A Cow has One Tongue

‘Maggy, it’s Carolyn. Do you happen to have any extra tongues?’

This is a text I never imagined sending.

Needing more tongue was also a problem I never imagined having.

In February the whole processed cow arrived. Steaks, roasts, bones and organs. The tongue was massive. Same with the heart.

‘There are cuts of beef you’ll have a hard time selling,’ other farmers said. I thought of this as I stored the organs in an overflow freezer.

But it’s Saturday night and I’m going through my notes, tying up loose ends from the day.

Two requests for tongue. Dennis and the German woman who came last week and bought the only one.

When you share a passion for raising food, texting at 9 o’clock on a Saturday night seems acceptable.

‘Not until May,’ Maggy sends back. ‘But you’ll get what I have’

Maggy raises beef and lamb.

She has the calmness of a seasoned farmer and the teaching skills of a hands-on mom. Over the past few months Maggy patiently walked me through the intricacies of breed selection, pasturing and finishing beef, processing and cut selection. We’ve talked recipes and cooking suggestions. She shares what her customers like and don’t like.

What she couldn’t explain was how much fun her meat is to sell.

I get a kick out of watching a customer finally find what they’ve not found before. Listening as a customer explains the traditional Filipino version of cooking a dish they can’t buy in a grocery store. Marveling as others rave over the difference of farm-raised versus factor-raised food.

I never thought I’d sell out of tongue so quickly. But a cow only has one tongue. What delight May will bring when more arrive!

And thank you, as always, for stopping by,

Carolyn

#FarmLife