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

Price: $20.99 - $10.99
(as of Oct 12, 2026 00:38:39 UTC – Details)


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 omnivores and herbivores alike–into how our meat is raised, how we buy it and from whom, and why change is desirable and possible.
From a distressing lesson about her favorite Minnesota State Fair food (pork-chop-on-a-stick) to the surprising gratitude that came from eating an animal she’d raised and loved, Friend takes us on a wild and woolly ride through her small farm (with several brief detours into life on factory farms), along the way raising questions such as: What are the differences between factory, conventional, sustainable, and organic farms, and more importantly, why do we need to understand those differences? What do all those labels — from organic to local to grass fed and pasture raised — really mean? If you’re buying from a small farmer, what are the key questions to ask? How do you find that small farmer, and what’s the best way to help her help you?
In the same witty and warm style that characterized her memoir Hit by a Farm,Friend uses her perspective as a sustainable farmer and carnivore to consider meat animals’ quality of life–while still supporting the choice to eat meat. Regardless of whether you eat meat once a day, once a week, or once a year, your perspective of what goes on your plate–and in your mouth–will never be the same.
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0097DE7NW
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Balance
Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2009
Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st Da Capo Press Ed
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.6 MB
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0738212647
Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Best Sellers Rank: #2,044 in Meat Cooking #4,072 in Health, Mind & Body Reference #17,528 in Nutrition (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (48) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers find the book informative and well-written, with one mentioning it provides great insight into finding a balance between meat consumption and animal welfare. The content receives positive feedback, with one customer noting it helps readers feel guilt-free about eating meat. However, opinions on value for money are mixed, with some finding it worth the purchase while others consider it a terrible waste of money.