Marcelo wrangles cows, by Nessa
Today we visited Marcelo’s farm which is located two hours outside Villamontes near the Paraguayan border. Although managing Agro XXI requires him to spend most of his time in an office in town, he seems to much prefer the rural life. So when he found out we were interested in learning more about the Chaqueno cattle-raising practices, he didn’t miss the opportunity to take us out to the country.
On the way we paid a visit to Josefina, a woman who is part of a collective of women that produce cheese—one of Agro XXI’s processes. She showed us the wooden apparatus used to press milk and salt into cheese. Luckily, a block was ready for removal just as we arrived. A meal followed. We tasted the freshest cheese we are likely to ever taste accompanied by a variety of potato eaten cold. Then, Josefina’s husband pulled out an armadillo and suggested that we eat it. He proceeded to scoop the critter out of its shell, hand me the shell, and instruct me to eat the remaining juices and pieces of meat as soup. Our initial skepticism faded as we took our first bites and learned that armadillo is surprisingly delicious. After these treats, we returned to the dirt highway and soon arrived at Marcelo’s farm. While lunch was prepared—eating seems to be the most important activity in the Chaco—we explored. Brown dust covers everything in this part of the Chaco—the cacti, the car, and our clothing. Pati, Marcelo’s wife, spied an alligator sunning itself by a lake. We snuck up close to take pictures. Marcelo took us around to get some footage of the forest cows. In the Chaco, instead of pasturing their cattle, farmers let them roam free. If you’re used to seeing cows munch their way through grassy fields, then the sight of cows in the woods chewing on branches is very strange. Marcelo explained that this method of raising cattle is entirely organic and is what gives Chaqueno meat its unique flavor.Back in Villamontes, we ate steaks for dinner with a newfound appreciation after a day spent chasing cows through the Chaco woods. – Sam