The Chosen Bovine

One could think of Israeli Holsteins as a light unto the dairy world:

The Israeli cow is considered a global leader in milk yields, with the highest national milk and milk solid yields in the world according the Israeli Dairy Board. In recently released statistics, the Israeli Dairy Board reported that in 2013, Israel had a total annual output of approximately 1,372 million liters of cow milk, 10.6 million liters of sheep milk and 14.3 of liters of goat milk. The average annual milk yield per cow was 11,781 kg of milk and the annual value of products process is about $2.8 billion.

Over 1,000 healthy and tasty Israeli dairy products fill the shelves of supermarkets. All this is nothing short of miraculous considering the desert conditions of the region, the heat, humidity, endemic diseases, and limited land and water resources.

One of the most remarkable dairy operations in Israel, Yotvata, is in the desert, a few kilometers north of Eilat. We stopped there on our drive north to Tel Aviv, on the last day of our recent two week visit to Israel. Yotvata's ice cream is sensational, some of the best I've ever had.