The Compassionate Carnivore: Or, How to Keep Animals Happy, Save Old Macdonald's Farm, Reduce Your Hoofprint, and Still Eat Meat

by Catherine Friend

Book Overview

For most of her life, Catherine Friend was a carnivore who preferred not to consider where the meat on her plate came from--beef didn't have a face, chicken didn't have a personality, and pork certainly shouldn't have feelings. But Friend's attitude began to change after she and her partner bought a farm and began raising sheep for meat. Friend's ensuing odyssey through the world of livestock and farming is a journey that offers critical insights--for...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1600940072
• ISBN13: 9781600940071
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Out of the comfort zone

I bought this book after reading randomly selected reviews from five star to one star, and that grudgingly bestowed only because there is no option for negative stars. The controversy and the passion of these reviews indicated that the book would be well worth reading - and it is is. It is not a manifesto but a movingly written, shockingly and disturbingly honest account of Friend's own journey toward taking responsibility for whatever she puts into her mouth. "The Compassionate Carnivore" has no place where anybody, whether vegan or omnivore, can rest in complacence or comfort. For the meat-eater who has never thought about the lives of farmed animals, distanced by the nice clean packaging of the meat, eggs, and dairy, revelation of the truth behind the way in which these animals live and die is bound to be deeply upsetting, and many will react with anger against the messenger. For the vegan, it may be too hard to accept that some people who eat animal products are not monsters, but real humans who struggle mightily with their consciences, and who are genuinely committed to eradicating cruelty to livestock both in life and in death. Again, the message will be rejected and the messenger vilified. Death is, of course, the sticking point. For people to whom death is the ultimate evil, there is no way to accept the premise that a person can truly care for her animals, cry all the way home from the slaughter facility because they're dead, and still not only deliver them up for slaughter but enjoy the meat afterwards. At this point it becomes a matter of religion, and Friend deserves both respect and compassion for her exposure of her own vulnerability, and her own discomfort over the facts that other animals (humans being animals too) are sentient to various degrees. Friend acknowledges that she is the one who makes the decision for death, and that she in no way sees the deaths of her lambs as a willing sacrifice on their parts. This is courageous, as it immediately sets her up as a target for extremists at both poles. Friend openly admits that she gets lost occasionally on her quest, often because of convenience. It is quicker and easier to buy prepared burritos made with CAFO beef and agribusiness corn or wheat, and unfortunately cheaper in upfront money outlay, than to hunt down humane-certified beef and non-GMO grains and make the burritos from scratch in one's own kitchen. My own experience as a smallholder resonates very powerfully with Friend's; those of us who have raised and eaten our own animal products experience not numbing, but a heightened sense of gratitude that can only be described as religious awe, and a sense of the sacred about the entire food cycle. I never lost a deep reluctance and regret when scheduling a death, and I focused very tightly on ensuring that the animal experienced no fear and no pain. I agree with Friend that it is a most effective tactic in the war against cruelty to, and commodification of, farmed animals t

Great Information

Great information. Gave a copy to one of my best grass-fed beef customers by way of thanks for her repeat business and appreciative testimonials. BB

GREAT Book!

I have chosen a vegetarian lifestyle about two years ago as I researched on my own "factory farms". I find myself defending my choice on numerous occasions to friends and family which has lead me to believe people are quite naive when it comes to food. So what do these people need? Education. Catherine Friend takes exactly that approach in the Compassionate Carnivore. Friend speaks to people who currently eat meat and don't plan on stopping. Friend writes on what it's like inside a factory farm and how a person who chooses to eat meat can choose more wisely by researching where their meat comes from. I am constantly recommending this book to others so they can be more educated on what they are putting into their bodies.

Insightful read!

I was a meat-eater, then went to a ranch where I helped with the birthing of baby lambs (which were so sweet and innocent) and immediately gave up meat... for a year. After 12 long months of meat-free meals, I caved in -my body really craved the protein you can really only find in animal meat, so now I'm trying to find a happy balance between being a vegetarian and being a "compassionate carnivore". This book really gives great insight into finding that balance - a great read for anyone who struggles with the decision to eat, or not to eat meat.

A Perfect Addition to Any Savvy Consumer's Library

While Catherine Friend is an aspiring "Super-Compassionate Carnivore, able to leap over inhumanely raised meat in a single bound," she is better known as the award-winning author of the memoir, Hit by a Farm, epic adventure stories, and numerous children's books. A perfect addition to any savvy consumer's library, The Compassionate Carnivore offers insight on methods of feeding, raising, and finishing animals. Since the mid-1990s, Friend and her partner, Melissa, have owned and operated a small sustainable farm in Minnesota and have learned first-hand "the impact modern agriculture has on animals, the environment, and [all of us]." In a comprehensive reader-friendly format, the author discusses timely topics, including nutrition, production, how animals live, reproduce and die, buying factory vs. non-factory meat, as well as how each person can make a difference. The book is filled with thought-provoking information, and all references are cited at the end. Friend explores what the meat industry, specifically super-sized "farms," cost consumers with respect to their health and their wallets. The author fulfills her promise that "This will not be one of those cheerful self-help books that makes change sound so ridiculously easy...[and] at the other extreme, it's not intended to be one of those books about factory farming that's so depressing that you can't get out of bed for a week," in a practical way. She recommends taking one step at a time and not getting discouraged by minor setbacks, like eating pork from an inhumanely raised sow. Being a farmer greatly impacts the way she thinks about the meat she eats. She freely admits, "My path to becoming a compassionate carnivore has been paved with good intentions, but littered with the bones of pork-chop-on-a-stick." However, she and Melissa do all they can to raise happy sheep, and they take pride in providing nourishment. It's possible to show appreciation, kindness, and respect for animals and still eat them. She supports those who choose to be vegetarian and even recommends more vegetable sources of protein over factory-farmed meat, but she makes a great case for people who enjoy meat and want to eat it without an extra helping of guilt. The Compassionate Carnivore is filled with insightful and often humorous anecdotes. When not horrifying me with various practices of making meat ready for market (E. coli from slaughtered animals who have soiled themselves, butchering animals while they're still alive, or not halting factory production even if a worker loses an arm), Friend had me roaring with laughter as she recounted about their flock not receiving the memo that sheep are supposed to follow, not lead, or how long it took two healthy women to catch a gimpy baby lamb. Backed by research, practical experience, and the desire to improve standards, Friend offers many sound suggestions. If more carnivores demand humanely raised meat, the supply will hopefully follow. Each of us can have a posit