Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Pure Salatin

I love reading and listening to Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms. He is an original, and a pioneer in the realm of local food systems and community-based agriculture, and a staunchly politically-incorrect advocate for reclaiming freedom for traditional food growing and purchasing choices.

I am rereading my copy of his book Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal. I love this book, and I'll be posting now and then some quotes found within its pages. Here is today's:
-------------------------------

Our whole culture suffers from an industrial food system which has made
every part disconnected from the rest. Smelly and dirty farms are supposed
to be in one place, away from people, who snuggle smugly in their cul-de-sacs
and have not a clue about the out-of-sight-out-of-mind atrocities being
committed to their dinner before it arrives in microwaveable four-color labeled
plastic packaging. Industrial abattoirs need to be located in a
not-in-my-backyard place to sequster noxious odors and sights. Finally,
the retail store must be ocated in a commercial district surrounded by lots of
pavement, handicapped access, public toilets and whatever else must be required
to get food to people.

The notion that animals can be raised, processed, packaged and sold in a
model that offends neither our eyes nor noses cannot even register on the
average bureaucrat's radar screen. Or, more importantly, on the radar of
the average consumer advocacy organization. Besides, all these single-use
megalithic structures are good for the gross domestic product. Anything
else is illegal.


Joel Salatin, Chapter 1, pp. 4, 5 Everything I Want to do is Illegal

7 comments:

Country Girl said...

Sounds like a great book. Thanks for sharing the quotes! ~Kim

~plantain~ said...

OOH, thank you for this. This book is on my list to buy.

Carolyn said...

That is quite the operation thay have! Very Cool!

ilex said...

Salitin is a genius on food and farming, but he's a total whackjob in most other areas of his brain. He's a fundamentalist Christian and a right-winger; he doesn't allow women to participate in his farming internship program because of his beliefs; he shoots any and all wildlife which step/fly onto his land. I've found it very hard to get past his politics and core beliefs.

It's a great quote, though.

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

Oooh! What an excellent excerpt you included here from that book. And that part about separating the origins of our food from our homes and minds is so true, too.
I think I will now have to read this book myself.
Thank you!

Robbyn said...

Kim, I have a lot more to post over time...he's got a lot of great insights

Plantain, it's opinionated and challenging, and I really like it

Carolyn, yes, they've definately found what works for them :)

Ilex, I like originals even if I don't agree with them many times. I'd probably be offensive to a lot of people if I were very open about my beliefs and preferences...well, what am I talking about? I AM offensive to a lot of people who don't agree with me..lol :) I've never met Mr. Salatin, but if I do I'll bring you along with me to protect me ;-)

Twin, yep, a good and original read :)

Anonymous said...

I too have become familiar with Joel Salatin's outlook on things. We could do worse than to emulate his views...

Farmer
www.farmerdeville.com