I Started Having Ethical Questions.

On this episode of One Step Beyond, we are joined by Jennifer Barrett, former industrial chicken & cattle farmer gone vegan, current caretaker of 230 cows. In this episode Aram and Jennifer explore the financial hardships and pressures endured by farmers, and the considerations these hard working, community-minded people face when contemplating a transition away from animal agriculture.
This conversation explores Jennifer’s shift from farming as a logical business decision to realizing it was unsustainable, from a financial and ethical perspective. Despite understanding the business rationale and the multi-generational connection to her family’s land, the negative health impact on her family and the consumer was profound. The business of raising animals for food was no longer sensible and clashed with her values.
Jennifer shares how she experienced a profound internal shift. Embracing veganism allowed her suppressed compassion, especially for animals, to resurface, leading to profound internal conflict. She did not want to be vegan. She describes how she now fully embraces her compassion, experiencing a childlike sense of wonder and freedom by letting her empathy guide her decisions without compromise.
ON THIS EPISODE WE TALK ABOUT
Taking over her family’s farm and becoming the caretaker of multi-generational land
The health crisis, financial hardships, and moral dilemma that led the Barrett family to transition out of animal agriculture
The pressures and considerations farmers face when transitioning away from animal agriculture
Becoming a vegan, facing community isolation, and eventually finding support and acceptance