Ideboku Dairy Cows
Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
ISO 800 for 1/250 sec. at ƒ/2.0
Provia/Standard film simulation
Nurturing Tradition: Ideboku Farm's Artisanal Approach to Dairy Farming
Location: Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan
Timestamp: 13:37・2024/02/28
The Ideboku Farm is a meticulously maintained boutique dairy farm. Here, cows are milked to produce the milk used in manufacturing gelato, yogurt, and artisan cheeses. These products are then sold at a shop conveniently located next to the milking parlor. Other shops can be found throughout Shizuoka Prefecture, with one shop each in Kanagawa Prefecture and Chiba Prefecture.
Unlike the large dairy farms I am more familiar with in the States, this dairy farm is the antithesis to industrial farming. The dairy products produced here are mostly sold within the local community at boutique shops and served to children at local school lunch cafeterias.
The farm is located right next to other semi-rural houses. Due to efforts to keep the stalls clean and change fresh sawdust regularly, the stalls attract very few flies, and there is no smell of cow manure that nearby neighbors might complain about.
Although my photo only shows Holsteins, the farm also raises Jersey and Brown Swiss cows.
Holsteins are specifically raised for their relatively thin milk, which has a fat percentage of 3.6% and non-fat milk solid content of 8.7%, making Holstein milk best suited for drinking. They are also known for being able to milk quite fast, reaching a maximum rate of 3 kg of milk per minute.
Jersey cows are known for producing rich milk with a fat content of over 5% and non-fat solid content of over 9%, making Jersey milk ideal for making butter and ice cream. Jerseys produce smaller quantities of milk, averaging 3,500 kg per year.
Finally, the Brown Swiss is a very rare and valuable breed of cow in Japan. When processed into dairy products, Brown Swiss milk is said to have the best flavor, a smooth texture, and low fat and high protein content, giving it a light yet deep flavor, making this milk most suitable for cheese and drinking.
This dairy farm was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Not only was the gelato mouth-watering, but seeing up close the clean barns and healthy cows that seemed very healthy and stress-free offered me a nostalgic journey, reminding me of my upbringing on a dairy farm.
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