Interview - Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin is one of the most influential voices in the modern regenerative farming movement. As the founder of Polyface Farm in Virginia, he’s become known for building a radically different model of agriculture, one rooted in ecological systems, local markets, and a refusal to accept industrial “efficiency” as the end goal.
In this episode, Joel shares what he’s learned from decades of farming and advocacy, why the middle of the food system is where so many good farms get stuck, and what it will take to make regenerative agriculture a real alternative instead of a niche.
In this episode, we dive into:
• Why the industrial food system prioritizes scale and uniformity over real stewardship
• What we lose when farming becomes a commodity business instead of a community livelihood
• The biggest barriers that keep good farms from reaching more people
• Why local processing and local markets matter more than most people realize
• How Polyface built an alternative model that actually works economically
• What it would take for regenerative agriculture to become “normal” again
• Why Joel thinks the story we tell about food is just as important as the practices
• Where he sees real hope, and what he thinks we need to stop pretending will fix things
More about Joel:
Joel Salatin co-owns, with his family, Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. Featured in the New York Times bestseller Omnivore’s Dilemma and award-winning documentary Food Inc., the farm services more than 5,000 families, 10 restaurants, and 5 retail outlets with salad bar beef, pigaerator pork, pastured poultry, and forestry products. The farm ships nationwide to your doorstep.
Salatin is the editor of The Stockman Grass Farmer, granddaddy catalyst for the grass farming movement. He writes the “Confessions of a Steward” column for Plain Values magazine, the “Homestead Abundance” column for Homestead Living magazine, columns for Homesteaders of America, and a column a month for the e-magazine Manward. His blog is Musings from the Lunatic Farmer and he co-hosts a podcast titled BEYOND LABELS with co-author Dr. Sina McCullough.
Agrarian Futures is produced by Alexandre Miller, who also wrote our theme song. This episode was edited by Drew O’Doherty.