In 2015, two complementary family businesses in De Lutte, Twente - the Ecoloar organic dairy farm of André and Tonny Mulder and the Het Hengelman processing plant of Jos and Dorthy Elderink - joined forces to bring unpasteurized milk products to a wider audience. Together, they formed the Raw Milk Company, dedicated to crafting kefir, yogurt and other raw-milk delicacies.
Demand for their organic products grew, and the Raw Milk Company was faced with a challenge: to increase production while continuing to produce an artisanal product. The solution was clear-innovative automation.
From Pasture to Pot: Preserving Nature’s Goodness
Raw milk is unpasteurized milk that comes directly from the cow. The goal was to produce products that source milk directly from grass-fed cows that spend as much time outdoors as possible. Because this milk bypasses pasteurization, its rich profile of proteins, healthy fats, vitamins and live cultures remains intact-delivering a truly authentic farm-fresh taste.
Meeting Growing Demand - Without Losing Artisanal Roots
As consumer interest in organic, raw-milk products surged, the Raw Milk Company faced a challenge: how to boost production volumes while safeguarding the hands-on methods that define their craft. They needed automation—but not at the expense of the delicate fermentation and handling that give their products its special character.
To strike the right balance, the Raw Milk Company turned to A&S Techniek (experts in dairy-farm automation) and Isotron (specialists in control-system integration). Together, they designed a modular solution that:
- Supports, rather than replaces, manual steps. Critical artisan tasks - like starter-culture dosing and gentle mixing - remain under human supervision.
- Enables remote monitoring and management. Farm managers can now review temperatures, flows and cycle states from their smartphones, whether they’re in the milking barn or off-site.
- Streamlines commissioning and maintenance. With secure remote access, fine-tuning and troubleshooting happen without on-site visits, saving time and travel.
UniStream PLCs: The All-in-One Control Hub
At the heart of the new, automated system sits Unitronics’ UniStream controller, chosen for its integrated PLC/HMI capabilities and large-format touchscreen. Key functionalities include:
- PLC Control via CANopen, driving valves and pumps for precise flow management.
- PID Loop Regulation to maintain optimal temperatures and mixing speeds throughout fermentation.
- Secure VNC-Based HMI Access allowing operators to take over the screen remotely for real-time adjustments.
This unified platform gives the Raw Milk Company a single window into both cleaning-in-place (CIP) operations and production-line status - preserving the hands-on artistry of raw-milk dairy while scaling up to meet organic-market demand.
Result: By weaving cloud-enabled oversight into their time-honored processes, the Raw Milk Company has transformed into a robust, growth-ready brand - where nature’s purity and modern automation truly go hand in hand.
