Cow-Sized "Cowch"

Cow-Sized "Cowch" FARM HOME Furniture 28-4-30 Rescuing six orphan calves and spending months keeping them alive made a New Jersey woman realize how cuddly and fun they can be, leading her to create the "Cowch," a life-size stuffed cow that doubles as a couch to sit on. To create the first Cowch, Helga Tacreiter of Shiloh, N.J., literally sewed fabric together right on her cow "Harvey" who stood patiently as she put fake fur all over him. The Cowches are filled with polyester fiberfill. "When I put the eyes in, they come to life," she says, explaining that glass taxidermy eyes make them appear realistic. After adding the eyes, the cow seems to "watch you." Tacreiter handmakes each Cowch, which sell for $300 to $800 and come in three sizes: newborn, yearling and full grown. She creates Holsteins, Herefords, Charolais, Black Angus and Scottish Highland. "Those are the cows I have here," Tacreiter says. She also does custom Cowches based on photos. She won't provide a quote until she sees the photograph. "It depends on how complicated it is," she says, noting that shipping on Cowches range from $25 to more than $100, depending on the size. A lot of cow collectors buy them. Others are sold to museums where children literally wear them out. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Helga Tacreiter, Box 227, Shiloh, N.J. 08353 (ph 856 455-6637; fax 856 453-3636; email: helga@snip.net; website: www.cowch.com).

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