For years I only ate animals whose names I knew and it made perfect sense

There are many reasons to be vegetarian but I don't mind about what happens to an animal after it dies, so long as it lives wellSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityI used to only eat meat from sheep whose names I knew. This was not a particularly difficult task: they were all called Sam, through a naming convention established by my father. He assured us it had nothing to do with both his daughters dating people named Sam at the time.Being vegetarian except for lamb grown on my parents' farm, from sheep I had likely held as babies, has baffled meat eaters and vegetarians alike. When my parents sold the farm, and the last cuts left the freezer, I stopped eating meat altogether. I didn't miss it. I never cook it myself and, when given the choice, I will always choose not to eat it.Sign up to receive Guardian Australia's fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter Continue reading...