The Jersey Cow: Death of the Traditional Image?

Whilst travelling around this little island I have had the pleasure of conversing with a number of tourists from many parts of the globe, and they all mention one aspect of Jersey in particular – the Jersey cow. In fact whilst recently travelling on the bus (the Yellow Route) I sat in fascination as the visitors snapped away with their cameras every time we passed a field of Jersey cows, followed by an ecstatic “Look mummy - Cows” from one particular child. It amazed me to see such a reaction to something I take so much for granted.

But when you stop and think about what they were photographing from the perspective of a visitor, you really can see the appeal; a little island with its own way of life, its own quirky accent, and its very own cows. This image is certainly very appealing to a non-Jerseyman.

But now let’s imagine the same bus route in a few years time, when our Jersey cows are mixed together in the fields with other English breeds. I doubt there will be much reaction on the Yellow Route then. And that is the problem; the Jersey cow is not known only for its products, but for its appearance also. A field full of nothing but Jersey cows is a sight many people come to Jersey to see! This is a fact many of the pro-importation arguments fail to recognise.

So why, after centuries of establishing Jersey’s ‘niche’ would anybody want to destroy it? Who in the States could be behind such sacrilege? The answer: Chief Minister Frank Walker. What surprises me about this is I cannot see how he could profit or in any other way gain from it, and let’s all be honest for a moment, when was the last time you heard of Mr. Walker really doing something for the ‘people of Jersey’?

Of course the Jersey image is not what the pro-importation activists have in mind; all they seem to care about is the amount of money they can make per cow (and I do understand the monetary worries of Jersey farmers, but destroying Jersey’s appeal as a holiday destination is not the solution). I only hope some intelligent person does not realise that the Jersey Royal is quite a small potato!

As always I welcome your own opinions on this matter.

- Benjamin Langlois