Field Notes 006. 
 
Remind me never to trust Cinna again. That darned bunny got a new idea for enchanting fruits, only this time, instead of tossing them for compost, they fed them to the neighbor's cows! Evidently, they wanted to create cows that produced fruit-flavored milk with no syrup. It was supposed to just last as long as the cows were digesting the magic fruits, but the next morning the farmer woke up to his herd having sprouted fruits instead of horns, with colorful spots and fruity milk. He had heard about the fruit salad mushrooms and stormed the Blackberry Bakery demanding an explanation. Thankfully, I was present and able to stop the fight before it began. Cinna really messed up this time, but luckily, the farmer was willing to let it go in exchange for free coffee and pies for the rest of their lives. I found the trade remarkably cheap considering such a loss of revenue, but that just made the farmer laugh. "Loss of revenue?" he said, "This is going to make my dairy business boom!" 
 
He was correct, of course. The fruity milk from the cows has become the bestselling dairy product in the entire Candy Cap Woods. Cinna still gives him free pies, but they have also worked out a deal over fruit milk. Now, Cinna can use as much fruit milk in their latte recipes as they wish, and in exchange, they work on creating more magical fruits for the farmer's growing herd. He's even begun giving them to his calves, as apparently they are not born with the fruity gene. 
 
After watching the success of our fruit salad mushroom adoptions, the farmer approached me, asking if I'd be willing to do the same with his calves. He couldn't very well sell the fruit cows within the Candy Cap Woods, as that would diminish the profits of the milk, but he needed his cows to keep having babies to keep producing the milk. I was uncertain of such a bargain, as the adoptions were really to try finding loving homes for the mushrooms. But when he offhandedly mentioned wanting to find out if the cow's flesh tasted as fruity as their milk, I had no choice but to agree. 
 
I really don't like the man. But at least I now have some friends for the fruit mushrooms. Hopefully, they find a good home - and we never find out just how far past the rind the fruit goes, if you catch my drift...
 
Archivist's Note: The farmer was arrested for animal abuse a few months after we began adopting out the calves. Cinna has taken over the fruit salad cow farm, but has offered to continue adopting out the calves to interested families - no threats involved. It is a relief to know that all bovine friends in the Candy Cap Woods, fruit-flavored or not, are now being treated with the love and respect they deserve. In fact, Cinna has since brought new friends to the farm - Highland cows!