I read the author's first book, "Hit By A Farm", and really enjoyed it.
This one however, felt forced and rushed to me, and I didn't find it
nearly as informative or entertaining to read. The author raises some
good points, but lacks the follow through to really make an impact.
Catherine
Friend runs a sheep farm with her partner Melissa. They are low scale
farmers, and produce a small amount of sheep bound for the slaughter as
compared to larger farms or factory farms. But because of her daily
workings with these sheep, Friend decides to take a more in-depth look
at the type of meat she's eating in other areas other than lamb. More
specifically, she raises the question of whether she should be eating
these creatures if they were not raised humanely. As she explores these
questions she looks at research from factory farms, methods used to
slaughter animals, and the diet of the average American when it comes to
meat.
I'm not going to say that factory farms aren't painted
harshly, because they are by Friend. She offers data and research to
back up her claims and I don't disagree with her either. She also is
careful to mention that just because someone is a small scale farmer,
doesn't mean they treat their animals well. There is good and bad
animal husbandry at all scales of farming. And she doesn't condemn the
people eating factory farmed meat, but offers alternatives and says to
start small with a goal to change personal consumption. It's easier to
take baby steps instead of going full force into something. As someone
who was a vegetarian for almost three years (but alas succumbed to
bacon) I agree on many of her points. I've thought about going back to
vegetarianism not because I don't like meat, but because I can't afford
the types of meat I think I should be eating (sustainable, organic, and
humanely raised). I like Friend's compromise in saying that just shoot
for one meal a week that would have this type of ingredient to make it
more doable.
While Friend has many good points, the book does
appear rushed though. We're bounced about from facts, to Friend's own
farm and animals, to different methods of slaughter, etc. and are never
really set on one specific topic for a great amount of time. It's like
she was just trying to get everything on paper and the format suffered a
little bit. I found it hard to read continuously even though topics
like this usually keep me hooked into a book. Additionally, some of the
websites she mentions (but not all) didn't work for me when I tried to
type them in. Considering the book isn't that old it is surprising, but
such is the way of life in the internet world and books should be
careful referencing websites because they can be short lived. I did
like that she provided a list of questions to ask a farmer about when
looking for humanely raised local meat. I fully intend on referring to
those questions when I do have an opportunity to buy meat like that.
Some
good facts but a very rushed book. It can also cause a lot of
contention between farmers who practice the methods Friend doesn't like
in this book and on the other side of the spectrum, her thoughts about
compassionate carnivores may not sit well with vegetarians who believe
any meat consumption is cruel. There really isn't one right answer for
everybody though because as with religion, people's thoughts on food are
volatile and everyone thinks that they have the right answer. This is
one opinion out of many that seeks a middle ground between no meat and
all meat.
The Compassionate Carnivore
Copyright 2008
261 pages
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