Summary: Ours is the first culture with no chores for children, cheap energy, heavy mechanization, computers, supermarkets, TV dinners and unpronounceable food. Although he doesn't believe that we will return to horses and buggies, wash boards, and hoop skirts, Salatin believes we will go back in order to go forward, using technology to re-establish historical normalcy. That normalcy will include edible landscapes, domestic larders, pastured livestock, solar driven carbon cycling for fertility, and a visceral relationship with life's fundamentals: food, energy, water, air, soil, fabric, shelter. Historical contexts create jump-off points for the future--a future as bright as our imagination and as sure as the past. Joel Salatin is a third generation beyond organic farmer, lecturer and author whose family owns and operates Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Salatin's 550-acre farm is featured prominently in Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma and the documentary films, Food, Inc. and Fresh. His unconventional farming practices have drawn attention from the alternative agriculture community especially those interested in sustainable livestock management. A prolific author, Salatin's seven books to date include both how-to and big picture themes. His recent widely acclaimed book, Folks, This Ain't Normal, takes a common sense look at our food: where it comes from, it's current state of abnormality—and why we shouldn't eat most of it.
