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  Yukio Sato

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  Ryosuke Sato

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Toward business succession
creating opportunities for communication

In 1979, Hokusho Farm started dairy farming in the great nature of Nemuro. It started on a small scale with about 60 cows, but has now grown to 600 Holsteins and 100 Japanese breed called “Wagyu”.

"Animals are familiar to me because my father ran a dairy farm with working as a public employee, so I have had close contact with cows and horses since childhood. That's why I've always loved living things," says founder and president Yukio Sato. The friendliness of the cows on this farm shows that they are nurtured with love and care.

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  A dairy cow finds Mr. Ryosuke and approaches him. From spring to autumn, they grow up eating grass in a vast pasture.

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  Chizuru Sato (Mr. Ryosuke's wife) giving milk to a calf.
  Currently, the farm is run by 7 staffs and 4 family members who work in shifts.

It has been 30 years since Hokusho Farm was incorporated. "I think it's time to pass on to the new generation," says President Sato. Since his successor, Mr. Ryosuke, started farming, he has been using MDA to "explore how to train the next generation of dairy farmers, which is our biggest issue." And he has promoted the succession of the farm.
"We have been with Meiji since before the start of MDA. Because we have participated in study sessions throughout the Nemuro area and have been using Meiji's feed for a long time. Of course, we consult with them about farm-related issues, but now they are also consulting with us about business succession," says President Sato.

• MDA supports about 10 farmers nationwide in the succession of their businesses. MDA plays a role in facilitating communication between the president and the successor from a third-party perspective.

  "It's quite sensitive and delicate to talk about a father and son (laughs), but I am very grateful that the members of the MDA are able to mediate and talk smoothly," says President Sato.

  Once a month, a meeting is held for MDA members such as staff, the president. The president's side is "Team Hokusho" and the staff side is "Team Ryosuke," and the Meiji Group serves as a bridge between them by providing a forum for mutual communication.

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  A meeting of "Team Ryosuke" held regularly.
  The improvement points are discussed each month and applied to farming operations.

The establishment of regular meetings has also brought about changes within the farm. “By sharing management figures such as feed data and raw milk production volume through MDA meetings, staff are more likely to think and act voluntarily. In recent years, they have come to have a sense of ownership,” says President Sato.

"Previously, it was a completely top-down approach, but now it is important to convey earnestly to the staff with enthusiasm what the management is trying to do," says Mr. Ryosuke. To share this information, we introduced staff target setting, action plans, and evaluation sheets. While respecting each staff member's attitude toward their work, we provide opportunities for each staff member to discuss what they need to do and how to improve in order to achieve their goals," says Mr. Ryosuke.

Aiming to be a cattle herder who continues flexibly adapted to the times

The close communication between people working on the farm also helps improve the cows feeding environment. More and more issues have been raised from on-site, such as what is necessary to create a clean environment for cows to eat and sleep. As a result, we have been able to reduce cow stress, prevent disease, and ultimately improve milk quality.

"The inspection items for shipped raw milk include somatic cell counts and viable bacterial count. So, while receiving advice from the Meiji Group, all the staff reconfirmed how to clean the teats and built a system to check the milk filter after milking, which has improved the milk quality," says Mr. Ryosuke.

• Today, they feel that their farming style, which takes full care of the environment for both cows and workers, has created a good cycle that enables them to increase milk production and improve milk quality.
  The staff has worked together to strengthen the farm's technological capabilities. In recent years, Mr. Ryosuke has been focusing on the digitalization of farms. They have been using milk production management software for 20 years, and 3 years ago we introduced a cow herd management system provided by Meiji Feed. Data accumulation has greatly improved the efficiency of cow management.

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  President Sato milking a cow that has just given birth.
  By looking into the eyes of a cow, he can tell if she has a fever or any other ailment.

• When breeding is managed with the cow herd management system, the timing of seeding, pregnancy assessment, and pregnancy status, are color-coded for each individual cow.
  The number of milking days is visualized, which is also helpful in identifying Non-milking period or renew milk. By using the two software together, all the staff can accurately grasp the physical condition of each cow even in a vast farm, just by operating a smartphone. Since the data will be accumulated, we would like to actively utilize data from now on,” says Mr. Ryosuke.

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  Cow Herd Management system provided by Meiji Feed.
  Information is color-coded to show condition at a glance.

With the advent of IoT, the dairy industry is undergoing technological innovation. Mr. Ryosuke believes that it is important to reduce the burden on people and improve the working environment by always looking ahead and incorporating technology flexibly. “In the future, it will become impossible for only one manager to run a farm. I want the staff to be close to the management, and everyone who works on the farm will be aware that they are part of the management, so that the farm can develop," says President Sato.
Mr. Ryosuke, the next generation leader, echoed this encouragement, "My goal is to increase the number of cows. In the future, I would like to double the number of cows we have now and increase the milking output to 6,000 to 8,000 tons." He pledged further development of the farm.