Why Cows Need Names: And More Secrets of Amish Farms Hardcover – October 15, 2013

Last week I was in the right place at the right time and barged into a conversation since the topic was books. Two books to be specific, “Why Cows Learn Dutch” and “Why Cows Need Names,” and the author himself was present - Dr. Randy James. Dr. James received his Ph.D. in agronomy from Ohio State University and has served as county agricultural agent in the Geauga County Amish Settlement, the fourth-largest Amish settlement in the world, for more than twenty years. He is also an associate professor for Ohio State University's College of Food, Agriculture, and Environmental Sciences. Agriculture continues to be the largest industry in the United States with over 2.2 million farms. Randy’s writing debunks the myth that bigger is always better in American agriculture and points out that, amazingly, well over 100,000 new small family farms have sprung up in the past few years . . . and almost no one has noticed!Surrounded by a factory-farm world, Randy guides Amish farmers to employ a business model that flatly rejects the dogma of economies of scale and instead focuses on the diversity, flexibility, and efficiency that only a small family farm can capture. Randy has a dry sense of humor and a strong backbone; he has spent a career bucking conventional wisdom, becoming an outlier amidst his peers with their research focus on large-scale factory farming, calling out the fallacy of subsidies, and patiently advocating that there is real profit to be made in taking your time, choosing an animal for your herd based on knowing its attributes rather than just its number, and even doing things the old fashioned way! Time and again his research, his observations, and his hands-on experience with a community of small farms proves that small, independent farmers can be, and are, profitable in today’s challenging economy – without subsidies, without giant loans, without massive equipment budgets, and without a completely callous disregard for the very animals that are often at the center of human livelihood.One takeaway might be that long-standing practices, our universities, our politicians, our lobbyists, and our US Department of Agriculture say we need factory farming, we need subsidies, we need tariffs, we need corporate monopolies of our food supply – and every single bit of it is flawed. My opinion; I encourage you to read Dr. James’ wonderful books to get his perspective from the field, literally! The reality is that much of what has been accepted practice in farming could be thrown out and we could successfully do things very differently. But it’s difficult for the non-farmer to find the truth amidst the propaganda so we continue with status quo even to our detriment. That's why Dr. James' wonderfully well-written, satisfying, and enjoyable book is so delightfully important for anyone considering going back to the land, anyone interested in the topic of organics, anyone who loves cows, or just anyone with a curious nature!

Both of Mr. James's books are great. The only knock is there is a lot of redundancy within the book and between the two books, i.e., explaining or describing the same thing multiple times such as why some amish are stuck with selling grade B milk. Overall, I enjoyed the book very much.

I loved this book. Randy's honest and yet non-idealized view of the Amish is so interesting. His expertise on small family farms made me wish it were easier and cheaper to only purchase food from small local farms. I really loved this book both for it's view on the Amish and the interesting things I learned about family farms.

this is one of the best books of it gene - ever! Not only does it hold your attention and interest but it is extremely informative. It makes you want to spend time on the farm and really explains how simple and uncluttered life can be, Randy James through is writing just makes a person feel good.

Great and unique book about Amish culture and farming

If you like books like "Longitude" or "Salt" or "Cod" -- add Why Cows Need Names to your bedside reading. It's a warm and chatty exploration of what, in the hands of a lesser writer, would be at best an obtuse topic. It turns out we can all learn from the secrets of Amish farmers and James stands in for those-of-us-who-don't-know-a-lick-about-dairy-farming. His practical distance from academia makes it clear that small farms can and need to work in today's economy. It would make an uplifting reality TV show with an original premise: reality.

I bought this book to give to some friends who have a new found passion for raising the animals that provide food for their table. But what I found was so much more - a window into the life of the Amish, and a primer for how a person from one culture can be accepted in and helpful to those of another culture, by combining knowledge with respect and genuine care. This book is a pleasure to read.

I was charmed by the description of the plain life of Amish farmers. The people came alive and I enjoyed reading about the author's interactions with the Amish in his job as County Agricultural Agent. And my knowledge about farming was expanded. Read this book!