Hello all you loyal bacon lovers! It’s me, the Pederson’s Natural Farms Cooking Cowboy back on the BLOG!

Who knows Tommy Shaw? Yes, Tommy Shaw the lead singer for Styx!

I couldn’t see your hands, but I am guessing a few went up.  I mean, their music is pretty well known, right?!? Well, I have never met the man nor did I really know much about him until my recent trip to Oryana Natural Foods in Traverse City, MI.

So, MC and I had been in Chicago at the UNFI Midwest tabletop show, and things had just kinda worked out where I could catch a flight up to Traverse City and do a demo for one of our new customers, Oryana Natural Foods. Eldon and Flo had been contacting me for a while since they were one of the first people to bring our items in through UNFI, and I wanted to show a little appreciation for their business. Plus, I had heard Traverse City is beautiful! Once we had finished up at the show (well, actually I left prior to MC finishing the show up so I could make sure and make it up to O’hare through the traffic), I caught my flight to Traverse City. It was a really cool flight as there was a little storm right between Chicago and Traverse City that we had to fly around in order to get there. A thunderstorm in the air is a lot scary however a lot beautiful, too. Besides... I knew it meant rain!!!!! These days, as dry as it has been here at home, it is fun just to see some moisture.

Well, I get on the ground, get to the hotel, have a great nights rest, wake up early, and head to the store to man my demo station. Side note: Oryana is AWESOME! So, me and the cab driver start up a conversation which is usually the case when I take a cab anywhere. They gotta ask me where I am from (Texas - must be the hat ) and if I know George Bush! I answered all his questions, and then he asked why I was in Traverse City. I told him I worked for Pederson’s and that we made the best bacon, sausage, and ham in the country. He immediately almost had a wreck whipping around to look at me to tell me the story of Tommy Shaw being in his cab and raving about the bacon he got at Oryana Natural Foods!!! At that moment, I knew the trip was going to be well worth it. It is so fun to be a part of a company that just does the right things, and it is also really cool to be able to occasionally run into the most random people who eat our products.

Thanks to you all for tuning in, and remember Tommy Shaw loves our bacon, too!!!!!!

Later

The Cooking Cowboy