Weed Abatement
April 28, 2016
Community Gardens
May 12, 2016
Food Chain Radio Show #1055
Michael Olson, Author & Urban Farming Agriculturalist
Big Government ≠ Small Farms
This Poll is closed!!
Guest: Open Mic
Michael Olson Food Chain Radio – Can we have small farms and big government?
The “lunatic farmer” of Polyface Farm, Joel Salatin, came to town to address an audience of activists, aggies and foodies.
After warming up the audience with his down-on-the-farm humor, Salatin leaned into the microphone and, without the slightest twitch of doubt, said, “You can’t have small farms and big government!”
The raucous audience went stone cold silent.
That Salatin believes you can’t have small farms and big government is evident in the titles of books he has authored: Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal, Folks This Ain’t Normal, and The Sheer Ecstacy of Being Lunatic Farmer.
Though the Salatin-family’s Polyface Farm is a successful business, it was made so by going in the exact opposite direction of conventional agriculture. Where the convention is to confine animals and feed them grains shipped in from elsewhere, Polyface grazes its animals on the grasses of the farm’s pastures.
When it comes to government’s rules and regulations, Polyface Farm is, like most all successful small farms, the proverbial square peg in a round hole. Government has been designed to facilitate one kind of agriculture, Polyface Farm is the other kind.
The conviction with which Salatin delivered his assertion, and the response of his audience, leads us to ask…
Leave a comment below: Can we have small farms and big government?
Tune in here, for the syndicated Food Chain Radio Show #1055 May7, 2016 Saturday 9AM Pacific
5 Comments
I understand Salatin’s feelings. Well, perhaps more accurately, I assume I understand some of his feelings. To whatever extent his feelings are derived from political ideology, we probably differ, and my own experiences with government regulation and favor of Big Biz, and specifically BigAg (a euphemism for BigDoof (food spelled backwards) lack much, if any, elements of the animal parts of the equation.
With that claimer and disclaimer made, I am curious. From where I look now, I doubt the veracity of such a broad-brush characterization that we “can’t” have small farms and big government. I tend to think more along the lines as does Jim Hightower — that it is not the existence nor size of government that is the fly in the ointment, it is the lack of resolve to prevent government from being corruptable by BigMoney, and to make it democratic.
I wonder: if that BigGovernment were preferentially aiding Salatin, would he then consider it the cat’s meow? What about if it were preferentially benefiting all small farmers?
Dear Mike-
Most small family farms who grow and process their own products on site without all the new regs from FSM and new certifications required by Starbucks and WholeFoods to be vendors; will soon be made criminals allacross the USA.. Despite zero defect products produced by safe heirloom techniques for over 100 years. Big Gov’t will find a way to prevent them from selling at the local market. Fresh wholesome food will have to be sold under the counter, in back alleys, and possibly under the cover of night to avoid prosecution. What the hell is going on America?
Thank you for showcasing Joel Salatin. He is one of the very best small family farmers that exemplifies the quality possible in a humane sustainable system. He is also one who demands violent participation if
one wants to eat a plump tasty chicken. We all wish we could emulate his ingenuity and style a bit more. Keep up the good work!
I am afraid Joe is correct. After a lifetime of farming, we are at our limit with the bureaucratic wasteland that is being used to undermine small farming. When it finally hits home with locals, well it will be unpleasant. But continuing to farm with all the establishment requirements is absurdity. Those younger than us may hang on longer but unless there are drastic changes it is over. Get used to not knowing where your groceries came from and what might be “on” or “in” them.
Yes, I would also say that big government and small farms don’t mix.
I farm in the UK and in Poland – from where I write. Here we have 1.2 million small farms of 7 ha or less. Mostly self sufficient with the aim of feeding the family and any surplus sold locally.
Big government has food regulations that declare it is illegal to process any farm raised foods in the farmhouse. Farmers must register as ‘a business’ and carry out the processing in a separate building.
The great majority of small farmers thus carry on ‘in the black’ as
they can’t afford to conform to the big government regulations.
It is the power of the supermarkets that control government and government controls people. Farmers need to take their destinies into their own hands and link with consumers who feel likewise.
Anything else looks like long term slavery.
He is exactly correct! As a 7th generation American grower, and the only skin care you can buy from USDA certified organic grower, I concur. Big government is not the way. We the people/farmers need the freedom to lead the way