It's Ra-guv, Not Rag-hav

The second half of Growing a Farmer is no longer about Kurt the urbanist or the underdog. In my opinion, it's about a farmer who understands the hardships as well as the pleasures of bringing good food to the table. What was once a romanticized dream - leaving the city for a life on the farms - has now come true for Kurt. For the most part, I enjoyed the vivid imagery in his writing as it transported me back to simpler times. Yet, the pages on slaughtering and butchering were difficult to read because of Kurt's tendency to not leave out the details. In the chapter titled "The Slaughter," he shares his admiration for guns, takes pride in shooting pigs himself, and vividly explains maggots entering carcasses. In the chapter titled "Butchering", he talks about the importance of slitting the throat to drain out blood when killing goats. This level of detail was avoidable in my opinion, as it took away the curiosity and awe I once had for his profession. In t...

When I tell people that I interned as a Data Scientist over the summer, the first question I get asked is, "Can you tell me who's going to win the 52nd Super Bowl?" Data scientists appear to be wizards who whip out their crystal ball (MacBook Pro), chant some mumbo-jumbo (machine learning, big data, and automation) and make accurate predictions of what the future will hold. But, I would like you to know that data science is not magic and that I'm no magician. A data scientist draws information, or business insight, from raw data. One should develop a deep understanding of statistics and computer science as well as gain industry knowledge to conduct such work. There are three kinds of responsibilities that sum up the bread and butter of data scientists: Data Structuring Data Analytics  Data Visualization Allow me to share the ingredients that make up the "magic": Data Structuring Structuring the data generally takes the most time, it involves...

A book about the pursuit of a simpler, yet richer life... What I like most about Growing a Farmer is the humorous way in which Kurt Timmermeister has conveyed his moments of failure in his journey of becoming a farmer. The spoken English writing and the slow pace at which he introduces new chapters allow me to escape from the hustle and bustle of downtown Los Angeles to a faraway land shared by cows, sheep, fruit and vegetables. Although I could never imagine working on a farm myself, the book does a good job in describing the simple pleasures one might find in at least exploring the origins of their food. As a young adult about to enter the workforce, I am also comforted by Kurt’s choice to live by passion, and to not worry about the twists and turns that come up in life. What initially sounded like good ideas to him – beekeeping, cultivating fruit or grazing cows – don’t turn out to be very successful, yet he is persistent. I strongly resonate with this trial-and-error appro...

Aloha! I'm about to give you a glimpse of my world, I hope you enjoy the view... I belong to a family of artists, explorers and entrepreneurs.  My parents lived in Washington D.C. for a decade, before they had the urge to reconnect with their Indian heritage, and moved back to New Delhi. As a one year old, little did I know that my parents were total hipsters! My mother is a fashion designer and my father owns a hospitality business in the Himalayas. From my parents, I have learned to find my passion and work towards it, regardless of what the convention is. Like them, I want to have ownership of the work that I do and make a big impact in the community I grew up in. However, there is something that sets me apart from my parents, something that I hope will help me find even greater opportunities in my career - my risk-seeking personality. There's another member in my family, someone who I look up to - my elder brother. Although he has never set expectations for me, I ...