All a Dairy Breeder wants for Christmas is…

Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Most dairy breeders are pretty simple. Give ‘em a VG-89-2YR who wins Intermediate Champion at Expo and they will be happy. If you are stymied about what to buy your father, wife, brother, sister, best friend or hired help, but can’t afford that 2700 TPI heifer from an early release sire, we have prepared a list of top 10 unique gift Ideas for the special dairy enthusiast in your life.

2014 World Dairy Expo and 2014 Royal Winter Fair Holstein Show Photo Books

Due to the extremely popular demand for last year’s photo books, we brought them back for 2014. These 90 page 10”x 8” coffee table books each contain over 200 hi-resolution photos. You can relive all of the action and excitement of the 2014 World Dairy Expo Holstein Show and The Royal Winter Fair 2014 Holstein Show with these one-of-a-kind photo books. Check out these photo books here.

A Special Lady from Steel Cow

Although she is neither a dairy breeder nor a show ring competitor, artist Valerie Miller of Steel Cow is, nevertheless, completely hands on in her relationship with cows. This passionate painter not only paints her girls larger than life but she also aligns their bovine characteristics with dear family members and friends. These paintings are admired by all and make a great Christmas gift for the dairy breeder on your list. Steel Cow’s Valerie Miller: Larger Than Life With Her Cow Girls.

Paintings by Gary Sauder

Since the first time I saw Gary’s work on Facebook, I was amazed by the super-realism of his paintings. His passion and understanding of what great dairy animals look like comes through in each and every one. We had the chance to interview Gary in our feature article – GARY SAUDER: The Muse in His Studio. To order some of Gary’s fine art work visit Cow Art and More.

The Dairy Queen: A History of the Jersey Breed Worldwide

This 300-page book is a great Christmas present for anyone interested in the Jersey breed. It chronicles the origins and development of the Jersey breed through detailed text and photos. Be sure to check out our interview “THE DAIRY QUEEN” HAS ALL THE ANSWERS! with Co-Author Derrick Frigot. He tells how this book came to be and what makes it so unique. Supplies are limited, so be sure to check out their Facebook page and order your copy for the Jersey breeder in your life.

Prints by Emma Caldwell

Probably one of the most talented young artists I have ever come across, Emma Caldwell is well on her way to becoming a worldwide household name. Although she is just starting out in her career, she has already done some amazing paintings of Hailey, Smurf, and Francesca. Check out our feature interview with Emma, Emma Caldwell’s Art Stirs Mind and Heart, as well as her many great prints available from her web shop.

Millionaires in the Cornfield: The Glory Days of the National Dairy Cattle Congress by Norman Nabholz.

For me, Norm is probably one of the greatest cattle minds of the past 50 years. It only takes a few moments of chatting with Norm to recognize his passion for this business we all love. His book is easy to pick up but hard to put down. Not only does it recount the achievements of legendary breeders and showmen with words and countless pictures, the background information and this behind-the-scenes look are most entertaining and interesting. The Bullvine had a chance to sit down and interview this multi-talented man in our feature article – HALTER, PEN and GAVEL. That’s Just the Norm.\

Facebook Page for Their Farm

Instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a web page that no one will ever read, give the dairy breeder in your life a Facebook page that will reach the world. The best part about it? It’s free! That’s correct, it will cost you nothing. All you need to do is download this simple guide, The Dairy Breeders Guide to Facebook and you will be well on the way to helping the dairy breeder in your life market to the world.

The Chosen Breed and The Holstein History by Edward Young Morwick

Anyone who likes history, even in the slightest, will greatly appreciate either the US history (The Holstein History) or the Canadian History (The Chosen Breed) by Edward. Each of these books is so packed with information that they are each printed in two separate volumes. We had a chance to interview Edward – Edward Young Morwick – Country Roads to Law Office and you get a true sense of his passion and quick wit and they also come shining through in his books. Be sure to get your copies of amazing compilation of Holstein history in these books.

Legends of the Tanbark Trail by Tim Baumgartner

Dairy cattle have been on exhibit for nearly 200 years and taking home the coveted title of National Grand Champion has always been a compelling force. Tracing the first 100 years of U.S. national dairy cattle shows, Legends of the Tanbark Trail is a salient account of the people, the places, and the superb and unparalleled animals that have graced the show ring throughout its history. Be sure to get your show enthusiast their copy of this special book.

Prints by Bonnie Mohr

For a long time Bonnie Mohr has been the industry standard for great dairy paintings. Like many, our family has had the opportunity to appreciate Bonnie’s great work. My wife has presented me with a Bonnie Mohr print every year on our anniversary. That is why when we had the opportunity to interview Bonnie – Bonnie Mohr – Science and Art Together Creates a Holstein Love Story-; it was an honor for us. Be sure to check out her website for more extraordinary fine art from rural America.

The Bullvine Bottom Line

Instead of buying the tie that they might only wear for weddings or funerals, or those work gloves that could get lost the first time they are worn, consider these 10 great gift ideas. Not only will they thank you for connecting them to their dairy passion, but also our thoughtfulness will touch dairy breeder’s hearts and make lasting memories this Christmas!

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(T1, D1)