Joel Salatin

I remember as a child being able to walk the whole farm and never setting foot on a piece of vegetation. It was that barren. It was very, very poor, but it was cheap. And so that's- And worth every penny by the sounds of it. Well, so, you know, dad says, well, how do I make a living on this farm?

And it was, you know, buy chemical fertilizer, plant corn, borrow money, build silos, you know, graze the woods. And my grandfather, his dad, had been a charter subscriber to Rodale's Organic Gardening and Farming magazine when it first came out in 1945. And so he always aspired to be a My dad was an accountant. Mom was a schoolteacher. And so he saw the chemical approach as a rat race.

And it was, you know, buy chemical fertilizer, plant corn, borrow money, build silos, you know, graze the woods. And my grandfather, his dad, had been a charter subscriber to Rodale's Organic Gardening and Farming magazine when it first came out in 1945. And so he always aspired to be a My dad was an accountant. Mom was a schoolteacher. And so he saw the chemical approach as a rat race.

And it was, you know, buy chemical fertilizer, plant corn, borrow money, build silos, you know, graze the woods. And my grandfather, his dad, had been a charter subscriber to Rodale's Organic Gardening and Farming magazine when it first came out in 1945. And so he always aspired to be a My dad was an accountant. Mom was a schoolteacher. And so he saw the chemical approach as a rat race.

Because you're always trying to outrun the—it's like a drug addiction. You're trying to outrun the adaptation of— You know, the chemicals, they cannibalize in the soil. There's a lot of things that happen there. And so you're trying to chase that. You're hoping that human creativity will keep you one step ahead of biological adaptation.

Because you're always trying to outrun the—it's like a drug addiction. You're trying to outrun the adaptation of— You know, the chemicals, they cannibalize in the soil. There's a lot of things that happen there. And so you're trying to chase that. You're hoping that human creativity will keep you one step ahead of biological adaptation.

Because you're always trying to outrun the—it's like a drug addiction. You're trying to outrun the adaptation of— You know, the chemicals, they cannibalize in the soil. There's a lot of things that happen there. And so you're trying to chase that. You're hoping that human creativity will keep you one step ahead of biological adaptation.

We actually, dad was, so dad flew in the Navy in World War II and and on GI Bill, went to Indiana University, got his degree in economics. He met mom there. And then he had a dream of farming. His dad never farmed full-time, but he wanted to farm. Well, I'm a Midwestern boy, no money, no land. How do I farm? And at that time, this was 1940s, and he saw Atlas Shrugged and Rand.

We actually, dad was, so dad flew in the Navy in World War II and and on GI Bill, went to Indiana University, got his degree in economics. He met mom there. And then he had a dream of farming. His dad never farmed full-time, but he wanted to farm. Well, I'm a Midwestern boy, no money, no land. How do I farm? And at that time, this was 1940s, and he saw Atlas Shrugged and Rand.

We actually, dad was, so dad flew in the Navy in World War II and and on GI Bill, went to Indiana University, got his degree in economics. He met mom there. And then he had a dream of farming. His dad never farmed full-time, but he wanted to farm. Well, I'm a Midwestern boy, no money, no land. How do I farm? And at that time, this was 1940s, and he saw Atlas Shrugged and Rand.

There was a lot of socialism going on in America there World War II-ish. And he said, you know, I'm going to go to a developing country. You know, it's a really free market, small government. You know, we can do what we want. So he got on with Texas Oil Company as a bilingual accountant to Venezuela.

There was a lot of socialism going on in America there World War II-ish. And he said, you know, I'm going to go to a developing country. You know, it's a really free market, small government. You know, we can do what we want. So he got on with Texas Oil Company as a bilingual accountant to Venezuela.

There was a lot of socialism going on in America there World War II-ish. And he said, you know, I'm going to go to a developing country. You know, it's a really free market, small government. You know, we can do what we want. So he got on with Texas Oil Company as a bilingual accountant to Venezuela.

And in seven years, was able to save enough money to buy a 1,000-acre farm in the highlands of Venezuela. We started raising chickens. 1,000 acres. 1,000 acres. Started raising chickens. And because our chickens were so clean, immediately he took over the local—

And in seven years, was able to save enough money to buy a 1,000-acre farm in the highlands of Venezuela. We started raising chickens. 1,000 acres. 1,000 acres. Started raising chickens. And because our chickens were so clean, immediately he took over the local—

And in seven years, was able to save enough money to buy a 1,000-acre farm in the highlands of Venezuela. We started raising chickens. 1,000 acres. 1,000 acres. Started raising chickens. And because our chickens were so clean, immediately he took over the local—

The local chicken market, you know how those Latin American, all the farmers come in with their wares and the middlemen, you know, this is 1950s. And so he quickly took over the chicken market because the indigenous chickens had a, they had snot. They had a nasal mucus. They were running in open sewers and things like that.

The local chicken market, you know how those Latin American, all the farmers come in with their wares and the middlemen, you know, this is 1950s. And so he quickly took over the chicken market because the indigenous chickens had a, they had snot. They had a nasal mucus. They were running in open sewers and things like that.

The local chicken market, you know how those Latin American, all the farmers come in with their wares and the middlemen, you know, this is 1950s. And so he quickly took over the chicken market because the indigenous chickens had a, they had snot. They had a nasal mucus. They were running in open sewers and things like that.

And, of course, all the farmers accused us of witchcraft and voodoo and that. And so when there was a— I thought witchcraft generally made sick chickens, not healthy ones. Well— Well, it's amazing what you can come up with when you're looking for an excuse. So then in 1959, there was the junta of Pérez Jiménez there.