Farmers are beginning to rent their dairy cows over the Internet.

Aug. 1, 2003 — A farmer in the Swiss Alps, struggling to sell the cheese his cows produce, has recently begun offering the cows individually for rent over the Internet.

In return for "renting" one of his cows for the summer, renters receive all of that cow's cheese.

During the summer months, each cow produces enough milk to create a total of 70-120 kilograms (154-264 pounds) of cheese.

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The cheese is made available to the cows' renters in September at a cost of $0.30 per liter on top of the rental fee of $276 (U.S.)

The catch is that renters are contractually bound to visit their cows at least once during the summer, and put in four hours' work in the fields to help look after them.

However, despite this fact, Wyler's scheme is proving so successful that other farmers are beginning to follow his example.

"We have already had dozens of inquiries," Wyler told a reporter. Several restaurants have already signed up to rent one of Wyler's cows, and the concept of Internet cow-rental has provoked interest and amusement in the online world.

"Obviously," commented Christopher Anderson, reporter for the "Geek News" Web site, "the downfall is I would have to travel to Switzerland to visit Bessy. Sure, there are worse places in the world to go to, but that is a long way to travel for some Gouda."

Wyler currently has 15 cows available for hire, and renters can select the cow of their choice from photographs displayed at www.kuhleasing.ch.

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