RMD Dairy in Ohio: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
RMD Dairy is a third-generation family dairy in Rittman, Ohio, started in 1954 and now milking about 600 cows, with roughly 450 milked by robots. It is run by the Dotterer family, who farm more than 2,000 acres to feed the cows, and its robotic barn drew about 2,500 visitors to the 2021 Dairy Twilight Tour.
| Location | Rittman, Wayne County area, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1954 by Henry Dotterer (as published) |
| Sectors | Dairy; corn, soybeans, wheat and hay for feed |
| Scale | About 600 cows, about 450 milked by eight robots; more than 2,000 acres farmed by the Dotterer Brothers operation (July 2021 report) |
| Why it is elite | Large family dairy with early robotic milking, selected to host a record-attendance state dairy tour |
| Ownership | Mark, Matthew and Rick Dotterer are equal partners; Matthew and Mark are third generation |
| Official website | Farm and Dairy: Twilight tour features RMD Dairy's robotic milking system |
History of RMD Dairy
Henry Dotterer started the farm in 1954. His son Rick took over and sold it to his sons in 1990, and in 2014 brothers Mark and Matthew bought out their uncle Bob, who worked at the dairy until the end of 2020. The family now operates the dairy as equal partners, with Mark, Matthew and Rick sharing ownership.
A Farm and Dairy report from July 2021 says the family built a barn designed for robotic milking before adopting the system in January 2018, starting with six robots and adding two used units shortly before the article. That sequence, planning the barn first and the robots second, is a notable part of the farm's story.
What RMD Dairy Grows and Raises
The dairy milks about 600 cows, roughly 450 of them through eight robots, with the rest still using the parlor. Cows choose when to visit the robot and are milked from one to five times a day. The family's Dotterer Brothers operation farms more than 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay to feed the cows at both dairy farms.
The workforce reported in 2021 was three full-time and eight part-time employees, with W.G. Dairy Supply handling robot maintenance. Robotic milking changes the labor mix: less time on milking shifts and more time on herd data, cow comfort and fieldwork. The family hosted the Dairy Twilight Tour on July 20, 2021, with about 2,500 visitors and more than 60 vendors.
How RMD Dairy Makes Money
Milk sales
The farm's core income is milk from its herd. Robotic milking supports frequent milking and detailed cow-by-cow records, which dairy farmers use to manage production and herd health.
Home-grown feed and crop management
By farming more than 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and hay, the family produces much of the feed its cows eat. Controlling feed supply reduces dependence on purchased feed and ties crop decisions directly to the dairy.
Industry visibility and partnerships
Hosting the state dairy tour put the farm in front of vendors, suppliers and other producers. While the farm does not describe this as a revenue stream, strong supplier relationships, such as service support for its robots, help a dairy keep equipment running.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from RMD Dairy
A first lesson is to design the building for the technology. The family built a robot-ready barn before installing robots, which can save retrofit cost and downtime. A second is to adopt in steps, adding units as the herd and workflow allowed.
A third is that clear ownership matters across generations. Buying out an uncle in 2014 and sharing equal partnerships among family members set rules that make future transitions easier. Producing home-grown feed on a large acreage also gives a dairy a cost-control lever.
A herd that decides for itself when to visit the milking robot is the kind of cow independence that farm.FM could turn into farm satire with a straight face. The Dotterer family hosted thousands of visitors, which is plenty of material for farm humor, but we will keep the ranch humor and farm jokes affectionate and leave the cows to their schedule.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
How to Contact RMD Dairy
Website: https://moxiequinn713.farmanddairy.com/?p=675323
RMD Dairy's own website was not found; this page links to a Farm and Dairy news profile. Contact details were not verified; confirm before traveling.
RMD Dairy Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Farm and Dairy: RMD Dairy twilight tour - News profile of the 2021 tour and the robotic barn
- Ohio Farm Bureau: Daugherty Farm - Another Ohio robotic dairy profile for comparison
- Ohio State University Extension: farm management - Land-grant extension farm management resources
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, Ohio - State totals for farms, acres and sales
- USDA Farm Service Agency, Ohio - State office information on farm programs and loans
RMD Dairy FAQ
Where is RMD Dairy?
In Rittman, Ohio.
How many cows does RMD Dairy milk?
About 600 cows as of a July 2021 report, with roughly 450 milked by eight robots.
Who owns RMD Dairy?
Mark, Matthew and Rick Dotterer are equal partners; Matthew and Mark are the third generation.
When was the farm started?
Henry Dotterer started the farm in 1954.
RMD Dairy is a good example of a third-generation Ohio dairy that planned its barn around robots and keeps feed production at home. For the wider state picture, read the Ohio state guide and the other profiled operations.