Little South Polder (Jersey cow) - Goedereede

At Oude Westerloosedijk 10, a bit below Goedereede, Breen Agrarisch Bedrijf has erected a couple of substantial stables. Not the prettiest of landscape features. However, the occupants of stable and pasture are particularly beautiful: a core-healthy herd of Jersey cows. By ‘herd’, a rancher means as much as ‘a company of cows’, and at Breen's there are well over a hundred of them. Jerseys are known for their generous ‘gift’ of particularly good milk.

These cattle are small and skittish, with an almost deer-like head. With the bulls it seems difficult to deal with, but you won't find any in this Little South Polder. The cattle are variable in colour: black to pale brown, usually warm brown-red. Not wild beasts, but a beautiful dusting of a rather empty farming landscape. You forget the latter as soon as you notice the Jerseys. Should you bump into Breen or his crew, there is plenty of time for a chat. People here are proud of their dairy cattle and that is easy to understand.

Photo: Matthijs Termeer