Bos taurus–cows–are domesticated ungulates used as livestock across the world.
Cows are some of the most prolific grazers to ever covet grass. It is said that there are over 1.5 billion cows in the world currently. Cattle as a whole make up around 35% of the total mammalian biomass in the world, eking out the estimated 34% that humans contribute. Cows are the most common 4 legged animal in the world.
All of this is to say, there is a lot of mooing in this sick world, and plenty of milk and steak to go around. I would be remiss to not also mention the water and emissions costs associated with cattle.
Their diet of tough, fibrous greens and their ruminant four-chambered stomachs produce a ton of carbon-based gases, making cows a global contributor to climate change. This is one reason that many have beef with beef.
All mammals produce milk, but a cow’s milk is special. Humans drink more cow’s milk than human milk, a reality that may shock the proprietors of mammalian phylogeny. Lactose and its tolerance can be catastrophic in some cases, so remember to keep within your limits.
Cows come in many delightful varieties, from the classic milk-barring Holstein to the prized Angus and the mythologized Japanese Wagyu. All breeds of cows have their own niche for human use. Strength, milk, meat, tallow, pillars of life and of true sportsmanship. My only issue is that we have too narrow a view on the purpose of a cow.
Sure, the wisdom and optimization of artificial selection have allowed us to enhance certain traits for a certain variety, but who is to say that one cow is limited to one purpose?
When you see a Holstein, proud in its black spots upon its blanket of white coat, do you just see a vessel for milk, a mascot for your butter? Despite delightful dairy and its delicious derivatives, these guys have dreams, hopes, emotions and capabilities that could inspire awe the world over.
Take food experimentalist, Charlie Kelly, of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” whose love of cattle is proudly put on full display in his popularization of “milk steak”, a culinary masterpiece which requires the mastery of two totally different cow traits that mix and mend into the perfect and surprisingly buttery bite.
Other cow fans can get lost in the cow sauce, trying to breed the perfect cow when physiology and development have limits for a reason. Cuban revolutionary and deceased head of state, Fidel Castro, whose love for cows bordered on hubris. The man attempted to breed cows suitable for tropical Cuba, and was largely unsuccessful despite his many efforts.
Pictured for the column today is another representative of Peckham Farm, the University of Rhode Island’s very own pasture. His name is Nacho, and he calls URI home just like the rest of us.
Peckham Farm is home to many cows, which can be seen at normal viewing hours but are also out at night along the bike path, grazing and sleeping away until the cows come home.
Cows are beasts; Never forget that. They are huge, with reports that they can average around 1,400 pounds when fully grown! That’s why they can number in the couple of billions and still outweigh humans. Personally, I find it udder-ly ridiculous, but rest assured that this paradigm is not bull. To properly milk, you must first respect.
If cows come to mind, I recommend you visit Peckham Farm during business hours and meet the beasts that share this space with you.
