In praise of The Cow (a.k.a. La Vache, La Mucca, La Vaca)

Hello Fellow Non-Travelers!

After last week’s post, I could not stop thinking (and reading) about the current state of the dairy market. It got me thinking about this majestic animal that can be found (and utilized) on nearly every continent on the planet. Some for dairy, some for meat, or sometimes as a draught animal.

So, for inspiration for this week’s post, I simply turned to my camera roll and scrolled through the 1000’s of photos until I was reminded of this one from 2016.

At my niece, Ashley’s wedding reception they had music and food as you would imagine, but they also had face painters for the kids, as well as a silhouette artist (one who can take a sheet of black paper and just using their eyesight and a pair of scissors will perfectly cut out your silhouette). Never wanting to follow the crowd, I challenged this artist to cut out the silhouette of a cow for me. Why a Cow?....Well, I did not have one and I thought it would be fun framed in my office!  

It also reminded me of a trip earlier that same year to Austin where I had visited my friends John and Kendall Antonelli at their Antonelli’s Cheese Shop. There they had a great French poster of Les Animaux de La Ferme(Farm Animals) showing many breeds of cows. 

This poster (and much of the research for my book) helped me better understand just how many different (and regional) breeds of cattle that there are, but it still led me to the questions…Just how many breeds of cattle are there??..What are there uses??...Which ones are most common in the United States and why??

Two different websites gave me the answers that I was looking for:

The first one was a List of Cattle Breeds. Here I learned that there are “over 1000 breeds of cattle that are recognized worldwide, some of which have adapted to the local climate, others which were bred by humans for specialized uses”.

I also learned that “cattle breeds fall into two main types: Bos indicus (or Bos taurus indicus) cattle, commonly called zebu, are adapted to hot climates and originated in the tropical parts of the world such as sub-Saharan Africa, India, China, and Southeast Asia. Bos taurus (or Bos taurus taurus), typically referred to as "taurine" cattle, are generally adapted to cooler climates and include almost all cattle breeds originating from Europe, the Mediterranean region, and northern Asia. Both species were likely present since ancient times in northern Africa and the Middle East, where both natural and human-caused hybridization likely occurred”.

Next I wanted to focus in on the United States. The Purebred Dairy Cattle Association website helped me better understand the seven main breeds of cattle that are used in the United States.

Here are the top seven in alphabetical order:

The Ayrshire breed 

AYSHIRE Photo courtesy of Farmers Weekly

“The Ayrshire breed originated in the County of Ayr in Scotland prior to 1800, with the first importation to the U.S. around 1822. The breed is medium in size with various red and white markings. Dairymen appreciate Ayrshires because of their efficiency, udder quality, longevity, and ease of care. Additionally, they produce quality milk, which is highly regarded for manufacturing.” Uses: Only Dairy.

The Brown Swiss breed

BROWN SWISS Photo courtesy of Britannica

“The Brown Swiss has its origins in the mountains of Switzerland, and is one of the oldest dairy breeds in the world. The first Brown Swiss came to the U.S. in the winter of 1869-70. Today’s Brown Swiss is known for her ability to adapt to any type of dairy setup in any country of the world. The Swiss cow is gaining popularity worldwide due to the high protein content of her milk, which is ‘just right’ for the cheese-maker.” Uses: Only Dairy.

The Guernsey breed

GUERNSEY Photo courtesy of Pinterest

“The Guernsey breed can trace its ancestry back over 1,000 years to Guernsey, a tiny island in the English Channel off the coast of France. The mature Guernsey cow weighs about 1,200 pounds and is 55 inches tall with fawn and white markings. Guernseys are very adaptable to many different management conditions, and are known for a desirable disposition and for having few calving difficulties. Guernsey milk has the highest level of beta carotene content of all dairy breeds”. Uses: Only Dairy.

The Holstein Friesian breed

HOLSTEIN Photo courtesy of USDA

“The Holstein cow (often shortened to Holsteins in North America, while the term Friesians is often used in the UK and Ireland) originated in Europe, and was imported to America from Holland in the mid 1800’s. Today’s Holstein cow is a large black-and-white or red-and-white stylish animal with outstanding milk production. A mature cow should weigh 1,500 pounds. Average production for Holsteins on official testing programs is 22,540 pounds milk and 819 pounds butterfat”. Uses: Meat & Dairy.

The Jersey breed

JERSEY Photo courtesy of Pinterest

“The Jersey breed originated on Jersey Island. Jersey Island is one of the Channel Islands located between England and France. The Jersey is one of the world’s oldest dairy breeds. The first Jerseys were brought to the United States in 1850. Jerseys are found throughout the world because of their ability to adapt to a wide range of management, climates, and geographic conditions. The Jersey breed is noted for its efficiency. Averaging 900 pounds in body weight, the Jersey produces more milk per pound of body weight than the other dairy breeds. The Jersey breed production average is 15,231 pounds milk, 706 pounds fat, and 564 pounds protein. Jersey milk has the highest concentration of milk solids – including protein – among the other major dairy breeds. The high milk solids level means a more nutritious and flavorful fluid milk, greater cheese, and other manufacturing yields. The Jersey is also noted for its reproductive efficiency, heat tolerance, longevity, and refined dairy type”. Uses: Only Dairy.

The Milking Shorthorn breed

MILKING SHORTHORN Photo courtesy of Dupage

“Milking Shorthorns are one of the oldest recognized breeds, originating from Northeastern England in the Valley of the Tees River. In 1783, the first Shorthorns entered the United States. Milking Shorthorns are best known for their versatility. This docile breed efficiently converts feed into milk and has a long productive life. The animals are also known for their ease of management and calving”. Uses: Meat & Dairy.

RED HOLSTEIN Photo courtesy of Pinterest

 The Red Holstein Friesian breed

For all of the same reasons given to the Black and White Holsteins, this Red and White variety is just a variance in the animal’s genes. 

So, with that, my dear reader, I hope that you have a little greater appreciation for these gentle giants…It is so easy to see why Werner Lampert chose The Cow: A Tribute as the title (and subject) of his beautiful photo essay on these bovine beauties! 

Please remember to #supportourcheesemakers by building your own cheeseboard and posting the photo online on April 25th!....More details can be found here.

Until next week,

Trevor