A story about boundaries, betrayal, and a cow who knows what she likes.
Faith rejected her own tree.
Years of waiting.
Careful tending.
A citrus-fueled dream.
Jen picked the very first mandarin and offered it to Faith.
Faith sniffed it…
paused…
and then walked away slowly, like a celebrity leaving a red carpet.
No explanation.
No reaction.
Just silence.
Jen planted a tree. Faith planted a boundary.
For context — Faith the cow is not just any cow.
She’s 9+ years old, roughly 2,500 pounds of snuggly sweetness, and according to everyone who meets her… basically magical. ✨
As a baby, she recovered from serious illness — inside Jen’s house. Yes. Inside.
She napped by the back door.
Moved outside… and still returned daily for her afternoon porch snooze.
These days, Faith lives with her herd, her humans, and a very clear sense of self.
She loves:
pumpkins
apples
sunny naps
spa days (several a week, thank you)
complimenting visitors with a big, slobbery breath of joy
She especially loves cookies.
What she does not love?
Mandarins.
Which is ironic — because as a calf, she was obsessed.
Jen was buying two to three bags of Cuties a week.
So Jen did what any optimistic, well-meaning human would do:
She planted a mandarin tree.
A long-term commitment.
A citrus promise.
Everyone called it Faithy’s Tree.
Years later, the tree delivered.
Faith did not.
She hasn’t eaten a mandarin since.
Not once.
Not even out of politeness.
Pumpkins? Yes.
Apples? Absolutely.
Cookies? Immediate enthusiasm.
Mandarins?
She has made her position clear.
Faithy’s Tree still stands —
A monument to misplaced trust.
A reminder that confidence is knowing what you don’t owe anyone — even citrus.
And if you’d like to support Faith’s actual snack priorities:
Want to sponsor Faith’s cookie habit instead? (She says yes.)
👉 saleranch.org/donate
