On our farm we milk pure-bred Jersey cows because not only are they beautiful but we also think it is important for the quality of our milk.
Jersey cows are one of the 6 main breeds of dairy cows in the world, but they originated in a small island off the coast of England called the Isle of Jersey. Jersey’s arrived in the United States in the 1850’s. They are the smallest breed of cows coming in at an average mature weight of around 1,000 lbs compared to 1,600 lbs for other breeds. Jersey’s are known for their gentleness and they can be a range of colors from fawn brown to dark brown and sometimes spotted.
Jerseys typically produce less milk than some of their larger counterparts, but the milk is higher in healthy fats and protein making it extra creamy and rich. (This is one of the many reasons why our raw milk tastes so much better than store-bought milk!) This also makes their milk very valuable for making butter and cheese: with the extra cream and protein content you can make more cheese per gallon of milk compared to the milk from a Holstein or Brown Swiss cow.
Another important aspect of our herd is that our cows are pure-bred. We have records on all of our cows that show that they are only Jersey and they have not been cross-bred with other breeds. We think this is important because it results in
less variation in milk quality and composition from one cow to another. Additionally, Jerseys are a heritage breed which have been associated with the A2A2 milk protein, which means that for some people the milk may be easier to digest.
There are a lot of reasons why we choose to milk Jersey cows, and if you come take a sip of our milk, I think you’ll understand why too!
