Growing a Farmer

Growing a Farmer, by Kurt Timmermeister, is about his journey from life in a big city to the adventure of becoming a farmer. Being a restaurant owner, Kurt began to take an interest in food and where it came from. The more Kurt saw the meat being delivered and the food being prepared, he was fascinated by how it all came to his restaurant. He soon realized that he wanted to try to grow his own crops. Kurt wanted to be a real farmer. He bought some land on an island nearby and started to tend to his land. He tried many things, bought tools, read books, and eventually learned the best ways to do things. He was still reliant on his restaurant’s income, but eventually he was able to sell it and focus on the farm. One of his big projects was raising bees for their honey. He hit a lot of speed bumps on the way, but eventually he learned the most effective way to get what he wanted. Then he tried making hard apple cider from apple trees. But deer ate his trees, and he had to adjust. So he instead made vinegar and apple juice. Kurt thought he needed animals on his farm, so he got a sheep. He explained it as a gateway animal, the first animal that farmers get because it doesn’t take a lot of effort to take care of. But what Kurt really learned was that the lambs are what make raising sheep worth it. They are cute animals, but also provide meat. Since sheep only produce offspring once a year, Kurt discovered early on that he needed to save the lamb meat more carefully. Kurt thought that in order to be a real farmer, he needed a cow. So he bought a cow from someone, and began raising cows. He loved having something he had to get up for every day. He learned a lot about the physical aspect of being a farmer when he milked his cows by hand. He had to learn some basic medical procedures, giving cows medicine when they got sick. This is when Kurt learned he was going to be a dairy farmer. While this book is about Kurt learning how to grow his farm and be a farmer, it is also filled with many successes and failures. Kurt learns the hard way that being a farmer takes patience, time, and sometimes just luck.

I think this book is incredible. I find it interesting because I can really relate to Kurt Timmermeister. I love the idea of growing your own food, doing things with your hands, and working hard for a product. I admire the way he overcame the many obstacles he faced. He didn’t quit as soon as he experienced setbacks, he kept on going and worked harder to find solutions. It was very courageous how he quit his steady job in the city to make his dream happen. Even though he didn’t have any experience with being a farmer, he was smart and determined. He writes in such a way that it is easy to read. He makes me want to read more because I want to know how he solved his problems and what idea he had next. It is interesting when he goes into a lot of detail about things he does. He explains how the tractor works, how to put bees in a hive, how to milk and care for cows. While these may not seem that interesting at first, he has so much passion for what he does that it’s hard not to be intrigued. I want to learn how he does all these things even if I may never do them. While it is in some ways an autobiography, he also teaches the reader. I feel like I have learned a lot just by reading what he has done on his farm. He’s not afraid to admit his mistakes. This book has made me realize that when people set out to do things, no one really knows what they’re doing at first and that’s okay. What’s important is being patient and willing to learn.