Not only was I impressed with the human citizens  of the Netherlands’s, I also found the cows to be quite extraordinary. First, a little background.

Being primarily  a nature photographer I am not unfamiliar with all manner of cow and the Netherlands has quite few familiar breeds including:

• Holstein Fresuan – red and white or back and white
• Dutch Belted – black with a whit wide belt in the middle
• Dutch Jersey – fawn colored

The cows that I met at the Henri Willig Stables are  Dutch Jersey cows – the world’s highest producing dairy cow with a long production life. They are slim with less muscle than other cows.  They are also adorable – friendly, actually affectionate and as it turns out quite smart.

Gouda is made from 100% whole milk obtained from these cows . At this farm, milk is secured by active cow consent.  In a large pen, the cows  were lined up to feed.

Then the magic happened.  In no particular order a few of the cows left the feeding area and ambled to where we were standing.  At first I thought they were just curious about us and it turned out I wasn’t entirely wrong – they wanted to meet us and possibly get a pet or a scratch:

 

Soon, though they heard a different calling and inserted themselves into a narrow path next to a strange looking contraption – you can see part of it in the right sided of the above photo.   This was the milking station – with no humans running it.  Once the cow was in place the machine engaged in level 1 – providing a massage to the udder.  Following this spa like treatment – suction tubes attached themselves to the teats and plumped away.  When it was all done the machines retracted its appendages and the cows happily ambled away.

The resulting Gouda was amazing – and in so many colors and flavors!  We enjoyed  a preliminary tasting of a few special varieties along with a number of spicy mustards and salt crackers accompaniment with  of course a fine wine to wash it down (another story – but the Netherlands are actually beginning to produce wines due to climate change).

 

Then… we were led into the store – remember I told you about the many colors of the Netherlands.  Tulips of course, but the cheese varieties were not slouches:  There was also additional tasting opportunites.

Needless to say, there was no planned dinner afterwards – but some of us did manage a number of nightcaps.

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