Jersey Cows

Learning how to manage a small goat herd was an amazing way to prepare us for how to handle our own (small) family milking cow.

Our jersey cow, Blossom, provides our family with an average of 14 Liters of milk EACH day; that’s a lot of cheesemaking to keep up with!!!

Blossom is registered with Jersey Canada https://jerseycanada.com/research-resources/

and we plan to maintain the option of registering any future heifer calves she may produce.  Our goal is to raise a friendly, easy to handle jersey calf to pass along to another family who may be looking for a future milk cow.  Maybe that’s YOU!

In the meantime, we enjoy the delicious, rich milk that Blossom brings us each day to make farmhouse cheddar cheese, cheese curds, soft cheese, sweet and cultured butter, kefir, yogurt, sour cream and much more!

Why Jersey?

Jerseys are well known for their milk which is noted for its high quality – it is particularly rich in protein, minerals and trace elements. It is also rich in colour which is naturally produced from carotene, an extract from grasses.

The smaller, more efficient Jersey cow is the solution to the challenges of profitability and sustainability confronting dairy business owners.

A Profitable Product

“With the Jersey, we have an animal that is smaller, uses fewer natural resources and produces a smaller carbon footprint. We have a cow with a longer productive life that produces a more nutrient-rich milk that consumers are demanding and are willing to pay for.”

James Ahlem, past-President, National All-Jersey Inc.

Compared to average milk, a glass of Jersey milk has greater nutritional value: 15% to 20% more protein, 15% to 18% more calcium, and 10% to 12% more phosphorous, and also considerably higher levels of an essential vitamin, B12.

This nutrient-dense Jersey milk tastes better. The reason is there is more protein, calcium and other non-fat solids in her milk compared to other breeds.

All this comes from a remarkably sustainable breed population. A scientific, peer- reviewed life-cycle assessment published in the Journal of Dairy Science (Capper & Cady, 2012) determined that for Jerseys and Holsteins to produce the same amount of protein, milkfat and other solids, the Jersey population needs 32% less water, requires 11% less land, produces less waste and uses substantially less fossil fuels with a 20% reduction in total carbon footprint. In terms of the amount of Jersey milk needed to produce 500,000 metric tons (1.1 billion pounds) of cheese, the reduction in carbon footprint is equal to taking 443,900 cars off the road annually.

Products are manufactured from Jersey milk more efficiently, and also are of higher quality because more protein is recovered in the cheese and the curd is firmer.

Resources: https://www.usjersey.com/Portals/0/AJCA/2_Docs/WhyJerseys2016.pdf