MEET magnificent ‘Seven’, the cow with the distinctive marking on her forehead that has earned the Holstein milker a national profile.
Owned by Di and Gary Bowles from northern Victoria, Seven has been named Miss April on the 2016 online Legendairy calendar, part of the dairy industry’s celebration of the special bond Australia’s Legendairy farmers have with their animals.
It’s not hard to guess how Seven received her name with the prominent ‘7’ on her forehead.
“There’s no surgery or digital enhancement,” Di said. “She was born that way.”
Seven is now five years old and she’s more than just a black and white beauty.
“She’s an extremely friendly cow and answers to being called Seven,” Di said. She’s also a good farm cow, currently producing about 28 litres of milk each day.
“We’re happy with her. She’s not a cow that causes any trouble and she’s extremely distinctive so it’s easy to pick her out of the 250-strong herd.”
Di said she had never seen another cow like her.
“I’ve seen a photo of a cow in America with a 7 on her head but it was nowhere near as distinctive as ours,” she said.
Even before her Legendairy pin-up status, Seven was an emerging star on social media.
“I post a lot on my Facebook and Twitter accounts about the clever things she does,” Di said. “If I don’t post something about her for a while people ask what’s happening. She’s got her own following.”
Some joke that she might have a daughter called Three and a Half, but being named Miss April is no laughing matter.
“We’re extremely proud of her,” Di said. “She was born in April so it was very appropriate.”
Di and Gary farm on irrigated land at Mead near Cohuna in northern Victoria and admit things are tough this dry season.
“We desperately need rain,” Di said. “Things are getting a bit tight but farmers in northern Victoria are very good at adapting and adjusting to seasonal conditions. We’ve had floods, droughts, locusts and everything else, but if people really know their businesses they’ll get through.”
Gary has been on the farm all his life; Di was managing an accounts department for an insurance company in Melbourne and married into the dairy lifestyle 10 years ago.
“I knew nothing about dairy at the start but quickly became aware we are part of a great industry,” she said.
“It’s an industry we all need. We all either drink milk or consume some form of dairy product and it’s a pretty good life and a cool job.”
Di, a board member of Murray Dairy, says the Legendairy communications initiative to raise the profile and reputation of the industry is a great campaign.
“I love the play on words and it’s very appropriate,” she said. “I love anything that promotes the Australian dairy and I’m always happy to post positive messages about the dairy industry.”