Viewpoints
Opinion

The Complex Truth of Our Relationship With Animals

A farmer reflects on life, death, and the purpose animals bring to thriving ecosystems.
The Complex Truth of Our Relationship With Animals
Cows graze together on a farm in Petal, Miss., on Sept. 24, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times
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Commentary

It was late at night this past weekend when I found myself sitting on the patio of my restaurant, deep in conversation with one of my heroes in the regenerative agriculture movement—Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. His life in rural Georgia couldn’t be more different from my own, shaped by 20 years in Los Angeles. Yet we are kindred spirits. Our discussion turned, as it often does with farmers, to the complexity of our relationship with animals.

Mollie Engelhart
Mollie Engelhart
Author
Mollie Engelhart, regenerative farmer and rancher at Sovereignty Ranch, is committed to food sovereignty, soil regeneration, and educating on homesteading and self-sufficiency. She is the author of “Debunked by Nature”: Debunk Everything You Thought You Knew About Food, Farming, and Freedom — a raw, riveting account of her journey from vegan chef and LA restaurateur to hands-in-the-dirt farmer, and how nature shattered her cultural programming.