of a healthy and reliable food network, but pressures like erratic, extreme weather, labor challenges, depleted soils, and the rising costs of external inputs are intensifying. It’s a food ecosystem that has farmers struggling to stay productive and profitable.  

When I looked at our food ecosystem there is no farm profitability today. What is very obvious is that farmers need support. And without farmers, there is no food security.

Praveen Penmetsa, CEO & Co-founder, Monarch Tractor 

Modernizing dairy machinery and tools helps dairy farmers operate more efficiently, productively, and sustainably. Dairies have a long history of being early adopters of ag robotic technology. Monarch is advancing it in a new and welcoming way.  

Farming Smarter 

Monarch’s technology represents a shift in agriculture. Instead of building dairy machinery dedicated to a single operation, its modular technology platform powers autonomy, electrification, and data intelligence. Monarch’s Wingspan Ag Intelligence (WingspanAI), an advanced AI and computing operating system, enables autonomy, provides both live and historical video footage of operations, and collects data on emissions savings for pollution reduction efforts, energy usage, miles driven, when the tractor was deployed, its speed, who operated it, and more.  

With Monarch’s AgTech ecosystem, which is packaged up as the MK-V Dairy tractor, dairy farmers are automating feed pushing, eliminating tractor-associated diesel costs, and gaining operational insights for more efficient farm management. And because it’s a tractor, not a robot on a track, it can perform any additional duties compatible with a compact tractor — mowing, pushing shavings, transporting calves, hauling, and so on. 

Driverless Feed Pushing 

Automated feed pushing solves labor shortage issues. By removing a person from the tractor’s seat, that person can tend to other responsibilities, helping a farm achieve a more reliable feeding schedule. When cows eat more regularly, they consume more food and can fulfill their genetic potential in milk production.  

Our cows are making more milk simply by ensuring feed is pushed correctly, and the labor savings are huge. With the electric, autonomous tractor pushing feed consistently, I’m expecting an increase in milk production — probably 1-2 pounds per cow.

Gerben (Hein) Hettinga, Owner, GH Dairy 

Monarch® Autodrive™ was initially released for outdoor dairies and has since expanded to include nighttime operations, outdoor lanes covered in shade cloth, and as of summer 2025, covered lanes for day and nighttime operations. 

Electrification & Data 

Because the MK-V Dairy tractor has zero emissions, it helps dairy farmers achieve their sustainability goals and appeal to purchasers who are meeting consumers’ demands for cleaner farming. WingspanAI reports emissions savings so farmers can quantify their pollution reduction efforts. According to farmers, WingspanAI’s metrics reporting is especially helpful during nighttime shifts because they quickly get an accurate report of feeding operations and tractor activity.  The WingspanAI app makes this information available on-the-go.  

 Monarch’s autonomous tractor is smart dairy machinery that keeps improving, even after point of purchase through its software and firmware updates. Think of upgrades and improvements that go to your smart phone. Monarch’s tech platform works the same way, but for a much larger device!  

Nourishing Potential 

As the world’s population grows and environmental challenges intensify, dairy farmers need every ounce of support available to continue supplying the global food network and improving food security. The next time you reach for a tasty and healthy dairy snack, it might be one made from cows cared for by hardworking dairy farmers using their Monarch technology! 

References:

Godman, Heidi (2024). More evidence that ultra-processed foods harm health. Published online at Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/more-evidence-that-ultra-processed-foods-harm-health 

"Map the Meal Gap 2025 Report." Published by Feeding American. Retrieved from: https://www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2025-05/Map%20the%20Meal%20Gap%202025%20Report.pdf

"United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Access Research Atlas." Retrieved from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-to-the-atlas

"United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Environment Research Atlas." Retrieved from: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-environment-atlas/go-to-the-atlas

"Feeding America Food Insecurity Among the Overall Population in the United States." Retrieved from: https://map.feedingamerica.org/