Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Kingsolver describes her family’s process of harvesting their turkeys for meat and uses this description to explore the reasons behind her free-range meat diet. Notably, she points out that she is not vegetarian and explains her reasoning behind this stance.

Humans are evolutionarily omnivores and Kingsolver feels that “to believe we can live without taking life is delusional. Humans may only cultivate nonviolence in our diets by degree” (221). CAFOs and industrial production farms are wasteful and often dangerous, besides the issue of animal health and happiness. However, free-range farming and the harvesting her family does is with a purpose because “we raise these creatures for a reason” (222).

Kingsolver acknowledges that people often have issues with the idea of killing animals for meat because they have no experience with it and view it like killing a pet. She also agrees that “to breed fewer meat animals in the future is possible; phasing out those types destined for confinement” is the first priority (225). However, humans will always need to farm animals for consumption, especially those living in areas ill-suited for robust vegetable farming.

She does acknowledge that “believing in the righteousness of a piece of work, alas, is not what gets it done” (229). Kingsolver describes the act of harvesting the turkeys and chickens—which involves chopping off their heads—and how it is not a morbid, death-obsessed process.

The chapter contains one of Hopp’s longest essays, entitled “Really, We’re Not Mad.” He explains the threat of Mad Cow Disease, which “became infamous during the 1980s outbreak in England, where more than 150 humans died” (230). The British stopped the practice which caused this, while US politicians instituted testing policies for 2% of cows unable to stand and 1% of slaughtered cows, deeming this sufficient.

The chapter ends with “Carnivory” by Camille, which describes her experience seeing industrial feedlots, which led to the family swearing off non-free-range meat. She gives insight into how “egg and meat industries in the United States take some care not to publicize specifics about how they raise animals” (239). She ends by saying that free-range eggs and meat are increasingly easy to find. 

This chapter describes Kingsolver’s vacation to Italy with Hopp, whose family is Italian. There, she finds an entirely different kind of food culture. Unlike the issues of over-efficiency and lack of time made for food and eating, in Italy “food is the point” (244). Even the museum cafeteria and roadside hotels serve delicious, carefully cooked, local food.

The Italians respect their food so much, she finds, that meals consist of many courses—none of which one should skip—which require savoring. They also explore a local farmers market and find a unique kind of pumpkin, which Kingsolver buys. They harvest the seeds while staying at a local farm hotel and take them home to grow.

Their favorite farm hotel or “fattoria” is in Tuscany (254). They tour the olive orchard, where “all the olives are harvested by hand. Elsewhere, in much of Italy, older trees have been replaced in the last two decades by younger orchards trimmed into small, near box shapes for machine harvest” (255). However, Italian lawmakers are now trying to preserve traditional farming.

The chapter includes the essay “Dig! Dig! Dig! And Your Muscles Will Grow Big” by Hopp. He explores the phenomenon of victory gardens, which results from John Raeburn’s work to feed England during WWII when the Germans cut off normal supply routes. Many countries now have moments to promote urban gardening, which provides food, filters air, and creates green spaces. 

This chapter concerns two fall vegetables: pumpkins and potatoes. Kingsolver describes harvesting and cooking her pumpkins, and uses this as a way to explore the counterintuitive role pumpkins play in American cuisines. Kingsolver notes that pumpkins are in fact the largest vegetable that Americans consume—a staple in the rare pure-American cuisine. However, it is usual for shoppers to buy whole, fresh pumpkins for display only and to use canned, processed pumpkin cans for cooking.

Kingsolver also waxes poetic about potatoes, which she plants very early in the season. They spend months underground growing, and get harvested in the fall. Interestingly, Kingsolver explains how potatoes, even when planted early, “have a built-in rest period that is calendar-neutral, and until it’s over the tubers won’t sprout” (266). As a result, potatoes shipped from vastly different climates simply will not grow when they should, even when planted perfectly.

The Kingsolver family also harvests late-season peanuts, onions, and garlic, as well as peppers and eggplants which are “tropical by nature, waking slowly to summer and just getting into full swing in late September” (270). Finally, they go apple picking.

Hopp’s essay, “Trading Fair and Square,” describes buying products that they must import, like coffee, tea, and spices, with a similar consideration for their production. For example, he advocates free trade coffee.

Camille’s essay, “Splendid Spuds,” ends the chapter. She explains why potatoes have a bad reputation for being unhealthy. However, a balanced meal will counteract the potato’s natural effect of causing blood sugar spikes.