Uncle Frank vs. The Vegan

I don't even know if this is going to be funny to anyone else, but it's funny to me, and so imma document it.

Now, my dad grew up in Southern Cross as a farmer boy. Primarily wheat and canola now, but when I was younger there were sheep as well, and, when my dad was young, cows and horses and everything. Anyway. My dad went on to become a v metrosexual investment banker, while my uncle chose to take over the farm - so he's the main farmer now. (Oh yeah, and the farm's moved.)

Anyway, this is just to paint a picture of my uncle. Perhaps I'll add a literal picture that describes my uncle:

Anyway, a couple of months ago my mum and I were in Perth to see my grandparents - ie, my mum's mum and dad. My grandma, like me at 15 years old with evidently nothing better to do, was reading the letters the the editor of the West Australian. I can only image that they're somewhat more sane than the letters written to the Straits Times: here's a good article on its absurdity: Here’s How We Got the Straits Times Forum to Publish Our Nonsense Letters). Grandma suddenly exclaimed; "oh my god, it's Frank!" - my father's brother. The only thing stranger than reading the letters to the editor of the West Australian is writing the letters to the editor of the West Australia, and apparently the intersection of this venn  diagram is my direct family.

What was the content of this letter, you ask? I shall quote.

(The basic gist of the original opinion piece is that live sheep export's cruelty is overlooked because the live export trade is healthy and necessary for the Australian economy.)

From meat to cropping

I'm writing in answer to Leonie Smith's correspondence, Promote value-added meat exports (letters, 27/6)

As a farmer and a former sheep producer I'm amazed that people outside the industry always say they have the answers.

Here are some relevant facts. most live sheep exports are lower-grade meat, usually mutton. Most are male merino sheep about two years old. Merino ewes are kept for breeding and wool, the other 50 percent being male are kept for a few wool clips and sold for the mutton market. Mutton is low value and is uneconomic to slaughter here and export.  

New Zealand produces almost all prime lamb, thus the low reliance on live export.
The lambs produced by crossing a merino ewe with a British breed ram will be prime lamb. Both make and female lambs can be used for the prime lamb market.
However, I "stopped bleating" years ago, Leonie, and sold all of my sheep. I'm now 100 percent into cropping. 

Animal activists such as PETA now say silk is a fibre that involves cruelty. Producing livestock for fibre and meat in that atmosphere and mindset is just too risky for me.
I now buy my meat from the supermarket.

 Talk about a mic drop.

Uncle Frank expanded in our family group chat:

What I find most interesting about this whole thing, though, is the last paragraph of his letter. I'll repeat.

Animal activists such as PETA now say silk is a fibre that involves cruelty. Producing livestock for fibre and meat in that atmosphere is just too risky for me.

Here we have anecodetal evidence that protest and speaking up about topics does affect the industry in question - albeit through independent producers. I guess this is encouragement for vegans to keep being vocal about their moral beliefs!

Hope you found this mildly interesting. I signed up to Pressreader for this. They now have access to my Facebook account. Maybe they're writing thi-

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