Growing a Farmer - Final Thoughts

Reading Kurt Timmermeister’s Growing a Farmer has changed my perspective about farming and the immense amount of work required to make a natural product. The book has also changed my perspective on happiness and what it means to be fulfilled – both professionally and personally.

From a high level, Kurt’s willingness to change careers and take a big risk in starting his farm is impressive. From my personal experience, I was too afraid to change majors during my freshman and junior years of college. I cannot imagine being a 40 year old adult and suddenly moving away from my home and business to start a new life. But Timmermeister does this and shows the reader that while the future is uncertain, you can look at the unknown with a “glass half full” approach. While Kurt explains how innumerable ideas did not go as planned – such as selling vegetables through a farmers market and annoying process of lawfully producing raw milk – he did not quit when times were tough, This ultimately inspires me, as there are many challenges in life, but like if you can have positive expectations for the future, things will work themselves out for the best.  

My favorite quote from the book is: “As I began to work on the land, clearing scrubby trees, improving the soil, I started to feel a responsibility toward it. I am protective of this parcel, possessive of it, but I am aware that I do not own it. No one can own land. We are all mere stewards of the land. I have an obligation to pass this farm on to someone in better condition than when I first set foot on it. I want to leave it cleaner, less polluted and more productive when it's my time to go." I believe this quote shows Timmermeister’s sense of humility because although he owns the farm, he alludes to the fact that he is just another living organism that happens to sleep and work on a piece of land. This philosophy extends to all aspects of his farm, from the vegetables, to the pigs, and of course to the cows. Kurt takes utmost care of every living entity on the farm and tries to be respectful. 

Overall, I believe that Growing a Farmer is an inspiring book that urges the reader to reconsider their lives and what makes them happy. I would love to one day visit the farm.