miniatures for raw milk

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Rise of the mini-cows

Lilliputian cattle that stand just a yard tall, eat a fraction of

what their larger cousins do and produce tiny, naturally tender steaks

and roasts, are increasingly the beast of choice among Canadian beef

farmers grappling with the tough, gristly times of the economic

downturn.

It wasn't long ago that these smaller breeds didn't get a lot of

respect—even now commercial beef farmers look askance at the animals,

affectionately referred to as "mini-cows," says Hykaway, who

raises one breed, the Dexter, in northern Alberta. "They chuckle and

say, `Dexter—that's just a little toy thing.' "

Gradwohl, of the International

Miniature Cattle Breeds Society and Registry, in Covington, Wash. has

seen a 25 per cent increase worldwide in miniature cattle year over

year during the past 15 years. Despite its big-sky, red-meat

reputation, Alberta is the centre of the movement in Canada, with

perhaps half of the country's Dexter population and the first

restaurant to serve exclusively Dexter beef—Apples, in Bashaw, an hour

and a half northeast of Red Deer.

Mini-cow breeds weigh between 500 and 700 pounds, about half the

size of regular breeds, and are either bred down from Hereford,

Holstein, Jersey or Angus lines or, like the dual-purpose Dexter

breed—good for both milk and beef—are naturally tiny.

A recent explosion in small hobby farms catering to niche markets

helped boost their appeal even prior to the economic downturn, as did

growing concern over food safety, sustainability and the environmental

footprint of beef. Fans of raw milk are more and more turning to

mini-cows to produce their own; the efficiency can be startling: a

Holstein-Jersey miniature cross will eat a third of what a larger dairy

cow will but produce two-thirds the milk. In the U.S., mini-cows are

more and more popular as pets, particularly among women.

Enthusiasts, meanwhile, extol the excellent quality of the meat,

which is said to be more tender. "They taste like good beef," says

Hykaway, a retired electrician who has 45 head at Tandria Dexters, just

east of Fort Saskatchewan. "Because a lot of us aren't using grain,

they have that nice distinct grass taste."

But it is mini-cows as an economical alternative to the bellowing

giants of commercial beef operations that some see the real benefits.

"You're talking animals that are a lot less expensive to raise," says

Gradwohl. "The production per acre for smaller acreage farmers is

significantly higher." A mini-cow needs just half an acre of

pastureland and can thrive on less expensive grass diets. They eat as

little as half what larger breeds do but yield more meat per pound

thanks to their slender bones—as much as 65 per cent that of their

larger cousins. "We grow meat, we don't grow bones," boasts Katarina

Sundstrom, whose Spruce Hill Ranch is located just west of Edmonton.

The Dexter, which originated in Ireland, is particularly hardy. It

was once known as the "poor man's cow" due to its ability to fatten up

on small, meagre pasturelands. "They use their food more efficiently

and they will get by on marginal pasture," says Ann son, of

Applejack Ranch, who keeps over a hundred head of Dexter in Bashaw.

Placed on the endangered species list after commercial beef

operations eschewed the breed for larger and larger animals, the Dexter

began experiencing a resurgence in the 1980s thanks to its milk, which

boasts a high buttermilk content, and an increase in smaller farms that

has put hobbyists and retirees on the frontlines of cattle raising.

The Dexter and miniatures like the lowline—a small Angus—are more

docile and much less intimidating than bigger breeds, a helpful trait

for new farmers.

Changing diets have enhanced the growing popularity of mini-cows.

"Nobody wants a steak that's hanging over both sides of the plate

anymore," says , chair of bovine genomics at the

University of Alberta. Because the smaller breeds do well on grass

diets—commercial cattle are mainly grain or corn-fed—the beef is higher

in omega-2s and omega-3s. The prospect of growing beef in a backyard

also appeals to those worried about recent food scandals, such as last

summer's listeria scare. "People," says Sundstrom, "want to know what

they put in their bodies."

Still, the U of A's is skeptical of how broad the appeal will

be in the years ahead, pointing to the inefficiencies inherent in

processing roughly twice the number of animals and noting that packing

plants are set up to handle bigger breeds. Gradwohl admits there is

push back from slaughter houses, which see processing larger animals as

more cost-effective. And most mini-cow farmers agree the animals won't

likely reach the mainstream any time soon. "They're getting more

popular," says Hykaway, "but the drawback on it is mostly it's older or

retired couples."Tiny cattle provide high-quality tender meat. Some people are even raising them as pets.

Tags: mini-cows Guernsey miniature cattle - Photo by florador under Creative Commons license