Breaking Our Slavery To The Industrial Food Complex | Joel Salatin

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**Joel Salatin** (0:56)
We're enslaved and we're shackled to a regulatory environment that precludes competition and entrepreneurism within the marketplace. I'm not an abolitionist. I'm not saying, you know, like some of you have friends, we need to shut down, you know, Monsanto, but no, no, no, no, no, it's okay. I'm not an abolitionist. I'm not interested in shutting down Tyson, Monsanto, whatever. What I am interested in is a viable underground railroad so that those of us who want to get out of the slavery of the industrial food complex can exit the system.

**Adam Taggart** (1:36)
Welcome to Thoughtful Money. I'm its founder and your host, Adam Taggart. Today, you're in for a real treat, folks. We welcome back to the program one of my all-time favorite humans, Joel Salatin. Named the most famous farmer in America, Joel spent his career advocating for sustainable farming practices and pioneering models that show how food can be grown and raised in ways that are regenerative to our top soils, are more humane to livestock, produce much healthier, tastier food, and contribute profitably to the local economy. Who wouldn't want that? Well, the government and Big Ag for starters, which is why Joel refers to himself as a lunatic farmer because so many of the changes he thinks our food systems need are either illegal under current law or mightily resisted by the deep-pocketed corporations controlling production and distribution. But that doesn't stop him from his passion of inspiring others to take a better path. He co-owns and operates with his family Polyface Farm in Swope, Virginia. Featured in the New York Times bestseller Omnivore's Dilemma and the award-winning documentary Food Inc, the farm services more than 5,000 families, 50 restaurants, 10 retail outlets, and a farmer's market with produce and pastured beef, pork, poultry, as well as forestry products. On the farm, Joel and his staff pilot new practices, mentor young farmers, educate the public, and produce an excellent set of workshops for those looking to truly get their hands dirty learning how to farm sustainably. He's a true hero to many, including me, and I predict he'll be one of yours too by the end of this discussion. Joel, thanks so much for joining us today.

**Joel Salatin** (3:14)
Thank you, Adam. It's a delight to be with you.

**Adam Taggart** (3:16)
Thank you. Well, it's wonderful to see you again.
From our previous interviews, if somebody really wants to get in the weeds of your approach to sustainable farming, because we covered that so much in the last interview, I really just want to direct folks to watch that, to get the foundational Joel Salatin. If you don't mind, I'd like to maybe pick up where we left off, because it's been a while since you and I have talked. I'd love to hear what's new in the field of sustainable food production. We can tackle this any way you like, either things that you guys are doing on Polyface Farms or that you're seeing other people doing. But maybe let's start with the new administration, which has come into office since you and I last talked. There's a sister movement within the Make America Great Again movement called Make America Healthy Again. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what policies you've seen coming out of that. But I remember in the fall being really heartened to hear that they had reached out to you to see if you might want to serve as an advisor in some way. I think it was for the USDA what I'd read the article about. But I'm just curious if anything came of that, are you watching this all from the sidelines or are you somebody they're actually listening to at this point?

**Joel Salatin** (4:38)
No, I'm watching this all from the sidelines. However, it did get their attention. My understanding is that when Trump opened up the website for just, you know, for brainstorming names of people to head agencies, I was the number one name for USDA.