French 6 Cheese s Breed
(Continued from Page 18)
have a similar friendly personality. “You can instantly
make pets out of them,” he said.
“They really cross well with Holsteins. They make
the animal so much stronger. I get good prices for veal
calves and cull cows,” he said. “Bringing outside
semen in gives vitality and vigor to the animals.
“The French are good about keeping their lines sep
arate not crossing closely,” he said.
Kobosky is working on breeding up to purebred
status, although with increased import regulations be
cause of foot and mouth disease, his plans may be
somewhat slowed.
The Kobosky herd includes animals that are 50 per
cent Normande with the other 50 percent going to Hol
stein and Ayrshires. Fourteen or 15 of the animals are
75 percent Normande.
“They can be registered at 50 percent. There are
varying degrees of purity,” he said.
According to Kobosky, all European breeds are dual
purpose, but each breed is found in a specific region
suited to it.
“You won’t see a mix of breeds among local farms,”
said Kobosky. In the Southern Alps, for example, the
rugged Tarentaise may be the only breed that can sur-
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vive in the winter conditions.
Kobosky also pointed out the use of Normandes in
cheesemaking.
“Ninety-nine percent of the milk in France is made
into cheese,” he said. The French make 200 varieties
of cheese and each breed produces its own style of
cheese. Also the animals’ feed has a bearing on the
kind of cheese produced.
The best cheese, said Kobosky, is made in portable
milking parlors and cabins, without electricity, in the
Alps. The cheese is stored in caves to cure for six
months.
Jonas Esch and his brother, Menno, both of New
Providence, were introduced to the breed by Chateau
at a grazing conference in Pennsylvania in 1999. The
brothers, who each milk approximately 50 cows,
mostly Holsteins, were looking for “a hardy cow that
will take grazing,” according to Jonas.
After researching the breed by contacting the North
American Breeder’s Association, the Eschs decided to
buy bulls.
“Their milk components were the next thing that
caught my eye,” he said. Additionally the cows’
strength from their dual-purpose background adds
market value as cull cows, as “they have something
left when you beef them.”
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