Family Friendly Farming; A Multigenerational Home Based Business Testament,
Joel Salatin, 2001 Polyface Inc, Swoope, Virginia. 400 pages.
ISBN: 0-9638109-3-6
“Food is amalgamated, extruded, irradiated, consolidated, chlorinated and
genetically prostituted, which jeopardises the health of our grandchildren.”
Joel Salatin doesn’t mince words and his books read like he talks, full of
emphasis, enthusiasm, and evangelism.
Joel Salatin wrote Salad Bar Beef, Pastured Poultry Profits, as well as You
Can Farm, to explain and demonstrate the Salatin way of managing farm enterprises
and businesses. Now Family Friendly Farming reveals the social morals
that guide the work ethic and success of Polyface Farms. As a Christian
libertarian capitalist environmentalist, Joel bares all about looking at
the whole picture for rural community restoration and opportunity.
The emphasis of the book is creating a family environment to enable the younger
generation to eagerly shoulder adult level responsibilities while boosting
their entrepreneurial confidence. Joel’s logic and reason will deepen
your understanding of family relationships and the circumstances that evolve
from them. He touches on many social issues, drawing on observations,
spiritual beliefs, and his extensive reading to weave together many ideas
of how the world could work better.
As Joel points out the best and brightest flee rural communities for the
big money in the cities maintaining the redneck, bumpkin, and old codger
rural stereotypes. Gone with this potential leadership is the ability
and courage to question practices that are destroying the land. Joel
believes modern schooling destroys young people’s sense of value and understanding
about the land and this is why the modern generation continues to tamper
with the food chain. Yet those same big city people yearn for heritage,
legacy, and family camaraderie, none of which are produced from the industrial
paradigm that is creating many of the world’s problems. Many of the
modern generation are returning to the land but most haven’t a clue about
their land stewardship responsibilities.
As a result, the factory schooling system gets a real beating, as does tired
farmer attitudes, and aged parents acting like they are immortal. No
stone is left unturned, including his own shortcomings. Joel
emphasises the importance of communication as the fabric that binds families
together. The early inclusion of children into the farm business is
a high priority, especially if it leads to enterprises that are complimentary
to farm. Entrepreneurship, assuming responsibility, and the passion
to enjoy work all lead to confident and well adjusted young people who lead
with the respect of those around them.
He reminds us that creativity is found at the margins of any industry, just
like edge effect in the environment. So Joel covers it all here.
From what started his passion for the land, to the principles of how he and
his wife, Teresa, have raised and romanced their children, Daniel and Rachael
with farming, to the circumstances they use to strengthen family communication
and understanding, to the philosophy that guides their relationship with
the land, community, and the passion to make the world a better place, as
well as what they have done to smoothen the succession of the farm to their
children.
However as Joel points out, the responsibility to develop well adjusted young
people lies with each and everyone of us in our roles as parents, neighbours,
family friends, and so on. The development of young people that are
passionate about primary role of farming in health and nutrition of rural
and urban communities is an absolute must for Joel in what he calls a sense
of ministry.
If you can handle the evangelistic style you’ll find this book a honest and
thought provoking read.