Joel Salatin: a Beyond Organic Local Food Activist

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Joel Salatin and his family walk the walk, raising pastured livestock at Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA as part of a longstanding commitment to local food.
Joel Salatin and his family walk the walk, raising pastured livestock at Polyface Farm in Swoope, VA as part of a longstanding commitment to local food.
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The driveway to Polyface Farm. Salatin runs a apprenticeship program to help new farmers.
The driveway to Polyface Farm. Salatin runs a apprenticeship program to help new farmers.
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Joel's dog takes a turn supervising the cattle.
Joel's dog takes a turn supervising the cattle.
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Polyface geese enjoy access to pasture.
Polyface geese enjoy access to pasture.
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Using solar-powered portable electric fencing makes it easier to manage rotational grazing.
Using solar-powered portable electric fencing makes it easier to manage rotational grazing.
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A Salatin pig, foraging in the brush as pigs are adapted to do.
A Salatin pig, foraging in the brush as pigs are adapted to do.
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The Polyface Farms sign.
The Polyface Farms sign.
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Salatin raises chickens and pigs at his farm.
Salatin raises chickens and pigs at his farm.
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Joel tending to his chickens.
Joel tending to his chickens.
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Newly hatched chicks.
Newly hatched chicks.
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Salatin's philosophy is to let animals live as natural a life as possible. Pigs have natural foraging skills that they can put to good use in wooded areas.
Salatin's philosophy is to let animals live as natural a life as possible. Pigs have natural foraging skills that they can put to good use in wooded areas.
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Joel is always happy to explain his ideas.
Joel is always happy to explain his ideas.

Joel Salatin is a farmer at the forefront of the return to local food and grass-fed meat. He’s best known for his innovative techniques for raising and selling grass-fed meat, his books and articles about farming, and for being outspoken about government regulations that make life difficult for small farmers. His most recent book is Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front.

Hold on to your hat! Here are Salatin’s candid thoughts on government regulations, vegetarians, the organic food industry, and making money at farming.

Tell us a little about Polyface Farm.

We’re located eight miles southwest of Staunton, VA, in the Shenandoah Valley on 550 acres (100 open and 450 forest). We also lease four farms, totaling an additional 900 acres of pasture. We sell “salad bar” (grass-fed) beef, pastured pork, pastured poultry (both broilers and turkeys, as well as eggs) and forage-based rabbits.

Your livestock and poultry are “grass-fed,” and your farm is “beyond organic.” Do you find people are familiar with those terms?

  • Published on Aug 1, 2009
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