Brown Swiss Cow Theme Gifts

One of the oldest of the dairy cattle breeds, the Brown Swiss -- known as Brunveih in its native Switzerland -- was first imported to the United States in 1869. Today, the North American Brown Swiss is prized for its hardiness and adaptability, coupled with the capability to produce large quantities of rich milk. Add to this a quiet and docile-tempered disposition and it is no wonder the breed has so many devoted followers. Find a Brown Swiss-themed gift for that special someone in your life.

  1. Bovine Art and Portraiture

    • For best results, send many high-quality photographs to the commission artist.

      Surprise the Brown Swiss enthusiast with a custom portrait of their favorite bovine. A quick Internet search reveals an array of talented artists offering to capture that special cow on canvas. Sue Steiner, an Ohio-based mixed-media artist, accepts custom commissions for a relatively modest fee, of which she donates a portion to animal charities. To order a custom oil, send a deposit with digital photographs and select a preferred style -- realism or impressionism (suesteinerpetportraits.com). If custom artwork is budget-prohibitive, try "Ideal Brown Swiss cow" prints or art cards from Cow Art and More (cowartandmore.com).

    A "Cowch"

    • On her 80-acre farm in southern New Jersey, Helga Tacreiter supports her herd of 15 "companion cattle" (read: pet cows) making life-sized cow floor pillows, affectionately called "Cowches" (thecowsanctuary.org). The pieces cost between $300 and $800, depending on the size: calf, yearling or adult. One of her commission pieces -- a cow featuring a black and white world map -- adorns the office of Gateway's Chief Executive, Ted Waitt. All "cowches" are custom made. Email or call Tacreiter with a description of the request, or better yet, send a picture of a beloved Brown Swiss cow.

    Cattle Adornments

    • In Switzerland, the largest bells often accompany the choicest of cows.

      Each spring, a procession of cattle adorned with flower garland and cowbells, or "Treichel," are moved from Switzerland's valley hamlets to upland grazing pastures in a festival known as Alp Aufzug. These mellifluous bells help the Swiss herdsmen locate their cattle in the open Alpine meadows. If traveling to Switzerland to procure a vintage cowbell is out of the question, consider ordering a Swiss cowbell from a local importer. Wisconsin-based Robert's European Imports (shopswiss.com) sells both Glocken or Treichlen-style bells in a variety of sizes.

    Custom Products

    • A number of websites offer custom, made-to-order products from user-submitted artwork. Among the best known are Zazzle (zazzle.com) and Cafe Press (cafepress). A simple search of Zazzle using the keyword "brown swiss" yields dozens of results, including custom T-shirts, ties, embroidered products, cartoons, vintage magnets and posters. Cafe Press has fewer items which can located using the search string "brown swiss cow." A similar model, RedBubble (redbubble.com) is a community site for artists to sell their work as prints, cards or on clothing. A search of "brown swiss cow" yields a number of options.