Joel Salatin: Making a Difference with Local Food in Virginia
An individual named Joel Salatin recently penned an article which highlights the impact that local food can have on the rest of the world, in spite of the so many arguments which insist that only large food industries can accomplish such a feat. Mr. Salatin and his family run Polyface Farm, a place that consists of 550 acres located in Swope, Virginia. Mr. Salatin is well-known for promoting sustainable agriculture and for pioneering grass-farming, and in his article, he elaborates on five “cold, hard truth[s]” about the nature of the food industry:
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“Nearly half the world’s edible food never gets eaten.”
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“Distribution is the only reason people are hungry; nobody is hungry due to a shortage of food.”
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“There is plenty of land for farming. Unused land is everywhere.”
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“Science and technology have caught up with natural farming.”
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(This “truth” is listed as number 6, but since there isn’t a number 5 in Mr. Salatin’s article, we’ll just call this one number 5.) “We don’t need vaccines and antibiotics to keep farm animals healthy.”
Mr. Salatin’s article brings to light some excellent points, though his credibility would have greatly increased had he provided sources for his facts. However, this certainly doesn’t mean that he isn’t credible! One only has to look at how successful Polyface Farm has been throughout various generations to see that Mr. Salatin must be doing something right! If you would like to see Polyface Farms for yourself, there are numerous tours offered—self-guided tours, guided tours, grass stain tours, and lunatic tours.
Polyface Farms
© 2009 USAToday
Hmmm…should I conclude with a disclaimer? I am simply a humble, unbiased blogger who is not taking one side or another in the area of the food industry. The points listed above are those expressed by Joel Salatin in his article “Rebel with a Cause: Local Food Can Feed the World.”