Why Joel Salatin Is So Important

- CampFIRE Homesteading is in no way affiliated with Joel Salatin or Polyface Farms. -

CampFIRE Homesteading considers Joel Salatin to be the grandfather, unwittingly so, of our financial independence + homesteading philosophy.

Our awareness of Joel Salatin actually started with researching homesteaders on YouTube and seeing how they sourced their ideas, practices, and processes from Polyface Farms - Joel Salatin’s creation.

We admire Joel because he has been able to, through many years, gain and implement his understanding of proper relationship between nature and animal husbandry, which he calls ‘permaculture’. What’s beautiful about his process is that he is able to operate on the land to support our modern food consumption but not disturb the natural cycle to the point to where it results in disease and pestilence.

He has created a system where raising animals in large numbers is not only sustainable, but benefits the land.

How?

Well for his chickens, he rotates his paddocks so cows are able to mow the grass and leave their manure, the chickens then follow behind the cows, eating the fly larva out of the cow patties and also grass. The chickens leave their own droppings. In all, the process enables the animals to be free-range(ish) on pasture, receive no hormones or GMO-feed, and it helps fertilize the land. Brilliant.

Our first rabbit grow out tractor. The rabbits are moved twice a day to fresh grass. The rabbits mow the grass and leave amazing fertilizer for the yard!

A lot of Polyface Farms’ practices are available to view on YouTube for free, but Joel Salatin also holds tours and other ways to access his farm via his website.

Before Salatin embarked on his permaculture farm venture, he did something this is key to the Financial Independence Retire Early [FIRE] community, he avoided debt and made sure that he saved up a couple years living expenses before beginning his farming enterprise full-time.

WOW!!! Joel Salatin was FIRE before FIRE was cool. That’s right, Salatin was working towards FIRE pre-Dave Ramsey/Mr. Money Mustache/Vicky Robinson.

In essence, Salatin took the first CampFIRE Homesteading journey! He became financially independent and lived the farm/homestead lifestyle. This is CampFIRE!

Another thing Joel Salatin has done is demystify farming and homesteading. He has highlighted how his process is vastly different than BIG-Agriculture. Because of this difference, he has shown how we can all conduct the permaculture operation on our own land, modified to best fit our specific situation.

In our article, “Why Mentors Matter,” we mention Joel Salatin as an important figure to CampFIRE Homesteading. For most homesteaders or farmers that are partaking in permaculture operations, Joel Salatin has done the heavy lifting. He has made lots of the mistakes. He has done the research. He has evolved his processes over the decades to refine his practice. All we have to do is follow that trail and build out for our own unique circumstances.

He has also written several books that detail his journey, growth, and personal philosophy on scalable agriculture and animal husbandry. One of our favorites is “You Can Farm,” which details how someone can go about making profits on a nature-friendly farm operation.

You Can Farm: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise

By Joel Salatin

Buy on Amazon

We pay our respects to Joel Salatin and his family for everything they have done for the individual farmer. He has handedly taken the fight to government and against BIG-Agriculture to highlight how what we should be doing with respect to farming and homesteading. He has served as the prime example of how to responsibly approach farming and, in our opinion, we all owe a great debt to Salatin for his accomplishments over the past several decades.

Should there ever be a Mount Rushmore of pioneering farmers, Joel Salatin should be on it, no doubt. He is a giant on whose shoulders we all stand as we enjoy the view he has helped create. In his work, he has planted the seed that will lead to a revolution in local, sustainable and regenerative farming practices.

All homesteaders and farmers that are employing his tried and true processes are his legacy. We, collectively, are carrying the torch into the future and will ensure that his lessons do not parish, but are passed down to the next generation as the norm… not the exception.

Joel Salatin, thank you for everything you have done!

Sincerely,

CampFIRE Homesteading

Have you implemented any of Joel Salatin’s processes on your farm or homestead? If so, which ones? How have they worked out?

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