Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms
From farm fields to dinner tables across America, more people want pesticide-free vegetables, humanely-raised meat and eggs all produced in a way that isn’t harmful to the environment. Unfortunately, that is not the way most of our food is produced. So how can we as consumers make the choices that are healthier for us and the earth at the same time?
To help answer those questions, we visit a farm that is considered one of the most sustainable farms in America. We’ll look at their all-natural system that builds soil and heals the land while raising food and we’ll also explore the meanings behind some of the food labeling we see in the supermarket.
Pasture-raised chickens – now THAT’S free range!
It’s hard to miss all the media attention on the condition of our food model here in America. Everywhere you turn are stories about the environmental pollution and the depletion of our natural resources caused by the way we mass produce some of our meat and eggs.
But the good news is that there is a very strong movement toward ultra-sustainable food production where the soil is actually left better each year, the animals are happy and healthier and food is more nutritious.
Some choose to switch to a vegetarian diet, removing meat entirely; other consumers reduce their meat consumption and seek out farmers who use techniques far removed from those seen on “factory-farm” operations.
The television crew on location at Polyface Farms
At the forefront of this movement is Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in the Shenandoah Valley of VA. With 100 open acres and 3 generations of family, the Salatin’s raises grass-fed beef, forage-based rabbits, pastured poultry, eggs, and forest floor pigs. And the whole system is carefully choreographed without ever using chemical fertilizers or industrial animal feed. And yet, his farm is able to service over 3,000 families, 10 retail outlets and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and buying clubs.
Joel is as outspoken about what is wrong with farming today as he is passionate about doing it right and he and his family openly share their knowledge with others in the hope of healing the land one acre at a time.
We’ll also learn a few tricks in the vegetable garden and Chef Nathan makes a delicious Argentinian dish with grass-fed beef, fresh herbs and a touch of red chili pepper. It’s all about making educated food choices.
Additional Links:
- Polyface Farms where this episode was filmed
- Skagit River Ranch
- How Polyface is Healing Land One Acre At A Time on Living Homegrown
- 3 Hours of Rain, 2 Days of Filming and 1 Farmer Making a Difference, behind the scenes by Theresa Loe
- Grassfed Beef Steaks with Fresh Chimichurri Sauce with Chef Nathan Lyon
- Food, Inc. the film
Books:
- The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan*
- Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
by Michael Pollan and Maira Kalman*
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
by Barbara Kingsolver*
*Links related to books and merchandise are affiliate links
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
I do agree that this is a valued method of farming, but it can not feed the world. Unless you are willing to thin the population, you could never produce the volume of food products necessary to feed the growing world population.
The population is not the problem. In addition to the latest research, your assertion ignores a University of Michigan 2007 study led by Ivette Perfecto, that shows in developing countries, where the chances of famine are greatest, organic methods could double or triple crop yields. For example, take a look at the following links on how organic farming can feed an upcoming population of 9 billion.
http://www.soilassociation.org/motherearth/viewarticle/articleid/3457/feeding-the-future-how-organic-farming-can-help-feed-the-world
http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/12/organic-can-feed-the-world/249348/
http://www.worldwatch.org/node/4060
That’s a crazy comment to make if you’ve watched the video. Feed 3,000 families and service food outlets and restaurants as well for every 100 well farmed acres? It can be done. You obviously work for some big ag company.
like the polyface farm idea. would like to know if and where i can get the gmo free feed for my chickens
I just caught this episode and it has peeked my interest. I am currently trying to convince my husband that we should “go vegetarian” due to the highly inhumane way the animals are treated and while he dislikes the treatement of the animals he hesitates to agree to the conversion. I believe if we could find pasturized animal products on a regular basis that would make us both exceedingly happy. However being a military/ family we move around a lot. Is there a website or somewhere we can go to find information on local animal-friendly farms?
Thanks!
Just to keep things on the positive side. Let me add:
– Thanks for providing these great videos free of charge.
– I appreciate the knowledge diversity
– I love the chef clip at the ends, the chef has good ideas and makes me laugh.
– I want to encourage you, I think you’re doing a good thing and moving towards your goal by providing this media
— Thanks again 🙂 !!
We love your shows; I am here to improve on perfection. First, I agree with Mike Graf that the music is distracting.
It seemed to us that every time Joel Salatin moved away from Joe Lamp’l to a normal conversation distance (for men, in particular), Joe stepped or leaned in to take up that space. It reminded us of network TV shows where there was a brief practice of placing two people in chairs directly facing each other and so close together that the occupants’ knees touched! And if two people were walking or standing, the one not talking had to turn his/her head directly toward and stare at the speaker! All that unnatural posing makes the viewer uncomfortable — and it diminishes the message.
I like the show, but it’d be great if you cut out the music after a minute or so. Its very distracting to the information and show.
— Mike