Little Red Barns
Hiding the Truth, from Farm to Fable
Little Red Barns blends investigative journalism with memoir to unveil the cruelty and corruption of American factory farms.
The book aims to dismantle the myth of the idyllic American family farm and confront the grim realities of industrialized agriculture. With striking language and impactful data, the book examines how Big Agriculture, lobbyists, politicians, and law enforcement work in tandem to conceal animal cruelty. So-called “ag-gag” laws punish animal rights activists, while “standard industry practices”—like slamming piglets against concrete floors—are protected under the law. Will Potter shares insights from his own experience as an investigative journalist and discusses government complicity, media failures, the manipulation of academic research, and the exploitation of vulnerable laborers, asking readers to reckon with what it means to bear witness in the digital age.
While the book begins with the hidden cruelties of factory farms, it unfolds into a broader investigation of power, secrecy, and the unsettling ties between agriculture and fascism. The trajectory is surprising but convincing. For example, Potter questions why the FBI continues to pursue nonviolent animal rights activists as domestic terrorists yet failed to stop the January 6th insurrection despite clear signs and transparent planning from its perpetrators. Other questions, such as why the Animal Welfare Act fails to include farm animals or why America’s political and legal systems favor factory farms, unveil intriguing conspiracies and grant the book a sense of urgency and timeliness. The accounts of animal cruelty are curated with care; the book does not wish to sensationalize what we already know: “This is a small part of the book, and the descriptions are disturbing, but they are necessary and I hope you won’t turn away.”
Little Red Barns is a sharp, eye-opening exposé of industrial agriculture and the forces of oppression converging to obfuscate the truth.
Reviewed by
Hannah Pearson
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
