![]() While volume is good for business, we are far more focused on the components of the milk: excellent protein and small fat globules make Ayrshire milk ideal for aged cheeses, and a diet of primarily pasture grasses and dry hay provides for the health of the cow and contributes to the cleanliness of the milk. Not a high-producing breed, an Ayrshire makes about 60% of what a Holstein-Friesian, the industry standard for dairy, might produce in a given lactation cycle. Pasture is important to us not because it helps us make more milk, but because it helps us make the best cheese.Īt Jasper Hill Farm we milk a herd of about 45 Ayrshire cows, a compact Scottish breed chosen for their milk quality and suitability to our climate and landscape. Once pasture growth hits a critical mass, our cows are on grass as much of the year as weather permits – usually May through October in our sub-arctic climate. The views are staggering and the wind blows through like a whip. ![]() Our farm isn’t billowing prairie grassland, but a rocky hillside farm composed of roughly equal parts pasture and woodlot. At a glance, May in Vermont is spring in full swing bordering on summer – but at the root of it all we’re still waiting, and watching the grass.Īs a pasture-based dairy, Jasper Hill Farm has a highly-tuned awareness of our pasture grasses. Farms buzz with activity, caught up in the endless preparations for our short, intense growing season. Winter has finally loosened its icy grip (well, most years…), the days grow longer and the sun warms us enough to spur the first sunburn and backyard cookout. May is a month of anticipation in northern Vermont. Ultimate Guide to Fruits and Vegetables.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |