Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms discusses grass-fed cattle

On a "lunatic" tour of Polyface Farms, June 18, 2010, Joel Salatin, owner, discusses the process and benefits of raising cattle on grass.

For the past 50 years, raising beef in the United States has generally been about growing beef bigger, faster, and cheaper on as little land as possible. Contrary to the pastoral image one may have of farming, most cows raised in the United States these days eat corn -- which they were never meant to eat -- and get sick from it. Cows in the US receive a fair amount of antibiotics to compensate, and their manure is collected in huge lagoons that are too riddled with antibiotics to feed back to the corn that feeds them.

Joel Salatin, owner of Polyface Farms, believes in raising animals in a way that mimics the processes of nature: Cows graze one area of grass, and a few days later, chickens graze the same area and eat the fly larvae out of the manure. The manure from both fertilizes the grass. Joel Salatin discusses a little of this process, here.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Joel
• Salatin
• Polyface
• Farms
• farm
• farming
• farmer
• Swoope
• VA
• cattle
• livestock
• grass
• fed
• beef
• Food
• Inc
• Ominvore's
• Dilemma

[ThanksgivingWalk]

Joel presents a cattle rasing method that "in fewer than ten years we would sequester all the carbon that's been emitted since the beginning of the industrial age." (See 7:10 - 8:00)

His farm has NOT planted a seed or bought a bag of fertilier for 50 years!

His lectures are humorous and loaded with great new and natural concepts - a good steward of the earth and great teacher.

God Bless!

[iantmasters]

Headed there soon.

Trying to get some ideas for my own farm.

[BringBack500s]

A lesson in biology, animal husbandry, sociology, cultural responsibility, sustainability, politics and in the wider sense humanity all in a few minutes.

Lets live well people.

[AMEwrestling]

He is the reason why I have taken a stand against supermarket beef. Grass-fed beef gives me energy.

[impalapez]

I met this awesome man in NY Hudson Valley talk....very passionate!!!

[daffodyllady]

I used to live close to Joel... my kids were in the same homeschooling group... we did house church with the Salatins for a while... He is one of my heroes. His model of farming is the best I have ever seen, hands, down, bar none!

[TheJUNGLESURFER]

you got a big gut joel and a  start of double chin

[psycokicks]

I LOVE HIM! ;)

[tgf76]

great stuff!! Mate hope to get over there one day and learn more.

[MathieuBauerTV]

It's impossible to dislike this guy.

[jeredmorgan]

We love you Joel! Can't wait till you come out to Seattle for the Kirkland Health Fair this July!