Self-described “environmentalist and capitalist” Joel Salatin, owner-operator of Polyface Farm in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, addresses one of the most pressing questions of our day in his presentation “Can We Feed the World?” on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Herrick Chapel.
Salatin is critical of the currently-dominant system of agriculture and much of the food that comes from it, but he stands out among public intellectuals who address these topics — such as Michael Pollan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Eric Schlosser — because he is a full-time farmer when not on a speaking tour.
Salatin is the author of nine books, including Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer’s Guide to Farm Friendly Food; Everything I want to do is illegal: War stories from the Local Food Front; and The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer . He is also a regular contributor to magazines such as Stockman Grass Farmer, Acres USA, and American Agriculturalist. Polyface Farm serves more than 3,000 families, 10 retail outlets and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs and has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, Gourmet, and radio, television, and print media.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Salatin’s visit is sponsored by Grinnell’s Center for Prairie Studies and Practical Farmers of Iowa. We also would like to thank Dr. R. Ben Johnston ’85 for his support and interest.
