The Urban-(ish) Farmer · November 2026
The Pig in the Mirror
What Animal Farm Teaches Anyone Trying to Build a Better World
Fall and the end of the growing season are always an anticipated time of year for me. Things start slowing down, my responsibilities are dramatically reduced, and I finally have time to think and reflect. Part of that end-of-season downtime involves a lot of reading and an unhealthy amount of YouTube videos. :)
This year, for some odd reason, I felt compelled to pick up and read Animal Farm.
Yes, Animal Farm. You know, that 81-year-old book that's only about 70 pages long! The perfect book for C-student James to read. A few pages, some pictures, and cute little animals to keep my attention.
As a student and product of the '80s and '90s, I'm sure other victims of those decades will remember George Orwell's Animal Farm. It's a simple, easy read, but it's full of insight and wisdom that I think often gets overlooked or misunderstood, especially by middle school students!
When we were growing up in the '80s, the Cold War was at its height, and anti-communist propaganda was everywhere. Movies like Red Dawn and Rocky IV cast the Russians and communism as the big boogeymen of the day.
So naturally, teachers aren't going to propagandize children with Red Dawn, a movie about high school students resisting an invasion from Russia. Nah, of course not, it was too violent!
I would've loved to watch that shit, but my lame-ass teachers said it was "inappropriate." Man, I reallllyyyyy hate that word! :)
So instead, they let us read books like 1984 and, of course, the children's favorite, Animal Farm, a book filled with war, murder, and deception, all carried out by cute pigs and murderous dogs. A much better choice!
When I was 15 or 16 and reading these books, I had no idea what I was really reading or what kind of conditioning I was undergoing.
To be honest, I don't even think I read them all the way through. It was CliffsNotes and copying homework from the cheerleaders early in the morning!
So after all that hard work slacking and cheating to squeeze out that famous C, all I took away from the novels was that Big Brother was bad and that, by the end of Animal Farm, the pigs were the real enemies.
Now if you are still reading this, you are asking, "James WTF does this have to do with farming, community, food sovereignty etc. I want to see smiling faces holding up some beets or some shit! That's it, unsubscribe…this is spam…"
Well, my friends and potential unsubscribers, I regret to inform you that 1984 and Animal Farm have everything to do with food sovereignty, community, and farming. The Soviet story matters.
But the warning doesn't stop there.
I'm reading Animal Farm as a challenge to anyone building a movement, a nonprofit, or a community, including me. Truly understanding this book can help us see human nature, the pursuit of power, and the drive to remain free, even when it costs everything!
The animals in Animal Farm wanted sovereignty. They wanted to form their own community and, ultimately, own their labor. So they took it! They fought collectively and won.
But that was the easy part…
We are living in some very strange times, much like the times Orwell wrote Animal Farm. Though these times seem and feel weird, it is also a time of change and opportunity. You just have to be brave and make a move. If you believe your cause, work, idea or whatever is going to help move humanity forward in a positive direction, I challenge all of you to move! Make a play on the ball. Even if you only advance the ball 1 yard it's still progress, my friends.
But here's the game you'll eventually find yourself playing, and why Animal Farm is such a powerful book to read for all community-focused leaders.
In the game of pursuing freedom, justice or noble causes, you'll encounter all kinds of characters and players along the way. You'll encounter people who question the rules, people who repeat them, and people too busy surviving to stop and examine them. Most of us have been all three.
Whether they're acting consciously or not, your interactions with them will put your principles, core beliefs, and vision to the test. ALL THE TIME.
In Animal Farm, Orwell introduces several characters who represent a principle, a virtue, or a real-life historical figure. We meet the sheep, who make up most of the farm; Boxer, the horse, who represents hard work and blind loyalty; the pigs, who represent the intellectual ruling class and are led by Snowball and Napoleon. And, of course, there's Mollie!
I don't think y'all are ready for this one, but the next article is going to be titled "Where Is Mollie?" I want to dig into this character a bit! Let me know if you want me to write it. :)
Now, many of the characters you meet may have pure intentions for the farm or community. But human nature is powerful, and given enough time to fester, it can become an all-consuming force.
While reading this book, I had to reflect deeply on which character I think I am, and which character I may be slowly becoming, or have the potential to become, as I travel my own path toward liberation.
As I read the book, I identified 100% with Benjamin the donkey, aka the jackass! I still do, but you'll have to read the book to find out why.
Here's the more critical part we all need to consider: If you're any kind of leader, you may believe you're acting like a noble character. But you also have to recognize that you, too, have the potential to become a pig like Napoleon.
Yup, that's right…oink, oink.
As you move through these spaces and lead others toward your vision of a new world, THINKING, observing, and DISCERNMENT become some of the most important tools you have. They can help you find your bearings when you feel off track.
Your purpose, the vision you hold, and the inner child dreaming up all this shit don't give a damn about titles, quarterly reports or spreadsheets. They don't speak that language.
Your title doesn't define who you are. The spreadsheet isn't the mission, and the report isn't the be-all and end-all of your work.
Your work should be measured by whether YOU are carrying out YOUR PURPOSE and helping bring about the good you want to see in this world, without compromising your purpose to fit the world.
But a word of caution: Your purpose matters, and so does your responsibility. You're not immune to the potential negative consequences of your leadership, and you're accountable for the impact it has on others.
The methods and organizations we use to bring our visions to life are tools; they shouldn't define who we are. That's why it helps to remember: nonprofits/businesses are vehicles, jobs are funders, community is the office, and your vision is the product.
We all have that same power and magic to build and create. BUT at some point, we have to stop, look around, and ask ourselves: Are we still on track to achieve what we set out to do? And who have we become along the way?
The animals in Animal Farm clearly lost their way, only to find themselves right back in the same situation they had fought so hard to escape, just with a different overlord.
So shout out to all the brave travelers, builders, readers, dreamers, leaders, warriors trying to fight for a new world! It's a worthwhile and beautiful journey…
But always remember…
Just because you believe you are doing "good work" doesn't mean you aren't on track to becoming the pig walking on two legs, indistinguishable from the people you set out to challenge.
Stay woke, my friends, and see you on the field! … "Long live Animal Farm"!
P.S. for the Mollies out there, here is a photo of a smiling face holding up some beets.
