Our Food Is Killing Us. Regenerative Farming Fixes This. | Joel Salatin

Why investing in sustainable local food production makes so much sense

Yet again this week, we're doing something a little different…

Few things are more valuable in life than the food we eat and the soil that grows it.

So today, we have the great honor of talking with Joel Salatin.

Named "the most famous farmer in America", Joel has spent his career advocating for sustainable farming practices, and pioneering models that show how food can be grown & raised in ways that:

• are regenerative to our topsoils

• are more humane to livestock

• produce much healthier, tastier food

• contribute profitably to the local economy

Who wouldn't want that?

But Joel finds he has to refer to himself a "lunatic farmer" because so many of the changes he thinks our food systems needs are either illegal under current law or mightily resisted by the deep-pockets controlling production and distribution.

But that doesn't stop him from his passion of inspiring others to take a better path.

He co-owns and operates, with his family, Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia. Featured in the New York Times bestseller Omnivore’s Dilemma as well as the award-winning documentary Food Inc., the farm services more than 5,000 families, 50 restaurants, 10 retail outlets, and a farmers’ market with produce and pastured beef, pork, poultry, as well as forestry products.

On the farm, Joel and his staff pilot new practices, mentor young farmers, educate the public, and produce an excellent set of workshops for those looking to truly 'get their hands dirty' learning how to farm sustainably.

He's a true hero to many, including me.

And I predict he'll be one of yours, too, by the end of this video.

For a wonderful discussion on a critical aspect of true wealth that doesn’t get enough coverage, click here or on the video below:

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Adam’s Notes: Joel Salatin (recorded 9.16.24)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

• Modern food production is highly energy-intensive, requiring 15 calories of energy input for every 1 calorie of food on the plate. This contrasts starkly with the year 1900, when the energy input-output ratio was 1:1, illustrating how the disintegration of the food system has led to decreased efficiency over time.

• Joel describes how existing food regulations and corporate influence create significant barriers for small, sustainable farms. These regulations primarily target the sale of farm products, limiting consumer access to healthy, locally sourced foods. For example, he explains that his farm cannot legally sell a T-bone steak from a cow raised and processed on his property without first transporting it out of county to a federally inspected processing facility, even though he could legally give the same steak away.

• Since purchasing the farm in 1961, Joel’s family has increased the organic matter in the soil from 1% to 8.2%. Each 1% increase in organic matter holds 20,000 gallons of water per acre, which means the farm can now retain an additional 140,000 gallons of water per acre. This increase makes the land more resilient during droughts and heavy rainfall, improving overall crop yield and reducing the need for external inputs.

• Products from Polyface Farm have shown significantly higher nutritional values compared to conventional products. For example