Behind-the-Scenes of WTFCF S4, E3: Robot Dairy

The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!

The coffee break. A time when people in an office environment can leave their designated work space and grab that hot cup of java for a mid-morning boost. My guess is chatting and catching up on the latest television shows is part of it, too. But with so many people working from home, including me, I don’t know if the coffee break even exists anymore!

But when is a coffee break, not a coffee break? When it’s a chocolate milk break. You heard right about a chocolate milk break, believe me, you will hear more about that. Where The Food Comes From visited Hickory Hill Milk in Edgefield, South Carolina, on June 22.

Our first interview took place in the bottling plant with Owner Watson Dorn.

I don’t know about you, but I always get confused between homogenized and pasteurized. Watson had an explanation. Pasteurization kills the pathogens that can make us sick. Homogenization basically shakes milk up to blend it — the cream and milk don’t separate. Most people are used to homogenized milk. The Dorns believe non-homogenized milk tastes better and is easier to digest. I’m pretty sure I agree after our visit...

For the rest of Donna Sander’s behind-the-scenes look at this episode of WTFCF, CLICK HERE.

Related Stories
There are about 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses in the United States annually – that’s roughly one in six Americans.
Sometimes food safety can be less about what’s in or out of what you’re eating and more about what you’re used to eating, as Dr. Francisco Diez from the University of Georgia Food Safety Center explains.
You’ve probably heard that if you drop food it’s still clean and edible as long as you pick it up within 5 seconds. Sorry, not true!
“Where The Food Comes From” visits M&B Products, a milk bottling plant in Temple Terrace, FL (a suburb of Tampa) with its farm in Lecanto, operated by the McClellan family. Get ready for a lesson in everything from milk bottling, to dairy nutrition, and bovine reproduction!
Mary Days is a contributor and good friend of “Where the Food Comes From,” and enjoys joining us on shoots in Florida. This is her behind-the-scenes take on what a day looks like filming with the crew.
Would you believe it’s possible to have a dairy barn where all you smell is clean fresh country air? Leon McLellan of M&B Products in Temple Terrace, FL shows us how!

More Shows
From barnyards and back roads to metros and highways, Simply Southern TV on RFD-TV explores all of Alabama to bring you the best stories on farming, gardening, forestry, rural living, and youth in agriculture.
Each week, “Rural Heritage” on RFD-TV treats its viewers to stories of farmers borrowing from yesterday to do the work of today. Using hand tools, natural farming methods and draft animal power, these men and women successfully compete with their neighbors who instead employ large, expensive modern machinery and rely on chemical fertilizers and insecticides to grow their crops.
“Somewhere West of Wall Street” is simply the most recent addition to the long list of noteworthy accomplishments by the Renaissance cowboy, singer-songwriter, poet, author, and show host Red Steagall. Join Red and his quarter horse, Grey Dog, as they explore the people, places, and stories of the American West.
Mecum delivers the auction action to tractor fans everywhere, offering an unparalleled array of vintage and collectible tractors ranging from entry-level collector tractors that sell for a few thousand dollars to high-end, ultra-rare machines!
Tom McComas became involved with toy trains by accident and with reluctance. But his passion led to the creation of “I Love Toy Trains,” which quickly became TM’s best-selling title and one of the best-selling children’s videos in the country. More videos were produced, and the series began to win awards and gain national exposure in magazines and on TV.
Strong rural traditions, religion, cowboy boots, and technology collide in “Cowboy Church” — and taking part is as easy as turning on the TV!
Hosted by Agriculture Broadcaster Brian Baxter, RFD-TV’s popular series “Classic Tractor Fever” is a must-see for any tractor enthusiast. It’s the place to find the history, stories, and passion of collectors who preserve these beautiful and amazing pieces of our agricultural past.
“California Bountiful” brings you up close with the people, places, food and farms that make California so delicious! The weekly show delivers a fun, entertaining and educational look at California’s farm to fork lifestyle, and everything in between.
Filmed in front of a live audience at the historic Lyric Theatre in Lexington, Kentucky, “WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour” features an eclectic array of popular artists from genres of folk, blues, country, jazz, new-age, and rock.
This half-hour program showcases the finest traditional country music that America has to offer. Recorded live at the four-acre Circle T Arena in Hamilton, Texas, each episode of TruCountry features live performances by some of the nation’s most authentic country music artists, playing good-time songs to a jam-packed dance floor.