Waking Up: Life on a Small 'Humane' Farm

by Vicky Hamill

You cannot carry passengers on a smallholding. This is what I had been told. I didn’t like it but I believed it to be true. Everything has to earn its keep.

Be strong.

Onion had his head chopped off… we ate him

Vicky Hamill’s childhood love of animals inspired her move to a smallholding in the wilds of Orkney. Initially she had some chickens and a goat but, unable to refuse any animal that needed her help, she quickly found herself tending a motley collection of sheep, cows, goats and geese on her small ‘humane’ farm.

But farm animals have a defined life cycle. In this memoir, Vicky recounts the conflict between her attachment to her animals and the demands of farming. She vividly recalls the joys of feeding newborn lambs and the despair of killing them, joyous and heartbreaking moments that eventually led her to quit the farm and become a vegan.

Exquisitely narrated and deeply moving, this is a book for anyone who questions the morality of the food on their plate. It doesn’t preach but it convincingly tells the story of one woman’s journey towards awareness.

85 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 2, 2019

Reviews

[Ireene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet little book but heartbreaking as well. Highly recommended reading to all who think that humane farming is something to strive to.

[Danny Powlesland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It's punchy with lots of detail, and utterly fascinating. Only now do I understand vegetarians.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non-judgemental, honest and quietly affecting. A helpful read for those who think that 'it's okay if the animal had had a good life' and what that 'good life' entails.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a profound, simple, wonderful memoir. Highly recommend!

[Suzanne Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational and easy read.

I recommend this as a good introduction to the economics of animal based agriculture. An easy read and not a confrontational book. For those who would like to know more about how animal based food is produced and the lives of farmed animals.