Butter nostalgia?

There are a number of Whole Animal restaurants around. I read about those in my food reading re NYC, LA, SF; haven't read about Chicago lately, but there's a history there, re the stockyards. Dunno what those restaurant sources are, but they might be interesting. I don't know if that is a trend around the country.

I figure snout to tail will not stick around long, most chefs already work 60+ hours a week.

Flavor

Flavor is usually a subjective determination. What tastes better is entirely a matter of personal opinion, right? Not in the case of butter. Grass-fed butter tastes objectively better using any parameter. Creaminess? Smooth, yellow grass-fed butter can be eaten and enjoyed like candy. Richness? Grain-fed is weak and insipid in comparison. Mouth feel? Grass-fed coats the interior (in a pleasant way), while grain-fed comes off as watery and unnatural.



Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/grass-fed-butter/#ixzz340hqeHgs

Holstein is the predominant dairy breed – 72 per cent
Holstein; 12 per cent Jersey; 8 per cent Danish Red; 1 per cent Red Holstein; 7 per cent
crossbreds. T

Black and white Holstein cows make up over 90% of the U.S. dairy herd. Some Holsteins are red and white, but, aside from color, indistinguishable from black and white Holsteins. The U.S. Holstein is well known around the world for her ability to produce large volumes of milk, butterfat and protein. She is a very profitable cow for farmers when large amounts of feed with high levels of grain are available. The U.S. Holstein is relatively new to North America, with the first imports of registered Holsteins arriving in the 1880s. However, the breed has dominated production in the U.S. since the end of World War II, and advances in artificial insemination have increased her popularity in breeding programs around the world largely owing to her advantage in production over all other breed

The Jersey is the second most popular cow in the U.S. and makes up about 7% of the U.S. dairy herd. She is known for her smaller size (1000 lbs. for a mature Jersey cow versus 1500 lbs. for a mature Holstein cow), higher percentages of fat and protein in her milk, early maturity, and efficiency of milk production. Payment by milk processors to dairy producers based on the content of butterfat and protein in milk has increased the popularity of the Jersey, especially in markets where milk is manufactured into cheese. Other dairy breeds make up only around 2% of the dairy cattle population. These include:

Ayrshires - moderately large cows that are red and white to mahogany and white and are known for producing milk that is quite rich in butterfat and for the conformation of their udders;
Brown Swiss - large brown cattle that are known for their docile manner, high milk protein to milk fat ratio, sound feet and legs, and purported resistance to heat stress in hot and humid regions;
Guernseys - red and white to mostly red and are somewhat larger than Jerseys and are known for the yellow color of the butterfat in their milk, which is rich in Beta-Carotene; and
Milking Shorthorns - a rugged breed of cattle that are red and white to mostly red, mostly white, or roan (speckled) and are known for milk that is well suited for cheese production and for their grazing ability

The majority of Keith's cows are Holsteins. As Keith transitions into more and more grass based farming, he has crossbred some of his cows with the Guernsey breed. The Guernsey is a breed that is thought to do better in strictly grass based farming, plus it's milk has higher butter fat. The Guernsey is not a perfect breed, by any means. It is known for conception difficulties. Keith hopes that crossbreeding will bring out the best of both breeds. It takes years of experimenting with crossbreeding to find the perfect match, which may never show itself. The first crossbred cow, Yoga (in the picture above being scratched by Selma), will freshen (give birth and start giving milk) in the spring of 2013.