Growing a Farmer Response I

Before beginning, I thought I would despise this book, to be honest. But, reading up to chapter 9, I have quite enjoyed it. The general story of Timmermeister’s farming adventure is far more interesting and relatable than I initially thought it would be. Today, so many writers try to use bureaucratic words in attempt to prove their intelligence. Yet, I really appreciate that Timmermeister does not find this necessary. His use of common language makes reading his book an enjoyable experience, as well as adding to his air of relatability. The main criticism I have for this book is Timmermeister’s use of extreme detail. This is the one downfall and makes reading the book a painful at times. Along with this, I feel his chapters were far too long due to this excess in detail.

My favorite chapter so far is chapter 8, “Raw Milk”. Growing up, my family and I always ate unpasteurized cheese when spending time in London each winter and summer. In LA, my dad was friends with the man who worked the cheese counter at our local food market who smuggled unpasteurized cheese for my family. We always found it so ridiculous that this was something that had to be smuggled! I believe Timmermeister would agree with me. It was fascinating to read about not only the process of making these cheeses, but also to learn about the arguments of both sides on unpasteurized milk and cheese.