Video of Dr. Temple Grandin, who was the keynote speaker at the Marin EcoFair on Sunday.

From the Marin Independent Journal.

Grandin believes the way she perceives the world — through detailed sensory images — is similar to the way many animals understand the world. That insight has helped her design processes that make life better for animals who work and live with humans — from humane slaughterhouses that keep cows calm and at peace until the last moments of their lives to a deep-pressure "hug machine" that helps hypersensitive persons like herself to relax...

As an agricultural expert who's been hired as a consultant by large corporations like Wendy's and McDonald's, Grandin noted that all agricultural producers — not just small family farmers — have the obligation to make life as good as possible for the animals under their care.

"I'm so sick of this constant warfare between big agriculture and little agriculture," Grandin said. "I think a lot of what you're doing here is wonderful, and that (small, organic farms) could make up as much as 25 percent of the market. But there are a lot of people living in low-income areas who need more affordable agriculture."

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Video: Temple Grandin at Marin EcoFair