My name is John Gerbitz. I am the owner of Cow Corner and I would like to tell you a little about myself and the experiences that led to my interest in robotic milking.
As long as I can remember, it was important for my three brothers, two sisters and me to figure out how things worked. My mom was a teacher turned full-time mom and my dad was a mechanical engineer turned engine salesman and crop farmer. Mom encouraged our curiosity and Dad gave us a lot of ways to exercise our curiosity. Robotic milking has given me more opportunities to figure things out than anything else I have ever done.
Dad’s crop farming was interesting, but somewhere along the line I decided I wanted to be a dairy farmer. During high school I rode my bike to a neighbor’s farm and got a job helping with afternoon milkings. I can’t say I loved it from the start, but by the end of the first summer I was hooked.
After graduation from UW-Platteville, I renovated Dad’s barn, bought some cows, and I was a dairy farmer. After 5 years of dairy farming, I convinced a city girl who was my pastor’s daughter that she should marry a dairy farmer. Fortunately, I was the dairy farmer she chose. Christine spent several years in banking. She completed her education degree in 2022 and now she is the teacher in our church’s grade school. Christine and I have four daughters, one son and 9 grandchildren.
After I dispersed my dairy farm business, I was an AI technician, AI trainer, and reproductive management consultant. I managed the heifer enterprise for a large dairy. My most recent experience was as a herd management consultant for DeLaval. Through all of these roles I learned how rewarding it is to meet new people in the dairy business and help them find ways to reach their goals.
I enjoy bicycling, especially on trails, and camping. I also spend time on woodworking and home improvement. I recently became interested in antique hit-and-miss engines. I am involved with my church as a council member and choir member.
Cow Corner is the sum of all these experiences. I look forward to working more closely with customers, learning more about their businesses, and figuring out ways to help them achieve their goals.
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