That farm life though...

When I think of farmers, I picture the stereotypical old man and lady with baggy clothes out with their cows plowing fields. But hey, maybe that’s just me based on what I have seen after spending some time in the countryside in Taiwan. However, after reading the book Growing a Farmer by Kurt Timmermeister, I now have a completely different perception and a new found admiration for farmers. 

The book starts of Timmermeister – a few years out of college at age twenty-four, and is about to open his first restaurant. Timmermeister gives an intimate and detailed walk-through of his experience managing his business. From the very first chapter, you can immediately tell that Timmermeister is a passionate man and always pursues what he loves. However, as his restaurant develops, he becomes more and more disgusted by how food is processed (to the point where he stops eating at his own restaurant), and instead starts focusing on food quality and his farm. Timmermeister begins to educate himself by attending lectures, reading books, and basically any resources he could get his hands on. Through trial and error his farm eventually starts making profit and he takes you on a detailed journey through his growth and development.

I have read about half of the book already, and to be honest, I cannot immerse myself into it. It is an easy and straight forward read but it is not the type of book that I am normally interested in. Nevertheless, it has been educational and eye opening. Timmermeister explains how he runs his farm in detail and is blatantly truthful, which I love! For example, Timmermeister explained how he impulsively bought his first cow and was unprepared for the labor needed. It hurt not only his hands but also his pride. Overall, the biggest take away I have from the book at the moment is perseverance. Timmermeister never gave up on what he wanted despite how difficult it got. He tried different things, failed, learned, and tried something new until he found what worked for him. This is a characteristic that I deeply admire.