How the Farm Changed Me
On the farm, I learned a lot about nature, food, and most importantly, myself. This was especially true on my down time. For example, I have never really been afraid of spiders but have never particularly liked them either. However, on the farm, Randal would always pick up bugs or spiders and drop them in our hands to observe them. At first I was a little nervous and scared, but then I found myself starting to respect them and was so curious about their body structure and how they contribute to my life and ecosystems as a whole. I learned how adaptable our bodies are as meat was never really offered at any meal. Even though I had become accustomed to eating meat at least once per day in the U.S., when it was served to me the few times that it was on the farm, I could not get myself to eat it because I was so used to going without it that I had no desire for it. It also struck a chord within me that I was always working so close with these animals, that I would feel bad eating one of them – especially the pigs. I honestly don’t think I can eat pork for some time after seeing how small their pen is and poorly they are treated. I understand that they are raised for eating, but it just made me sad because they don’t even really get a chance to live. It made me feel worse knowing that conditions are far worse at factories and that these pigs have a great life compared to others.
It’s very peaceful here. Just look at these photos.
