Why It’s Getting More Difficult to Make a Living in Agriculture

In 2020, 1 million households started backyard flocks of chickens, so without doubt there’s a renewed interested in homesteading, self-reliance through food, and a mass disentanglement from our corrupt food system.

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in VA is here to talk about why small food producers are the future of the US food system and the obstacles we must overcome to thrive in America’s agriculture industry. He sheds light on how the homeschooling movement is a gateway to Libertarianism and homesteading food culture; a gateway that fosters a sensible culture of self-reliance and food independence.

We discuss the impact of issues like inflation, soil erosion, lack of support from the US government on small farmers’ ability to operate and feed their communities. You’ll learn how CSA and PMA programs, like the raw milk herd shares, help small farmers circumvent food regulations to get more food on more people’s plates. Then, Joel highlights the benefits of the European model of land tenure and the mission of The Rogue Food Conference, which he co-founded to educate and empower people to reclaim their fundamental right to food.

“We small producers… we unorthodox, alternative producers, we have answers. We’re the sandlot players… We’re the ones out here innovating… and if we can’t play the game, the game can’t advance creatively to solve problems because it can only move at the rate, pace, and creativity of the bureaucracies, and that’s a very slow pace.” - Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin and his family owns Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, where they produce beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, turkey, lamb, duck eggs, lumber, and forestry products. Joel has authored 15+ books on everything from how to raise happier hens to starting and growing a successful farming enterprise.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introducing Joel Salatin & Polyface Farm.

01:50 The rise of homesteading in the US & Lessons from the American egg shortage.

05:43 Breeding chickens is a hassle, but it’s really worth it!

11:53 How Polyface sources and raises their pigs.

18:51 Joel believes the farm-to-table movement blames the consumer for the problems in the food system. Listen in to hear his reasoning, plus his candid thoughts on homeschoolers.

34:20 The power of embracing children’s independence and uniqueness.

39:18 Why it’s getting more difficult to make a living in agriculture or enter the market & How farmers are overcoming this.

59:05 The US government’s problematic role in agriculture: Creating barriers to entry, but no barriers to excellence.

1:10:04 How small food producers can circumvent food regulations in order to sell food directly to consumers.

1:20:09 Patriotism is the religion of the soil. Why is this important?

1:26:27 Building hope into a dysfunctional food system: The story of why Joel and his family moved from Venezuela to Virginia.

1:43:04 Explaining the European model of land tenure: How and why Europeans share ownership of land.

Check out PolyFace Farm’s website: https://polyfacefarms.com

Polyface Farms website

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