IS there a better party guest than a Jersey cow?
Friendly, bold and inquisitive, the 180 cows who welcomed the World Jersey Cattle Bureau Conference to Lodge Farm, St Saviour, yesterday were the perfect hosts for nearly 300 cow enthusiasts as they relaxed in a field alongside the farm entrance, next to the lunch marquee.
The cattle conference, attended by Jersey cow fans from all over the world, is being held over the week and finishes at the Foire de Jersey on Saturday with a cattle show. The conference is held in a different country every three years and a huge number of delegates are enjoying the chance to see the home of the Jersey cow this year.
The delegates lunched in the marquee, against a backdrop of cows quietly chewing the cud in the afternoon sun, seemingly wondering what all the fuss was about. Delegates from Australia, New Zealand, America and Denmark swapped dairy stories and experiences, their personalised name badges fashioned from the familiar yellow ear tags that identify every Jersey cow.
After being there just a few minutes, it became apparent that these people were passionate about the animal that all Islanders are so familiar with. I saw people wearing Jersey cow necklaces, Jersey cow shoulder bags, various items of cow-emblazoned clothing and, for sale from a small stand, magnets, postcards, photos and calendars, all adorned with the face of the iconic animal.
When you take into account the distances some delegates had travelled to be here and the fervour with which they spoke about the Jersey cow, it might be appropriate to refer to this as an affectionate pilgrimage.
Anyone who has ever ‘met’ Jersey cows will know that they are naturally curious and likely to approach strangers at the edge of a field. As soon as lunch was over, the multicultural party were eager to mingle with the herd and the cows remained completely calm, almost aloof, as their field was explored by dozens of delegates, watching their footsteps in careful negotiation of the occasional pat in the grass.
The Houzé family had worked hard for two weeks to prepare for the visit and farmer Paul, his wife Annette, daughter Becky (15) and nephew Alex (11) were on hand to welcome their guests and answer the many questions about the running of the farm and the background to the family business.
Lodge Farm was immaculate and open for everyone to wander among the sheds, milking parlour and farm grounds. Around every corner you could find one or two curious delegates exploring the differences between farming in Jersey and their home countries.
Spending just five minutes among the throng was enough time to hear a range of different accents as Danes, Australians, Canadians and others all commented on the cows that provided the backdrop to the afternoon.
An Australian walked along one of the sheds and stopped to examine a heavily pregnant cow lying on some hay. His experience of working with cattle was evident when a short command and sharp whistle caused the Jersey to respond and get to its feet in an almost Pavlovian response.
It was clear that I was among an army of experts. Ray Schooley, a bull semen salesman for Alta Genetics who had flown from America to see the home of the Jersey cow, took just minutes to spot the top-rated cow out of the 180 in the field. Having milked his own herd of Jersey cows for 23 years, he knew exactly what to look for.
‘A good udder is the most important thing,’ he said. ‘Also, they should be strong and not pot-bellied. These cows are a bit rounder than what we are used to and are maybe not quite as “dairy” but we don’t like to be critical. We have liked what we have seen and I am really enjoying the whole trip.’
This sentiment was echoed by every delegate I spoke to and underlined their enthusiasm for the Jersey cow. It was impressive to see the level of passion that these people obviously felt for an animal that is maybe occasionally taken for granted by locals.
An hour before the cows were due to be brought in for milking, Mr Houzé reflected on a successful afternoon. ‘We have been preparing for a couple of weeks and it’s been a great day,’ he said. ‘It has been an honour hosting the bureau and we are now looking forward to the rest of the week and the cattle show on Saturday when we hope to show 12 cows.’
And with that, the delegates began to drift away, back to the hotel to prepare for their evening meal as part of their crammed itinerary. Some of the cows watched them leave from just behind the fence, as ever, the consummate host to the end.
