It was thanks to the Segui family that the Vermella or Red Cow named for its reddish coat was saved in the 1960’s and 70’s. Also known as Vaca Menorquina, it is now recognised as a more hardy and environmentally friendly alternative to the Friesian cows dominating the island. With the emphasis on water conservation, and the importance of minimising environmental footprints, this native breed is making a comeback.
The cow’s red coat can vary from light to dark chestnut and it has small white spots on its belly and on the tuft of the tail. The careful breeding of Vermella cattle is resulting in wonderfully juicy high quality beef similar to that of the Angus. The high level of K-casein protein in the milk produced by Vermella cattle means it is very suitable for turning into cheese and other dairy products. These, along with the beef, are marketed under the Vermella Menorquina seal of quality.
70% of the local species possess B-Casein which is responsible for the K-Casein in the milk making it rich and creamy. In Friesians the figure is only 4%. This remarkable quality can be traced back in history when cheese from Menorca was highly prized and used as currency.
- In 1999 there were only 100 fertile Menorquin or Red cows remaining on Menorca
- By 2001 numbers had started to increase to 324 females and 88 males
- In 2005 the Vermella Menorquina breed was recognised as an indigenous breed with its own logo or seal. The cheese and ice cream made from these cows also carry the seal
- In 2017 a total of 1891 cows were registered, made up of 1504 females and 387 males
- In 2019 the CRIA census showed there were 2264 animals across the Balearic islands, mostly on Menorca with a few on Mallorca
- In 2022 the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture census counted 2120 animals
Biniguarda Farm
Biniguarda Farm near Alaior has been, since 2013, part of the Custòdia Agrària Farm Stewardship Programme run by the GOB. The farm changed from keeping 100 sheep to producing Vermella Menorquina cows in 2012, starting with just 4. They now have 15 cows and 1 bull solely for producing beef. They sell the much sought-after meat directly to local customers in lots or batches via a Whatsapp Group and there is an App that records the details of each individual animal.
Biniguarda utilises directed grazing to optimise the use of their pastures and they have brought the old Arabic cisterns back into use to collect rainwater to maintain the livestock.
The farm is located high up at an altitude of 120m and so benefits from the cooling wind, loved by the cows. It comprises 143 hectares with 20 hectares of woods or forest known as bosc or marina and the remains of a huerta dating back to arabic occupation of the land. 50m away is a Talaiotic settlement and the popular Coves de s’Encantament or burial caves. Biniguarda is owned and run under an ancient feudal system, the SRM (Sociedad Rural Menorquina) whereby half of the profit goes to the owner and half to the farmer, Joan Allès The house was built in 3 phases, the latest in 1812. It has its own chapel with paintings by the same artist as those found in the theatre of Mahon.
The cows were gathered together at the farmyard gate when we arrived. Joan explained the Quality Mark system for the beef. Calves must remain with their mother for 8 months to be milk fed on the pastures. Then, from 8-12 months they are fed with grass, cereals and concentrates made from authorised plant products.
On average the cows have 0.9 births per year and the calves are close to 100% viable. The cows are extremely resilient, grazing on the ullastre leaves and wild plants. If Joan is out in the woods with his chainsaw, they will hear him and come running to eat the leaves. This behaviour is in stark contrast to Friesians which only eat grass or feed.
Joan explained that his red cows have a calm temperament but also a strong maternal instinct. When they give birth they become very protective, running off into the woods away from the herd to hide their calf. If the cow has been missing for 2 days, Joan knows she has given birth. After 4 days he goes to check that she is OK and whether the calf is male or female but is very careful not to touch it. He says if you come across a calf that has just been born never approach it as the mothers finds it by smell and will abandon it if is contaminated by human touch.
Traditionally, farmers in Menorca always rotated the grazing using tancas, or fields divided with dry stone walls. For the last 4 years, the farm has used electric fences to divide the pasture into even smaller areas in the winter months. In the dry summer, when food is scarce, the cows roam wherever they like to find the wild plants. Oats and other cereals are grown in the pastures meaning that the farm is largely self-sufficient in animal feed. However, in 2023 there was no rain between January and March causing a shortage of crops on the farm and so extra feed had to be purchased. This year looks like being the same again making the resilient red cows more important than ever. The last three years have been very bad for farmers due to the combination of COVID, weather and increased numbers of flies.
Joan showed us the old water station ‘roundabout’ where 4 fields meet at the corners. Each can be closed off separately and still give the cows access to the water collected in the cisterns. The farm contains an old huerta built by the arabs, where there is a succession of old cisterns built in a chain to collect and distribute the water. Until the use of more modern machinery there were no wells. It was only in more recent times that wells were sunk and the ancient cisterns fell into disrepair. Now that the ground water level is falling and water is becoming scarce these cisterns are being brought back into use around the island.
At Biniguarda they received a grant from GOB to refurbish two of their cisterns, rebuilding and relining them. When the cistern pictured was finished, by a stroke of good fortune it rained heavily for 2 days, filling it to the top and Joan told me they had never had to turn the mains tap on since. Work has also been carried out on the old milling circle, helping to divert the rainwater run-off into the new cistern. Solar pumps are used to distribute the water. GOB have also helped install a kestral box to keep small birds off the crops.
Biniguarda was one of seven farms on the island taking part in a project to calculate the Ecological Footprint of beef products from Menorca’s Custodia Agraria programme. All the farms use sustainable management techniques. The study showed that the production of 1kg of beef has an environmental impact reduced by 60% when compared to Spanish figures for conventionally and intensively produced beef. The farms in the study were Algendaret, Binibèquer Nou, Biniguarda, Es Tudons, Sant Josep, Talatí de Dalt and Torralbet. This project ended last year, but they continue to calculate the ecological footprint of CA products, with the organisation GFN (Global Footprint Network).
There are currently three farms in the Custòdia Agrària programme that produce cheese with the milk from the Red Cow: Santa Cecilia, Es Tudons and Algendaret Nou. You can buy Vermella products at the Plaça des Mercat in Ciutadella, and at the GOB shop in Es Claustre market in Mahon. You can find a list of the Vermella producers and outlets on the website of www.vacamenorquina.org and on the Agroxerxa website www.agroxerxa.menorca.es. Also look out for special Vermella Menorquina events run at restaurants in Menorca by Gastronomia Menorca.
More information: www.gobmenorca.com/custodia-agraria and from www.footprintnetwork.org
You can also flick through Custòdia Agrària’s Farm and Product catalogue, in map format or as a pdf booklet:
https://www.gobmenorca.com/finques-i-productes/
