Serious Eats
Cheese 2.0: Small Is the New Big
Photograph from scott361 on Flickr
Last month the Times Online published a fascinating article on the growing trend of backyard farming, with particular attention to the Dexter cow, a miniature breed that "gives 16 pints of milk a day...keeps the grass mown and will be a family pet for years before ending up in the freezer." In the U.K., as in the U.S., the rising costs of food are inducing many people to build miniature farms in their backyards, and what better animal could there be for a miniature farm than a miniature cow?
According to the article, the number of registered Dexter cows in the U.K. has more than doubled in the last 8 years. At a price of between £200 and £2000, people with a bit of grassy land on their property can raise an animal that produces "proportionately more beef for the amount of grain they eat." And 16 pints of milk (2 gallons) per day is a hefty amount too--it's about 1/4 of the amount that normal-sized cows produce.
But how does cheese made from Dexter cow's milk taste? I've never tried it but New York's The Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery, which makes a Dexter-milk Kefir, is staking its future on the breed. According to Jeffrey Roberts in his Atlas of American Artisan Cheese, "While small in stature, the Dexter is great on pasture, making them ideal for grass-fed cheese or meat operations. Their milk is thick, creamy, and rich in butterfat—ideal qualities for making excellent cheese."
Has anyone out there tried the cheese from this farm, or from another farm using Dexter cow's milk? Has anyone out there tried the beef from this breed? Better yet, anyone out there raising these in their backyard? Share your stories in the comments below.
About the author: Jamie Forrest publishes Curdnerds.com from his apartment in Brooklyn, New York, where he lives with his wife, his daughter, and his cheese.