Jersey cows

    Our cows are of the Jersey breed, unusual for The Netherlands, which has many of its own traditional breeds.
    The Jersey is a beautiful brown, intelligent cow, with large uniformly coloured brown eyes.
    Relatively small – very suitable for organic farming – it’s a very undemanding cow, with few special requirements, yet yields a surprisingly large amount of milk.
    We maintain a herd of about 90 prime Jersey milch cows.

    The milk

    The Jersey cow is highly efficient in its conversion of fodder to milk, on top of which the milk is also special.
    Jersey milk contains a higher percentage of carotene than the normal milk of other breeds, and therefore has a noticeably yellow tint.
    Besides a higher percentage of calcium, Jersey milk contains larger amounts of just the right protein for making excellent, nutritious cheese.
    That’s also why the milk curdles well, with the addition of just starter culture and organic rennet (coagulant). Perfect for our Remeker cheese!

    Horns

    The cow’s horns play an important and highly necessary part in the whole process.
    After all, the horns are a natural part of the cow!
    Horns have cavities that are connected to other cavities in the head. All together, these serve as vital storage capacity for saliva.
    This saliva contains enzymes that are then optimally available for the important task of digestion.
    These enzymes also appear in the milk and contribute significantly to the quality of the milk.
    A fascinating and little-known fact is that when cows ruminate, the store of enzyme-rich saliva is made available…  and the horns always get warm!

    Natural way of working

    By taking good care of the soil, we ensure high-quality grass.
    Apart from this grass, we only provide additional food that is optimally suited to the cow, namely crushed grains.
    The grains are freshly prepared every morning so that the animals can make the most of the enzymes in the grains.
    A combination of optimal nutrition and the open shed – allowing free access to the meadows – supports the health of our Jersey cows.
    At De Groote Voort, we have not used any form of antibiotics since 2004.
    Neither do we give any medication against worms. The natural herbs that the cows are fed – along with the herbs and flowers they can eat in the meadows – make it possible to pursue this policy of ‘no pharmaceutical medicines’.
    To give the newly-born calves a good start in life, we leave them with their own mother for the first three weeks. That way, the natural way, ensures the best support to their immune system.