Michigan Dairy Farmer Entertains Beachgoers with Sand Cow Sculptures

What moooves a Michigan dairy farmer to spend the bulk of his Marco Island vacation every February creating sand sculptures at Tigertail Beach? It’s his love of cows, of course.

Charlie Green moooved on from his cattle farm in Elsie, Michigan (no relation to Borden Dairy Products iconic Elsie the Cow, according to Green). But Green gets great satisfaction creating sand cow sculptures for the enjoyment of beachgoers who look for Green’s work year after year.

“We’ve been doing them for about 15 years,” the soft-spoken Charlie Green said. “We started coming here, even while we were still farming, for a week in February. I bring either my daughter or my wife. My daughter Sadie is helping me this week.”

About this time daughter Sadie bounds upon the scene. She looks like a teenager but is actually 33.

“I’m twice that age,” Charlie Green jokes.

The sand cow sculptures are a bit like billboards, with a dominant image accompanied by a headline, or perhaps caption would be a better description.

“People read the caption,” Charlie Green said, “and they pause a minute. Not everybody gets all of them. We kind of go to the edge of political correctness sometimes.”

“A little politics,” Sadie Green said, "a little fun, a little current events like basketball or the Olympics.”

“Last time we had the trifecta,” Charlie Green smiles, "Valentine’s Day, the Olympics and the Super Bowl.”

The father-daughter team knocks out at least one sculpture a day.

“We start off real hot,” Sadie Green said, "then we slow down a little bit.” 

“At least one a day,” Charlie Green said, “depending on the weather.” One of this year’s favorites is titled “Jelly Bean.” It has a special meeting to Charlie Green.

"We’ve got Jelly Bean down here,” Charlie Green said. "The real Jelly Bean belongs to my wife. She dabbles a little bit with some calves. She got a blue ribbon this week at a Michigan show. So, I did that in honor of her.”

Another sculpture has a special meaning.

 "All creatures great and small,” Charlie Green said. "Susan Miller is a local who looks after the sea turtles. She’s a good friend. I did that one as an homage to Susan."

While the duo gets a lot of questions about their sand cow sculptures, there is one prevailing comment.

“We get a lot of ‘We’re glad you’re back,” Sadie Green said, “people say, 'We’ve been waiting for you to come back.' So, we’re here again!”

Charlie Green wears a heavy pair of gloves while he works. And it is work, as his daughter will attest.

“It is a lot of work,” Sadie Green said, “it’s a lot of water, it’s a lot of sand.”

Each year the Greens survey the beach at Tigertail to find just the right spot for their sand cow sculptures. Sand sculptures are, by their nature, temporary. The Greens try to make sure they’re not too temporary.

“You have to find a spot where the sand is really fine and sticks together,” Sadie Green said.

The father and daughter are happy with this year’s spot, straight out from the South Seas towers.

“It’s a good spot,” Charlie Green said.

Sadie said wind, rain and high tides aren’t the only hazards the Greens face.

“You get an occasional toddler,” Sadie said with a smile.

“The unsupervised three-year-old is the worst,” Charlie laughs.