Growing a Farmer Post 2

After further reading this book, I did find some more facets of it to be interesting. I appreciate the bit of botanical science that the author includes in the book. The various plants throughout the book intrigued me, like the blackberries mentioned. I learned how blackberries along with certain other species can be highly invasive. I found a new appreciation for how much detail there can be in monitoring crops and making sure things that are considered “weeds” don’t interfere with farmers work. It was also interesting to see Kurt’s developing interesting in growing a larger variety of plants starting with his pear trees, walnuts and palm, then finding interest in vegetables, dairy, and different meats. Although I’m not intent on becoming a farmer or “self sufficient” in any way, I have always dreamed of owning a cute little chicken coop of my own. Kurt was able to make this a reality for him, as well as eventually having cows and pigs. I found it funny that as the times changed, Kurt had to incorporate new ideas into his café/restaurant that he wasn’t too fond of nutritionally but knew what the practicality of the market would call for. He started to sell schweineshnitzel, which is a pork loin,

            Another aspect of the book I was able to take interest in is the community that farmers form and the organizations that they have to be a part of to sell products in certain markets. One example was the CSA subscription program common for vegetable farms that would help farms get cash in advance to guarantee customers certain products for the entire season. The customers would be able to get a good selection of vegetables weekly. The community of farmers was also crucial in Kurt’s expansion when he started partnering with Matt for his vegetable farm to use Matt’s knowledge and experience. I also enjoyed the analogy Kurt used regarding a very elderly man and his cows. He talked about how the cows gave the man, who could kick the bucket anytime, a reason to get up everyday because his cows needed milking. He jokingly equated the cows to helping the old man live longer because he couldn’t just leave his cows unattended.  Kurt’s adventure has been interesting to follow since he’s starting from nothing and essentially creating his own little world