Get ready to be amazed and inspired by Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms:
IN 1961, William and Lucille Salatin moved their young family to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, purchasing the most worn-out, eroded, abused farm in the area near Staunton. Using nature as a pattern, they and their children began the healing and innovation that now supports three generations.
Disregarding conventional wisdom, the Salatins planted trees, built huge compost piles, dug ponds, moved cows daily with portable electric fencing, and invented portable sheltering systems to produce all their animals on perennial prairie polycultures.
Today the farm arguably represents America’s premier non-industrial food production oasis. Believing that the Creator’s design is still the best pattern for the biological world, the Salatin family invites like-minded folks to join in the farm’s mission: to develop emotionally, economically, environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world.
The Salatins continue to refine their models to push environmentally-friendly farming practices toward new levels of expertise.
More:
Beyond Organic: The Story of Polyface Farms (Two hour talk; excellent!)
I watched the Berkeley video last night (I caught that link from the comments on Reddit from the “illegal” story) and was impressed. Sure, he has some quirks, but that makes him all the more interesting. I also looked into buying his two-hour video that shows the farm over an entire season. At $60, I may have think it over. Still, very interesting man and an encouraging subject. I hope you guys can get some helpful information.
$60!? That’s shocking. I’d like to see it, though…