Farmer Post 2
I have a completely different feeling toward the author right now after reading the whole book. In animals, in food, and in his farm.
About livestock, he mentions Dinah a lot of times. Speaking of her death, he said: "I couldn’t waste that meat, to do so would have been even sadder more wasteful and more disrespectful of the animal. Different from previously his emotional choice on buying farms, his rationality appears when comes to treating animals. "Slaughtering her was the most logical alternative, and yet it was a decision I didn’t want to have to make." At first, I thought the same as I did in the first reading post, he is cruel to animals. But later when I saw his explanation of the connection between food and animals, I begin to understand him. He mentions one of his friends thought that:"He feels that this is a gift he can give to his two years old daughter: the ability to see the animals, raise them, slaughter them and then eat them." Why is that important? I recall the reason why the author chooses to be a farmer. Having a restaurant before, he chose to quit after he finds he cannot bear anymore to buy those frozen foods. H e think there is a connection between food and animals. He wants to have a closed system, a perfect cycle for people to experience the food they are eating. That's why he names one of his cheese Dinah at the table. Animals' meaning to him is not property or companions, but more like an important part of food, a key to build his connection with nature and food. In the end, he opens his own Table on the farm. Looking at the menu, as every ingredient comes from this farms, I can understand why it reflects this land and this life.
About livestock, he mentions Dinah a lot of times. Speaking of her death, he said: "I couldn’t waste that meat, to do so would have been even sadder more wasteful and more disrespectful of the animal. Different from previously his emotional choice on buying farms, his rationality appears when comes to treating animals. "Slaughtering her was the most logical alternative, and yet it was a decision I didn’t want to have to make." At first, I thought the same as I did in the first reading post, he is cruel to animals. But later when I saw his explanation of the connection between food and animals, I begin to understand him. He mentions one of his friends thought that:"He feels that this is a gift he can give to his two years old daughter: the ability to see the animals, raise them, slaughter them and then eat them." Why is that important? I recall the reason why the author chooses to be a farmer. Having a restaurant before, he chose to quit after he finds he cannot bear anymore to buy those frozen foods. H e think there is a connection between food and animals. He wants to have a closed system, a perfect cycle for people to experience the food they are eating. That's why he names one of his cheese Dinah at the table. Animals' meaning to him is not property or companions, but more like an important part of food, a key to build his connection with nature and food. In the end, he opens his own Table on the farm. Looking at the menu, as every ingredient comes from this farms, I can understand why it reflects this land and this life.
It also surprised me that I realized at really last minute that he built this farms for over 20 years. He didn't boast his difficulties but describes the whole process in a really gentle way. The fun of raising animals, the failure of growing trees and crops, and the efforts to keep the balance sheet. As he said, he is a businessman and I did learn a lot from his business model. Firstly, added value product. He finally finds a way to stay profitable by making cheese. Secondly, don't create debt is imperative in building a sustainable small farm, as well as business. Thirdly, how to pursue your dream. He kept believing that growing food can be profitable, inspires him to work harder, producing more and better food. We should always remember our dream and pursue it with a positive mind.
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