Joel Salatin

Photo Courtesy Farm Sanctuary

Third generation farmer Joel Salatin runs Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. The farm's website describes its products as "salad bar beef, pastured poultry, eggmobile eggs, pigaerator pork, forage-based rabbits, pastured turkey and forestry products using relationship marketing." Polyface Farm was featured in the best selling book Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan, and in the documentary Food Inc., achieving iconic status as a grass farm practicing principles of sustainable ecology. Joel is known for his entertaining and theatrical public speaking and his many books, and during my visit he was generous with his time and thoughtful reflections on topics ranging from the history of farming, stewardship of land and wildlife, evolution, plant-based diets, and religious beliefs supporting animal agriculture.


We are fellow laborers and participants in this great biological choreography that’s going on, and we have stewardship responsibilities to take care, to participate in a way that honors and respects the beings that are involved.

The Interview 

Questions

Stewardship

The USDA

Biblical-Based Beliefs

Regulations and Subsidies

Animals and Healthy Ecology

Protection and Balance

Landscape

Ecology

The "New Colonialism"

Health

Biodiversity