Grass-Fed Party

Photo by Jack Delano
Mountain farm along Skyline Drive, Va. ca. 1940

Michael Pollan spent a week with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm which is located in rural Virginia and chronicled his grass-fed experience in his book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” Joel Salatin really is the star of the book and has a lot to say about what is wrong with how America eats and raises its food. What struck me most about Joel’s farming and philosophy was that he wanted his farm to reflect, and be in harmony, with the community he lived in. Basically, he wanted to provide his community with food because he was part of it.  In his mind his farm does not create commodities it creates food that should sustain community not errode it.   He could hire migrant workers to help with his chicken slaughter and produce more chicken and eggs but instead he asks neighbors to come and help, and for their work they get to partake in the experience and receive food. To me this really represents what sustainable agriculture means, it is about connections: connections to the land, to our animals and to each other.
Community has suffered with the industrialization of food; we all eat the same food which is out of sync with the land we live on and the communities around us.  This has implications that are seen throughout our land.  I spoke a bit about how BBQ’s in the south were community affairs where neighbors got together to harvest feral pigs and cook them together, relying on each other and celebrating the bounty of their shared local harvest.  Today is different, whole foods seem alien to many, Americans want their food packaged and prepared. As families we eat separately, in front of TV’s where there is no conservation or connection.
This is not the case with grass-fed meats, which are about connection not alienation; grass-fed meats come whole, and from farms we know and trust. This connection does not end when you buy the meat, you also bring this connection to your family when you cook them wholesome food that must be shared and savored. Conversation and interaction marks the whole grass-fed process: the farmer’s connection to the land and his animals, your connection to the rancher and then your connection to those you cook for.   It is all about commitment and community; we are rebuilding this together, one meal at a time.