Saying Goodbye

As a full-grown steer, Lima Bean has now reached what is known as his “slaughter weight.” Most animals are slaughtered as soon as they reach their adult size.

It is difficult to think about a real live animal like Lima Bean becoming the meat on our dinner table. Many Native American and other traditional cultures have rituals surrounding the taking of an animal’s life for food. Whether slaughtering a domestic animal or hunting a wild one, they ask forgiveness of the animals and thank them for their sacrifice. Reverence, respect, and gratitude are shown toward the animal, acknowledging their gift of food to us. These rituals recognize that humans are part of the web of life, where many animals do, in fact, eat other animals.

It is hard to say good-bye to Lima Bean, as he has been our buddy throughout this book. He has finished the growing part of his life and now will go to feed people. We humans are grateful to Lima Bean and all the other animals who help nourish our bodies.

Most of us do not have a direct connection with the animals who provide our food. Instead, we buy meat neatly wrapped in plastic at the grocery store. We even use words that distance us from animals we eat. We talk about eating “beef,” not “cow”; we say “pork” (or “bacon”), not “pig.”

Some people choose simply to ignore the reality of meat. Do you want to know how this book got its name? A mom and her kids were eating hamburgers with Nancy and Helm on their farm. During dinner, one of the children asked his mom where hamburgers come from. Instead of telling him the real story, she said, “hamburgers grow on trees.” As we know, that's not true!

Just as animals are all individuals, so are farmers: the Nottermanns each react differently at the end of their steers’ lives. While Nancy, Helm, and Ben all make a point of saying “thank you” to their animals, Helm believes that life and death on a beef farm are just part of the web of life, so he is more reserved. Ben and Nancy sometimes cry, particularly when a special steer, like Lima Bean, is loaded on the slaughter truck. They always feel a lingering sadness, but they also have a feeling of pride at having successfully raised a beautiful animal.