Episode 157: Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin, 56, is a full-time farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. A third generation alternative farmer, he returned to the farm full-time in 1982 and continued refining and adding to his parents’ ideas. The farm services more than 5,000 families, 10 retail outlets, and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs with salad bar beef, pastured poultry, eggmobile eggs, pigaerator pork, forage-based rabbits, pastured turkey and forestry products using relationship marketing. He holds a BA degree in English and writes extensively in magazines such as Stockman Grass Farmer, Acres USA, and Foodshed.

The family’s farm, Polyface Inc. (“The Farm of Many Faces”) has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet and countless other radio,television and print media. Profiled on the Lives of the 21st Century series with Peter Jennings on ABC World News, his after-broadcast chat room fielded more hits than any other segment to date. It achieved iconic status as the grass farm featured in The New York Times bestseller Omnivore’s Dilemma by food writer guru Michael Pollan and the award-winning film documentary, Food Inc. Thanks to our sponsor, Hearst Ranch.

“I think that this young generation, people from ages 17-30, is realizing that they are going to have to be the re-generation generation… many young people are ready to embrace a farming vocation if they feel like they can make a living at it.” [2:30]

“If the young people can’t get into farming, then the old people can’t get out!” [5:30]

— Joel Salatin on Greenhorn Radio