The corporate farmer is the absent farmer, the stranger on his own property, too important to worry about little details like whether a pig has room to turn or straw to sleep on. He is our modern hireling, too busy with bigger business than the care of his own animals, and we were warned about him long ago: The hired hand-who is no shepherd nor owner of the sheep- catches sight of the wolf coming and runs away, leaving the sheep to be snatched and scattered by the wolf. That is because he works for pay; he has no concern for the sheep.
The quote highlights the disconnection of corporate farmers from their responsibilities, portraying them as absent figures more engrossed in larger business concerns than the welfare of their animals. This detachment suggests they lack a personal investment in the lives and well-being of their livestock, treating them as mere commodities rather than living beings with needs.
The analogy of the hired hand emphasizes the danger this poses, as they lack the inherent motivation to protect what they don't truly care for. This raises ethical questions about the treatment of animals in modern farming practices and urges a call for greater compassion and responsibility in the stewardship of livestock.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
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