#dairy farming challenges

[farmerstrend]

Kenya’s Dairy Boom: What the 13.1% Increase in Milk Processor Purchases Means for Farmers

The quantity of milk purchased by processors from dairy farmers in Kenya has increased by 13.1 per cent in the nine months to September 2024, signalling a rise in milk production and a growing demand from consumers. According to data from the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), processors bought 661.87 million litres of milk from farmers during this period, up from 585.08 million litres in the same months…

[prettycatboy]

Dairy heaven and intolerant hell, a very effective system

indeed.... 😔😮‍💨

[somanyjacks]

Free Online Classes about Goat Farming

My friend Lee from Moxie Ridge Farm is hosting some free online courses about goat farming! If you have any interest in agriculture, homesteading, or are an author trying to get that goat farm AU off the ground, check them out!

Goat Care Basics

This is a course for those who have never worked with goats before. Perfect for those looking to start working with goats in their job and those looking to incorporate goats into their homestead or farm. By the end of this class, students will be ready to own and care for goats. 

Behavioral Herdsmanship for Goats

When people ask me what my secret is with goats, I can now answer with this course. It is an intro to Behavioral Herdsmanship for goats and covers getting to know behavior on 3 levels as well as herding skills, moving goats, and more.  This course is appropriate for those who have never worked with goats and those wishing to deepen their trust-based working relationship with goats.

Goat Kidding Basics

Kidding can be an important part of goat ownership for those who want milk or baby goats. This course teaches the basics of kidding and prepares students to attend their first goat birth. 

Bottle Raising Baby Goats

Raising bottle babies can be both challenging and incredibly rewarding. This course walks students through post-birth care, selecting and using a bottle system, and how to play in order to raise safe and friendly goats. Appropriate for those wishing to learn to raise a single baby to several dozen for home or work. 

These courses have been made possible by the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center and are a training series targeted at people who want to start working with goats either as owners or as a part of their jobs.

[frownyalfred]

OP I think you've said you're from the Midwest 🤔 ? (If not please ignore)

What would be 5 Midwestern dishes Clark and Ma Kent would present to Bruce Wayne that would make the latter have a conniption?

(A conniption from like actually experiencing a hearty meal or a dessert that leaves him in a sugar coma. But one out of love ♡. Clark with make Bruce gain some weight with meals and not just muscle, if it's the last thing he does )

I will (gently) challenge the parameters of this question. When people think of ridiculous Midwestern food, 9 times out of 10 they're thinking of something Minnesota made up. And while it might not seem like it, there's a HUGE difference between Kansas and those freaks in Minnesota (said lovingly).

Midwestern food, when it can be generalized, tends to be hearty meat-and-potatoes style dishes. Grilled meats in summer, chilis and casseroles in winter. Fresh vegetables in the growing seasons, and potatoes + onions in winter. The desserts are where things tend to get more region-specific.

But in answer to your actual question -- I think Bruce's stomach can only handle so much rich(er) Midwestern food because of the high dairy and fatty meat content. If you're working on maintaining a lean(er) physique like he is, one bowl of chili could really knock you out for a few days.

Personally, when I'm cutting and I'm eating whole foods for weeks and weeks, the first time I have something like that, it's a lot. That's all to say, yeah maybe Bruce should do his dirty bulk at the Kent farm. There's nothing like a great heaping serving of shepherd's pie.

[aziraphales-library]

hi <3 do you have any recs for long multichap fics that are NOT slow burns? thank so much!

Hello! There are not enough fics tagged "fast burn" so I also did a search for "established relationship". Enjoy...

its duty is to harm me, my duty is to know by natalunasans (T)

the title is from a cohen song about death, & also applies to life... whether in london or in tadfield; together, alone, or in (usually good) company; the ineffable partners talk out their fears, try to figure out what they are and what to do with themselves, now that they're not working for heaven and hell anymore. domestic softness > action, but there is some plot and angst (off and on)

Don't Drag Me Down by rowenablade (M)

Armageddon didn't happen, Heaven and Hell have agreed to leave them alone, and Aziraphale and Crowley are free to build a life together. But the forces of Hell aren't happy with losing, and even if they can't directly harm their wayward demon, they can try to drive a wedge between him and the angel that he loves. After all, Crowley had been encouraging them for centuries to get creative.

The Starting Hinge by lucky_spike (T)

When a rare book collector is mysteriously killed, DI Barnaby and DS Winter are on the case. Meanwhile, the question of what will become of the victim's extensive library stirs a small group of rare books collectors into a furor. Who can be trusted? - This is predominantly a Good Omens fanfic with some Midsomer Murders thrown in just because I could do it and I wanted to. Contains death of an OC and (obvs) murder and attempts thereof. Nothing gory, though, so party on.

Great Omens (The Big One) by falsepremise (M)

A narrative of certain events leading up to The Big One, in strict accordance, as shall be shown, with the nice and accurate prophesies of Agnes Nutter, witch. A Good Omens sequel, set thirty years in the future...   Thirty years after a failed Armageddon we must face The Big One, as Heaven and Hell, working together, enact a plan to fix the world or destroy it forever. Meanwhile, Aziraphale and Crowley discover that truly being on their own side has more implications than they’d ever have guessed. Changes to the basic metaphysics of the universe. A second book of prophesies. Mysterious twins on a mission. Hijinks and shenanigans. Deep questions, laughs, ridiculous banter and sexy stuff. Welcome to my attempt at an epic Good Omens sequel.

Considerate Omens by OneofWebs (M)

Crowley is plagued by dreams of a life he lived long before time had even begun. It's two years after the Apocalypse-That-Didn't, and though he's got a healthy bit of fear of what may come next, choosing to ignore these dreams seems a much better use of his time. In those two years, Aziraphale had moved into his flat, and they may or may not be dating. They don't talk about it, but they do get along just fine with their play-pretend routine, which proves a bit rickety when neither of them age. To avoid suspicion, Aziraphale thinks it wise that he spend some time presenting as a woman. This, a catalyst to the end Crowley had feared before, because it's hard to resist the idea of children when the opportunity presents itself. - [The Continuation of Good Omens]

Bleating Hearts by HKBlack (E)

Meet Doctor Aziraphale Fell, university lecturer of English Literature, Shakespearian expert, and man with an unexpected goat in his office. When the handsome herder who comes to catch the unruly visitor asks some pointed questions, Aziraphale finds his life suddenly turned upside down and filled with both new challenges and opportunities. But is Crowley all that he says he is? And even if he isn’t–does it really matter when he’s clearly a piece of the puzzle missing in Aziraphale’s life? Trip on over to Devil Doe’s Dairy and Goat Scaping Farm, where the cheese is always smooth, the goats climb roofs, and true love might just be around the corner.

- Mod D

[openmindcrimecook]

Recipe tutorials

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Culinary travel adventures

[whencyclopedia]

Wealth & Power in Medieval Iceland

Early medieval Iceland, the Viking colony, was a democratic and egalitarian society, but the scarcity of resources and the rough environment created competition, where local chieftains resorted to different tactics to acquire wealth and money, from using their advantage as men of the law and representatives of the people to the often complex social relationships they had with their followers.

Economic Challenges

To understand the economic challenges, we need to keep in mind that the short growing season in the north especially, was variable and mostly meant moss and lichens. Birch, Iceland's only tree, suffered from the changing temperatures and then the settlers' woodcutting. The settlers were probably pleased initially since the land was easy to clear for farming, but very soon the island started showing its boundaries. Overgrazing caused erosion, the cooling of the climate affected productivity, no new farming technologies were developed. In the south, it was possible to grow small crops of cereals, but the farmer (bændr) usually turned to sheep and cattle. Hay was vital, thus fertile meadows as well, turning land into the most desired commodity and the source of many disputes in the sagas.

On this tiny island, one viable solution to increase one's wealth was to simply steal someone else's property. The income a chieftain, a local leader (goði), could legally acquire by fulfilling his legal duties was simply too low and unsteady to support followers, offer gifts, and hold feasts. According to the Sturlunga Saga, a collection of stories about the powerful clan of the Sturlungs in the mid-12th century, there does appear to have been a tax of support for local leaders, the so-called 'sheep-tax' (sauðatollr). It seems to have been forcibly collected at the end of the free state, that is before Iceland was brought under the control of the Norwegian crown, by local leaders in need of funding. The more aggressive stance against farmers and merchants at this time was not limited to Iceland as Europe, in general, was dealing with inflation.

Moreover, there was never enough silver in Iceland, and so they had to figure out early on different substitutes: cloth, dairy products, livestock. Vaðmál (homespun cloth) became pretty common, replacing silver as a unit of exchange. Prices were set in standardized ounces and discussed at local assemblies. The value of cows was also set at these assemblies, which meant prices could be different from region to region.

Continue reading...

[heartfullofleeches]

please elaborare on alien yan and them thembo cow reader

(Just a not so little dairy farmer and the extraterrestrial who's got the hots for them and not totally isn't trying to lure them onto their ship)

Fresh mountain air, wide open fields for you and your herd. It wasn't always easy, but this was certainly the life for you.

Early on, you did everything thing to conform to human society. Taken in by a family in a place where people like you were the norm life was pretty easy - say for strangers tugging your horns when you were too small to defend yourself and mooing at you on the street, but that problem took care of itself once you towered over your bullies later on with the strength to match.

The only challenge you faced afterwards was a thirst for a life that never was. Living in a bustling city, you never experienced the outdoor life yourself, but you grew up on the romanticized portrayals - and fell more in love with the real thing when you finally got a taste visiting a close friend's family farm. It was then and there you decided to pack up and move out to the country once you had the funds. As luck would have it, that friend called you up with an offer you couldn't refuse when they heard about your future plans. Overnight, you were the new owner of a farm and on your way to living the life of your dreams. Wished they'd told you more about the surveillance cameras you found hidden around during a deeper inspection of the place, but you'd manage.

You adored the change of scenery. There was a town a couple miles out so you weren't completely alone, but you had your animals to keep you company. Majority of your business comes from that town, but you've been taking a little break recently to take care of your herd and the bizarre events happening around your barn. You normally let your cows go free range, but two of them have gone missing without a trace. You've found strange symbols carved into the wood of your home and fields, the stocks from the harvest bundled neatly at your doorstep. Day by day, you started to regret not asking more about those odd cameras - especially since your friend hasn't answered any of your calls recently, but now's not the time to focus on that.

You've got a visitor.

Tires crunching atop the gravel road, an old beat up truck pulls up to the side of your house. No deliveries were scheduled for today, so you guessed they might've needed some assistance or looking to by something for the road. As the driver steps out of the vehicle, you're fairly surprised. They were big as you if not bigger; a slight hunch in their back obscured their full height. You've never met a human around your size and you couldn't see any features so far that would mark them as a hybrid. It was hard to see most of them really. A baseball cap was pulled over their eyes and the lower portion of their face was covered by a cloth mask. The only reason you knew was because they were staring right at you, all the way over at the open barn. The bovine at your side nudges your shoulder as you look back.

"I'll be back back soon. Okay?" You stroke her head and lead her back to the rise of the ground, picking up the filled bottles of milk and your bucket on your way out. The driver is inspecting your front door by the time you make it down the small hill to your humble home, picking at the flaking wood with their black nails. One foot on the porch and they're back focused on you. You still can't see their eyes or face, but their cheeks crinkle like they're smiling.

"Afternoon."

Their voice is...off. It's scratchy and hoarse like they haven't had a drink of water in days, but it reminds more you of static. Must be rough for truckers this time of year. "Afternoon! What can I do for you?"

The driver looks their feet, brows scrunched as they mutter to themselves. "H...ha.. Happen to have something to drink on you? I'm quite parched from my... travels."

"Course, kind of our main business here." You joke, reaching ingo your bottle for a glass. "On the house. Not to sound rude or anything, but you sound like you need it."

You hand the fresh bottle of milk to the stranger who graciously it off your hands - popping the top and taking a curious sip of the sweet cream. Their jaw shifts as they swish it around on their tongue, stiff shoulders relaxing some.

You fix the bill of your hat, horns making the task the toughest of your load. "Hope it's to your liking. Comes fresh from barn!"

The stranger studies your face and horns; eyes slowly falling to your chest and the cow print pattern of your tee. In a flash they're throwing their head back and down the entire bottle, lapping at its rim and snaking their slender tongue down its hole. It hits the bottom of the glass, pulsing against its floor. Maybe they were a hybrid -longest tongue you've ever seen. They stop only when their hat starts to slide back to fix it. You've never seen anyone so excited for your milk before - you hope the girls will be happy to hear this when you feed the herd later on.

"So, what are you doing in this parts? Haven't seen a delivery truck come by that wasn't one of mine in months."

A hairline crack runs the wall of the bottle. "I.... "ve just been on the road with no destination in mind. Searching for my place in the universe, but the country air is nice too. Think my trucks finally giving up on me, and I saw a sign for your farm down the road. Do you have a room I can stay in till I get it working? Food won't be an issue for me.. I can repay you with my services for now and send some money late on. Please..."

The poor thing. You rest your hand on their shoulder. "Slow down, it's alright. You don't have to pay me back or anything. Just focus on getting back on your feet, okay. The guest soon is a little junky right now since I haven't unpacked all my things, but you can wait in the living room while I'm moving things around. Welcome aboard."

Patting their arm, you swing the screen door open and step inside, inviting the in. Walking closer, their attention is taken by the wind chimes handing above your door, moreso the stains they reveal. The stranger takes off their coat and throws it on the chair outside your home. Your tail swings behind you with each step you take - so close yet so far. No - patience. They already had one slip up earlier with their lines. They'd rehearsed so many times, but not once did they conquer the hypothetical where you asked about them. It was the most logical option, so of course they skipped it. Their sweet cow would do nothing but offer a hand to the unfortunate. That's why they loved you so.

In their searches they found nothing to save this planet from its fate, but in the end one member of it's superior class would live on - in the stars.

[healinghoots]

So you want to be a vet? (UK)

1. Get Organized

Different vet schools have slightly different requirements (e.g., GCSEs, extra tests like CASPer), so make a spreadsheet.

Decide where to apply - consider location, advice from previous students and your preferred learning style! Remember: you will be here for the next 5-6 years, make you you like it!

Consider statistics - if you're an english applicant, don't apply to two Scottish schools! They hold an overwhelming amount of places for scottish and international students.

2. Work Experience = Gold

Get variety: Farm animals, companion animals, exotics, wildlife—you’ll want at least 2 weeks with vets and 2 weeks in husbandry placements (but more is better).

Quality > Quantity: It’s not about ticking boxes. Reflect on what you learned, like teamwork, communication, and, yes, shoveling poo with enthusiasm.

Check requirements for the university you want: each school has different minimum requirements!

Get references as you go: almost all the schools will ask you for references (don't forget to check their formatting requirements), it's far easier to gather them as you go rather than scrambling at the last minute!

3. Grades Matter

Most unis ask for AAA at A-level (bio and chem required).

If your grades aren’t quite there, consider a foundation year or gateway course—they’re there for a reason!

4. Personal Statement

Start early and rewrite... and rewrite.

Show your passion but don’t just list achievements—reflect on what they taught you.

Example: Instead of “I volunteered on a dairy farm,” try “I learned how to handle stressed animals and developed resilience after being kicked by a cow.”

5. Extra forms

Some universities don't even look at your personal statement, and even when they do they will ask for supplementary forms

These forms may be ethics reasoning, further reflection on why you want to apply, or something entirely different!

Check deadlines: some may be before you apply, some may be after. Don't miss out on your chance because you didn't know you had something to submit!

5. Interviews

Formats vary: Expect panel interviews, MMI (stations), or both.

Practice scenarios: They’re looking for empathy, problem-solving, and communication, not a walking textbook. “What would you do if an owner couldn’t afford treatment?”

Know the current hot topics: Vet shortages, mental health in the profession, zoonotic diseases—be ready to discuss these.

“Why do you want to be a vet?” can’t just be “I like animals.” Prepare an answer that shows you understand the challenges.

6. Keep Perspective

It’s competitive: There are far more applicants than places. If you don’t get in, it’s not the end. Many students take a gap year and re-apply, sometimes even multiple times!

[jonquilyst]

Briar Vinca for @ethicaltreatmentofcowplants' Simply Lilac BC

Contestant

Name: Briar Vinca (Brai-err Veen-kuh) Age Group: YA (about the same age as Lilac) Pronouns: She/Her Orientation: Pansexual Hometown: Henford-On-Bagley Occupation: Florist Skills: Gardening and basic cooking Traits: Lazy, Green Fiend, Vegetarian Aspiration: Eco Innovator Life State: Human Likes: Gardening, Spirited Sims, Small Talk, Blue, Green, Pink, Nature Enthusiasts, Singing, Affection, Deep Thoughts, Discussing Hobbies, Discussing Interests, Family-Motivated Sims, Homebody Sims, Singer-Songwriter Music, Cottagecore Music, Romance Music, Pop Music Dislikes: Fitness, Potty Humor, Deception, Arguments, Gossip, Argumentative Sims, Emotional Decision-Makers, METAL MUSIC, Electronica Music, DJ Booth Music, Alternative Music Gifts: A finished cross-stitch piece (1), A painting (2), any flower (3) Misc: A nerd about flowers. She is very knowledgable in flowering plant biology

In Depth: Briar is an environment-conscious florist who was born, raised, and still a current resident of Henford-on-Bagley. She was adopted by a pair of mothers, Estelle Vinca and Madelynn Goth (yes, a descendant of the Goth family). She has an older brother named Oakley, who is a science baby born from Estelle and Madelynn's genetics. He is now a professional mixologist and a seasoned bowler living in Chestnust Ridge, but he and Briar grew up together in the most rural part of Henford-on-Bagley: The Bramblewood. Their mothers ran a farm there (both with crops and livestock) and it was this farm that Briar grew to love gardening and plants. She's not as good as Estelle (who upkept the garden), but she's learning the ropes! Briar is now living in Finchwick, but she's still very much a country girl and loves her life in Henford-on-Bagley. Briar cares a lot about climate change and wants to help save the environment. She makes sure she's wearing ethically-made clothing and one of the reasons why she's living in Finchwick is to be walking-distance from the stores, no car needed! She's also vegetarian by choice because she grew up surrounded by animals and doesn't like the thought of eating meat (though she is ok with consuming things like eggs and dairy as long as they were ethically produced). Briar wants to take her shot at the BC because she thinks she and Lilac have a lot in common, and also because she grew up simple-living her entire life because of her remote upbringing. Therefore she doesn't think the simple-living will be much of a challenge for her

Other: She's my Gen 7 spare of my Vinca legacy and is the niece of Lucian!

Watcher

Are you comfortable with your pixel person:

Flirting with other contestants? (The bachelorette will have the ‘player’ trait cheated and her boundaries set to no jealousy, so it will not impact your sim’s relationship with her.) [Yes]

WooHooing other contestants? [Yes]

Flirting with/and or woohooing NPCs?  [Yes]

Flirting with the host?  [Yes]

Changes to traits via gameplay prompts? (ie. Evil to Good, depending on what your Sim does, or adding traits)  [Yes]

(Humans Only) Becoming an occult?  [No, I'd like her to remain human please ^^]

(Werewolves Only) The Fated Mate mechanic? (If a werewolf ends up winning the challenge, I will cheat out that sentiment)  [N/A]

[farmerstrend]

Kenya Dairy Board’s 10-Year Plan: More Milk, Sustainability, and Climate Action

The Kenya Dairy Board unveils a 10-year plan to transform the dairy sector by focusing on sustainability, increasing milk production by 2.5 billion litres, and ensuring environmental and economic benefits for farmers. Kenya’s 10-year Dairy Industry Sustainability Roadmap aims to produce an additional 2.5 billion litres of milk annually, promoting sustainable farming, reducing greenhouse gas…

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Donut and champagne for both Josh/Erra and Josh/Sydari

Hellooo!!! This should be fun :3 🍩 | their favourite snack to eat together *An aside- after corprus Josh loses his sense of taste and doesn't receive hunger signals properly. He often forgets to eat and doesn't snack as a result. Josh x Erra The two travel a lot and Josh has a lot of food intolerances. Anything with Kwama or Dairy is out. This includes Nix-hound meat. Thankfully, the Ashlanders don't make a lot of use out of either (scrib jelly is used in alchemy but it's expensive). As a result, the main source of protein amongst the Urshilaku is farmed Guar or the odd hunted Alit. Fish can be affected by the ash from Red Mountain, so it doesn't appear in many Urshilaku dishes. Saltrice and whickwheat make up staple grains in the north. There's a dish the Ashlanders eat on special occasions that's similar in nature to Pilaf made with saltrice, guar meat and spices. It's meant for communal eating with a whickwheat based flatbread that's sometimes stuffed with the same spice mix. Josh eats like a bird, so getting him to sit and share a meal is a rarity. He will sit down for this. Erra takes charge of making most of their food. He likes a style of sweet fried dumpling coated in a marshmerrow syrup. He appreciates it when Josh shares some with him. Josh x Sydari Skyrim presents a lot of challenges food wise for Josh. Most meals involve cheese or milk as an ingredient and thats...not the best combination. Sydari usually takes charge when it comes to ordering food for the two of them. She usually orders Josh some sort of roasted meat or stew. Her favourite snacks are taffy treats but Josh can't really taste them. Sometimes when the two are having a rest day she'll pull together an assortment of cured meats, cheeses (on her board only) fruits and nuts for the two to snack on (usually whilst making use of the large baths that Sydari has in a few of her properties). It's best to get Geldis to cook. He's known Joshi's palette for 200 years. Joshi's comfort food is saltrice congee with guar floss and a liberal pouring of chilli oil. 🥂 | what would happen if they got drunk together

Josh x Erra Answered here but in short- boast battles until it turns into a sparing match which then turns into something else... Josh x Sydari

Josh is a functional alcoholic at this point and it's generally best to not encourage his addiction. However Sydari wasn't aware of this when she first met him. She likes to play drinking games and Josh likes to get into drunken brawls. The two don't mix well... especially when the two are trying to maintain the facade of "just friends".

Sorry...Josh is horny on main all the time.

[askamydaily]

FINALLY ...

I don't have to care about gender reveal parties.

(The following column runs in newspapers across the country on May 24th, 2024)

Dear Readers: After 21 years writing the “Ask Amy” column, I’m announcing that I’m leaving this space. My final column will run at the end of June.

I’m healthy, happy, and 64-years-old. This is a decision I’ve been wrestling with for over a year.

When I was first hired by the Chicago Tribune to write an advice column after Ann Landers’ death, I was a middle-aged single mother. My daughter Emily and I moved from our long-time home in Washington DC and relocated to Chicago. 

[Emily and Amy, Freeville, NY. Photo by Chris Walker for the Chicago Tribune]

My welcome to Chicago was to deliver a solo performance of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” in front of 35,000 baseball fans during the 7th inning stretch of a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.

This turned out to be a metaphor for my experience writing this column, which has been an exuberant and sometimes nerve-wracking effort of trying to hit the right notes before a huge audience. 

After several great years in Chicago, Emily left for college and I moved back to my tiny hometown of Freeville, NY (pop. 505), to spend time with my sisters, aunts and cousins, and to be with my mother at the end of her life. 

My experiences have mirrored those of many of my readers. For me, these last two decades have been about the intensity and consequences of both love and loss. 

After returning home, I promptly tumbled into a Hallmark Channel plotline, when I fell in love with and quickly married a man I’ve known since childhood (we grew up on neighboring dairy farms). My husband Bruno and I then blundered into the oftentimes awkward blending of our family of five daughters. 

[2008, Freeville, NY]

I became a stepmother, and then a grandmother, all before I believed I was ready. 

My mother and her three wonderful sisters are gone, now. A niece and nephew died, tragically, while in their teens. Much of my recent life has been absorbed by caregiving, mourning, and recovery.

Day in, day out -- over the last two decades – readers have generously shared their own vulnerabilities about many of our common experiences. I’m grateful that we’ve been able to help each other.

I’ve burned through eight laptops, opened bushels of postal mail, written columns in the car, on board planes, in hospital waiting rooms, on my honeymoon, and at my mother’s bedside. During this time, I’ve also written two books, a screenplay, and scores of essays. 

Doing this work has sent me into therapy. It has inspired me to explore the teachings of world religions, and to seek the insight of thinkers like Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung. I’ve quoted the wisdom of Maya Angelou, Joni Mitchell and Fred Rogers -- as well as dozens of poets, social scientists and psychologists. 

I’ve made my share of mistakes, been well-pranked – at least twice (that I know of), and learned how to apologize, ask for forgiveness, and to forgive other people for their own mistakes. Inspired by readers’ dilemmas, I’ve also worked hard to mend fractured family relationships and to be a better friend.

My personal experiences are a reminder that we humans can’t really control what happened before or what happens next. Joy, like grief, comes at you in such unexpected ways. That’s why it is so important to pay attention. I’ve learned to do that.

Being an advice-giver has challenged me to be aware of cultural, social, and relationship trends -- and to appreciate the quirks of human behavior.

When readers get frustrated by my lengthy answers to sometimes petty problems, they will often suggest that I should just tell people to “get a life!,” but I think that wrestling with our questions – from the quotidian to the profound – is living.

For the next month, I’ll continue to publish fresh columns and rerun some favorites. After that, my fantasy is to drive an RV across the country, visiting people I’ve met through this work who have challenged me and tantalized readers with their anonymous requests for advice.

In my hometown, I’m opening a little lending library. You can find me on social media, through my Asking Amy newsletter, at amydickinson.com, or at the Freeville Literary Society on Main Street – talking books with kids and offering advice to anyone who asks.

Love,

Amy

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: Bleating Hearts

Meet Doctor Aziraphale Fell, university lecturer of English Literature, Shakespearian expert, and man with an unexpected goat in his office. When the handsome herder who comes to catch the unruly visitor asks some pointed questions, Aziraphale finds his life suddenly turned upside down and filled with both new challenges and opportunities. But is Crowley all that he says he is? And even if he isn’t–does it really matter when he’s clearly a piece of the puzzle missing in Aziraphale’s life? Trip on over to Devil Doe’s Dairy and Goat Scaping Farm, where the cheese is always smooth, the goats climb roofs, and true love might just be around the corner.

Length: 186,422 words

AO3 Rating: Explicit / Spice Level 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Best for: Mostly Safe in Public, Human AU, Romance, Pick-me-up

Triggers: Talk of animal death, references to past partner abuse

Read it here, fic by HKBlack

*Minor Spoilers* I should be used to it now, but the fact that our blorbos fit so effortlessly into a Goat Herder AU is frankly ridiculous. I fear I may never get over these characters. This is such a great read. Here Crowley is our Goat Herder, while Aziraphale is a Doctor of Literature. Their meet cute begins with a goat invasion in Aziraphale's office. Naughty Bentley goat! Their chemistry is electric, as always, but here it has an extra friendliness. This isn't enemies to lovers, they just genuinely enjoy each other right off the bat. This also isn’t a slow burn, but they do actually take the time to date and ease into the bigger steps. I loved watching their love story, and falling in love with the farm alongside Aziraphale.

A bulk of this story will follow Crowley's past and family. The relationship Crowley has with his father was just as engaging to me as the romance plot. The feeling of tension in every scene is so strong. Anyone with toxic family can relate. And it brings a real depth to this human version of Crowley. Aziraphale also has a strained family life and while I liked what we got, I wish there was more of his family in this. We don't get a scene with his mother and I would have really liked to have that. The family that matters through is the one they’ve made for themselves. The community around the farm really is the perfect found family story. Newt is especially used to great effect here. I could read a million words of this universe and never get bored I think.

These goats are more than just a silly AU. It truly is an entertaining and strangely fitting setting, and you really begin to care for the flock. The author has an excellent voice, and kept me hooked the entire time. And the length is absolutely perfection. Explicit scenes are in later chapters, but are all marked and skippable if that's your thing.

Read it here, fic by HKBlack

[severeprincesheep]

FAFO applied to the carnivore diet community

I want to make an observation about MAGA + carnivore diet in these trying times. Stay with me.

Very briefly, the carnivore diet is an elimination diet: you eat just meat for 90 days, after which you slowly start reintroducing foods, one at a time, back into your diet and gauging your body's reaction.

Some people find that after this purification they can still eat most of everything without getting symptoms, some find they are intolerant/allergic to some of the foods everybody's typically allergic to (peanuts, dairy, gluten, etc). Some find they're allergic to everything but meat and these are usually autoimmune patients, meaning they have a leaky gut which translates to lots and lots of food allergies. Some people who found they can eat whatever nonetheless stick to eating carnivore regardless because they just feel better this way.

Carnivore displeases mainstream medicine that still labours under the delusion created by bad and corrupt science that diet is irrelevant to your overall health, or that for health purposes you can never be too vegetarian. And carnivores are typically accused of being right-wing conspiracy believing ignoramuses, when in reality most are elderly people who only late in life arrived at this way of eating after decades of obediently listening to their doctors and following the dietary guidelines... with disastrous consequences to their health. They're not eating meat because Trump says so - Trump eats and drinks sugar all day long and all you have to do is look at him to know that this is true. They eat meat because it heals.

End preamble.

Having said that, it is very true that carnivore has formed an association with fascists like Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson, much like vegetarianism is associated with Socialism and "soy boys" and eco warriors. Most carnivores don't wear either their politics or religion on their sleeve at all, but those who do never identify as, say, Muslim or left-wing, they're always right-wing and Christian.

And yet the paradox is you will never find a more radically anti-consumerist, minimalist, anti-capitalist move than going full carnivore. I know it's never going to happen but in theory if everyone became a carnivore it would be a complete and unmitigated disaster for the world's economy. Think of all those crops and plants that would suddenly become pointless for anything other than feeding them to farm animals. A hamburger joint like MacDonald's, whose food offer is actually 90% plants and a sliver of meat, would be screwed. Add to that the fact that most carnivores practice OMAD (one meal a day) and fast the rest of the time and eat their one meal mostly at home and every restaurant is closed, every supermarket too.

Even if the transition from an omnivore, plant-based diet to a carnivore diet took place very gradually it would still mean that entire food empires that are dependent on stuffing you with seed oils, gluten and sugar every couple of hours would collapse. All those billionaires would go broke.

If the transition took place carefully it'd be brilliant for the world's health - but the food industry that makes you sick and the medical and pharmacological industry that depend on the money they make from unsuccessfully treating you for preventable diseases would lose an immense fortune, forever.

Which brings me to my point: MAGA guys, I know you. I know you wish the food pyramid were turned upside down. For years I've been hearing you decry the ignorance of doctors and the criminal greed of Big Pharma. I agree, it's bad. And I know, even though youtube won't let you say it and you only say it on Rumble, that you think Covid was created by a bat in a Chinese lab and was transmitted to people through vaccines. You're challenged.

And now you believe it's great that Trump has appointed Robert Kennedy Jr. to be his health secretary, because he's a psychopath who drove his ex-wife to commit suicide and because he's an antivaxxer - just like you. All the while you pointedly ignore that Trump also picked up Dr. Oz, famous plant-based diet guru who made Oprah fatter and sicker than ever.

But I know none of these appointments mean anything. Trump only follows the money, not some sort of higher calling to serve the people. So I know that whatever happens in the future will not be determined by these guys...

... but rather by whatever the money people, i.e. Big Pharma, mainstream medicine and the food industry, have to say on the matter.

For instance, it is possible that Big Pharma will allow Trump to get rid of vaccines. But only if they do the math and conclude that the money they lose by not selling those vaccines they'll more than make up by "taking care" of the sick. If that doesn't add up then Trump/Kennedy won't be allowed by that super powerful mega-billionaire industry to do a goddamn thing.

Prepare to see during the next years ahead the official guidelines change from telling kids to eat more fruit like Michelle Obama wanted (which is no good) to eating breakfast cereal every five seconds (which is worse).

You know I'm right.

I would agree that it's true enough that you wouldn't be any closer to your carnivore dreams if you had voted for Kamala instead. I don't even know what her diet is, except that she doesn't stuff herself every five minutes like Trump does, nor has she ever raped anyone. But at least your kids would still have Obamacare aka ACA - which should really have mattered to doctors in the carnivore sphere, who instead remained silent and did not use their platform to warn their viewers; and your kids would not be in danger of dying from the measles and other diseases preventable by vaccines. And under Kamala you would still be allowed to stuff them all you like with stakes.

But you couldn't suffer to have a woman of colour as your president. It all boils down to that. So you fucked around and now you're going to find out. I don't feel sorry for you but I do feel sorry for your victims.

[catinheadlights]

I regularly eat meat so maybe take this with a grain of salt, but I think when people try to "own" the concept of veganism with "facts and logic" as either a diet or a moral stance, they generally misunderstand what they're trying to criticize.

Like, you can say that the "real" problem with animal agriculture is capitalism encouraging animal abuse and factory farming, but like. Vegans know that's bad. That's not the only problem they have with the industry. You've got the slew of environmental problems it causes plus the whole, y'know, killing/exploiting animals thing that they don't like.

Someone who values the life of a chicken as equal to that of a human won't give two shits if it had a good life before being slaughtered, because to them it's the moral equivalent of killing a person for food. By saying that they're simply ✨wrong✨ for seeing a problem with the killing part, you're missing the entire point. "It had a good life" hardly means anything if you don't think of human life as inherently more valuable. You can disagree with that premise all you want, but you're not gonna change their minds.

I also challenge you to actually come up with an argument for why you feel human life inherently matters more than all nonhuman life, because I've never in my life seen a cogent argument for it that includes all humans and excludes all nonhumans. It's just that evolution hardwired that value into most people (including me, I agree). I think it's fine to feel that way and live accordingly, but you should know where your values come from. Vegans act on that too - getting rid of an infestation would be the equivalent of mass murder. This isn't a dig, by the way, it'd be impossible to have a decent quality of life if you stuck to "humans = nonhuman animals" completely.

I see people tossing around eggs and dairy as morally fine because they don't require killing the animals that produce them, but everyone seems to conveniently forget what they do to nearly all the males. It's not practical for farmers to keep all the males alive for their natural lifespan because they aren't economically useful. Some very small farmers might, but it's never going to happen on any remotely large scale. Something tells me that the "killing animals is bad" club isn't gonna be happy about that.

Also, I don't know what's up with people making shit up about domestication but:

Livestock was, in fact, domesticated. Yes, this includes laying hens. We'll breed anything for efficiency.

The purpose of domesticating an animal doesn't dictate what is morally okay to do with it (ex. if you bred dogs specifically to fight, it wouldn't make dogfighting more moral).

In a similar vein, no, factory farming never reduces the need for cropland, and the animal agriculture industry as a whole doesn't either (hint: it's mostly factory farming). I don't know where people get the idea that animals somehow magic nutrients/energy into existence, but a lot of crops are grown specifically for livestock feed, which is less efficient than growing crops directly for human consumption due to trophic levels and waste production. If you insist otherwise, please take a biology class.

I do think that putting so much focus on individual action is a bit silly considering how giant animal agriculture is as an industry and how heavily subsidized it is. Put some of that energy into changing policy please. It'd probably be more useful.