New Morning Market is delighted to carry raw milk from the Abbey of Regina Laudis – made exclusively from their herd of heritage breed Dutch Belted cows.
The Abbey of Regina Laudis, located in Bethlehem, CT, is a state licensed microdairy and is designated a “Connecticut Dairy of Distinction”. They have maintained their small grass-based Dutch Belted herd since 1996 and use this milk exclusively for making their renowned artisanal cheeses. They have found that production on a small scale allows them to keep close track of their herd’s health and to maintain a spotless barn, both of which contribute to the quality and safety of the milk for which they are known.
About Dutch Belted Cattle
Dutch Belted Cattle are dairy cattle, raised primarily for milk production. The first belted cattle originated in Austria and Switzerland, and the ancestors of today’s Dutch Belted cows were brought to the Netherlands by Dutch nobility in the 17 th century and then to America in the 1830s. The Dutch Belted Cattle Association of America herd book was established in 1886, and continues today as the oldest continuous registry for the breed worldwide.
As agriculture moved towards large scale Agribusiness following World War II, the population of the breed began to decline. Dairy breeds were selected more for commercial milk production traits than for milk components. Today the Livestock Conservancy estimates there are fewer than 1000 Dutch Belted Cattle left in the world, with about half in the United States.
Dutch Belted cows are striking in appearance, of medium size with a characteristic white belt. They are excellent foragers, and have greater efficiency on grass and hay than current commercial breeds. Today’s move towards more sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices provides the Abbey dairy and the Dutch Belted cow with a system in which to thrive.
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