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Polyface Micro: Success with Livestock on a Homestead Scale
"I love your ideas, but I only have a few acres. How do I do this at my scale?"
Success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Joel Salatin and his family's Polyface Farm in Virginia lead the world in animal-friendly and ecologically-authentic commercial pasture-based livestock production. In POLYFACE MICRO he adapts his ideas and protocols to small holdings (including apartments)! Homesteaders can increase production, enjoy healthy animals, and create aesthetically pleasant livestock systems, Whether you're a new or seasoned homesteader, you'll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you toward success and abundance,
Success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Joel Salatin and his family's Polyface Farm in Virginia lead the world in animal-friendly and ecologically-authentic commercial pasture-based livestock production. In POLYFACE MICRO he adapts his ideas and protocols to small holdings (including apartments)! Homesteaders can increase production, enjoy healthy animals, and create aesthetically pleasant livestock systems, Whether you're a new or seasoned homesteader, you'll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you toward success and abundance,
402 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2021
48 people are currently reading
352 people want to read
About the author
Joel Salatin
59 books677 followersJoel F. Salatin is an American farmer, lecturer, and author.
Salatin raises livestock on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct marketing to consumers and restaurants.
Salatin raises livestock on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct marketing to consumers and restaurants.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 6, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is homesteading or is interested in homesteading. Joel covers a wide variety of topics in relation to permaculture homesteading. So, inevitably he mentions lots of other books that go into much more detail on specific subjects. This is the biggest reason for my four stars instead of five. Not that he mentions so many other books (I love when books like this offer additional reading suggestions), but because there is no section in the back of the book to consolidate all his additional reading suggestions. To me, this is paramount any book like this with so many otter books mentioned. Be prepared to either write down all the book suggestions as you read or add them to your GR and Amazon lists as you read.
May 15, 2025
Got me dreaming about the possibilities! Good mix of practical ideas and heart behind it!
March 13, 2022
A great read for someone who is just starting at homesteading or has been at it a while.
December 5, 2021
A good general-information book for small homesteaders or those just starting out. There's not a lot of detail, but it's a good starting point for those who desire to learn. Many topics and ideas to ponder even if you've been homesteading a while.
August 20, 2022
LOVED this book. I learned a lot, and will revisit it.
April 6, 2023
Very good.
January 26, 2026
I rate this book 5/5 stars! I loved this book! I would recommend this book to anyone aspiring to be a farmer or homesteader, or any city resident wanting to raise meat at home on a small scale (i.e. backyard chickens, a goat or two, etc.). If you enjoy the convenience of buying your food in grocery stores or work in food regulation, you likely would not enjoy this book.
Favorite Quotes
- "One of the slickest work animal set-ups I ever saw was at long-time draft-power growers Eric and Anne Nordell's farm in Pennsylvania. They shifted their work horse stalls every day or two and had a network over the stables that looked like a glorified HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) duct system. Except the ductwork was chicken wire. They had a chicken coop at one end of the horse stables. The chicken wire tube ran above the horse stables. At every stable, a door could be opened. Each morning the chickens would awaken and head up into the tube to find the open door into a particular stable. That way the Cordell's, via the chickens, could stir the bedding, eliminate flies, and harvest bits of grain the horses passed. The rotational sanitation system worked perfectly and yielded beautiful eggs from a process that otherwise would have cost the farmers substantial effort." (p.19)
- "Nothing is as cute as a sow nursing piglets, but nothing is more deadly than a sow nursing piglets. A protective cow won't bite you; a pig will. In fact, she will eat you." (p.52-53)
- "If the weather is bad enough that the animals want to be inside, it stands to reason that you won't want to be outside either. Locating the inclement weather animal shelter as near to your house as practical is the most sensible layout option... This proximate layout is common throughout Europe and I suggest it should be adopted like a new fashion statement in the U.S. What better way to take care of the animals in inclement weather than walk through a door from your house mud room and be in the barn?... If you don't want to connect your barn to your house, that's fine, but the point is, you want it as close as is practical." (p.73)
- "Always place the mineral box in a spot that can use some manure and trampling." (p.156)
- "If you milk at 7 a.m., then milk at 7 a.m. Not 8 a.m., Not 9 a.m. Not 6 a.m. The cow is used to 7 a.m. Every time you alter a routine, the animals notice and that jeopardizes trust." (p.222)
- "A dear, dear friend of ours. was nearly mauled to death by 'the sweetest, gentlest sow in the world' when she inadvertently stepped on a piggy and the sow attacked her. The sow nearly ate off one arm, broke ribs, punctured lungs--our dear friend barely escaped with her life. I'm not trying to scare you; I'm just telling you that all the trust and all the discipline in the world sometimes cannot overcome mama's wrat[h]. Don't mess around with this." (p.228). There was a minor spelling error here. "wrath" was spelled "wratb."
- "Excess water should be stored and then it should be utilized in times of moisture stress." (p.231)
- "The most common daytime predator is something aerial. All I'll say is what you have to do. I recommend a guard goose with your flock." (p.250)
- "Hens lay the majority of their eggs before noon." (p.255)
- "As you can imagine, the animal that responds firs to your movements is the one with the widest flight zone. That animal normally sets the tempo and temperament of the entire herd. That's the animal you play on. Don't worry about the stragglers; they'll come on. Concentrate your attention on that lead animal; that's the one that likely determines how the herd acts and where it goes." (p.307)
Favorite Quotes
- "One of the slickest work animal set-ups I ever saw was at long-time draft-power growers Eric and Anne Nordell's farm in Pennsylvania. They shifted their work horse stalls every day or two and had a network over the stables that looked like a glorified HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) duct system. Except the ductwork was chicken wire. They had a chicken coop at one end of the horse stables. The chicken wire tube ran above the horse stables. At every stable, a door could be opened. Each morning the chickens would awaken and head up into the tube to find the open door into a particular stable. That way the Cordell's, via the chickens, could stir the bedding, eliminate flies, and harvest bits of grain the horses passed. The rotational sanitation system worked perfectly and yielded beautiful eggs from a process that otherwise would have cost the farmers substantial effort." (p.19)
- "Nothing is as cute as a sow nursing piglets, but nothing is more deadly than a sow nursing piglets. A protective cow won't bite you; a pig will. In fact, she will eat you." (p.52-53)
- "If the weather is bad enough that the animals want to be inside, it stands to reason that you won't want to be outside either. Locating the inclement weather animal shelter as near to your house as practical is the most sensible layout option... This proximate layout is common throughout Europe and I suggest it should be adopted like a new fashion statement in the U.S. What better way to take care of the animals in inclement weather than walk through a door from your house mud room and be in the barn?... If you don't want to connect your barn to your house, that's fine, but the point is, you want it as close as is practical." (p.73)
- "Always place the mineral box in a spot that can use some manure and trampling." (p.156)
- "If you milk at 7 a.m., then milk at 7 a.m. Not 8 a.m., Not 9 a.m. Not 6 a.m. The cow is used to 7 a.m. Every time you alter a routine, the animals notice and that jeopardizes trust." (p.222)
- "A dear, dear friend of ours. was nearly mauled to death by 'the sweetest, gentlest sow in the world' when she inadvertently stepped on a piggy and the sow attacked her. The sow nearly ate off one arm, broke ribs, punctured lungs--our dear friend barely escaped with her life. I'm not trying to scare you; I'm just telling you that all the trust and all the discipline in the world sometimes cannot overcome mama's wrat[h]. Don't mess around with this." (p.228). There was a minor spelling error here. "wrath" was spelled "wratb."
- "Excess water should be stored and then it should be utilized in times of moisture stress." (p.231)
- "The most common daytime predator is something aerial. All I'll say is what you have to do. I recommend a guard goose with your flock." (p.250)
- "Hens lay the majority of their eggs before noon." (p.255)
- "As you can imagine, the animal that responds firs to your movements is the one with the widest flight zone. That animal normally sets the tempo and temperament of the entire herd. That's the animal you play on. Don't worry about the stragglers; they'll come on. Concentrate your attention on that lead animal; that's the one that likely determines how the herd acts and where it goes." (p.307)
October 11, 2025
Salatin has a clear vision of what farming could and should be. While I don't necessarily completely share that vision now that I've finished the book, I feel that he communicated it effectively. He has a humorous style that is easy to read, and there are a lot of helpful nuggets as a think and rethink what I want my farm to be.
While it sometimes felt like a "read this other book for details about how to do this thing at a much larger scale than you're interested in," many of the books are not written by him, and the "micro" book is already pretty macro in size and scope, so it's understandable.
I very much appreciated his focus on helping nature to heal itself - something very much needed on my property that has been occupied since 1850. I wish he did more with goats, but it's clear that goats are an incredibly niche animal. Perhaps that's a book I'll need to write someday.
While it sometimes felt like a "read this other book for details about how to do this thing at a much larger scale than you're interested in," many of the books are not written by him, and the "micro" book is already pretty macro in size and scope, so it's understandable.
I very much appreciated his focus on helping nature to heal itself - something very much needed on my property that has been occupied since 1850. I wish he did more with goats, but it's clear that goats are an incredibly niche animal. Perhaps that's a book I'll need to write someday.
March 10, 2025
Very practical guide to conducting small farm operations where the main objective is lifestyle rather than making a living (although there are several practical considerations for the latter as well). It’s also a fun read. Joel Salatin is the kind of disruptive farmer that we need nowadays. His ideas seem radical, when in fact they are more of a return to a forgotten way of doing things. He is very focused on getting there through economy of input rather than maximizing output. He’s a straight talker about pros and cons of different animals and their management, presenting lots of details based on his own personal experience. He has the admirable and rare gift of being a deep thinker with a folksy demeanour that doesn’t seem put on.
July 1, 2022
There are so many books that give you a straight-up how-to on raising animals. This is not one of them. This book is Grandpa telling you everything those books leave out, based on his 40+ years of experience. Learn how to farm smart, to understand the way an animal thinks, and how to make it work no matter your size of yard. I recommend this book for every homesteader whether you have animals or not, and for anyone with just the barest curiosity considering if they might “someday but probably never” own animals. It’ll open up your mind to all sorts of possibilities!
January 9, 2022
This book is a very readable and very detailed handbook of useful information for raising animals on a small scale. Every aspect is given practical consideration: efficiency, layout, water, sanitation, fencing, grazing, pitfalls, regulations, etc. Salatin knows his stuff and his conversational style is truly enjoyable. His politics are a little whackadoo but if you know that going in, you’ll really enjoy this book.
August 26, 2022
Excellent introduction to multi-species rotational grazing, and how to achieve it on a small holding. Left me with many ideas of how to improve how our homestead works. The chapters on efficiency, fencing, and water capturing were worth the price of the book even if it contained no other information, which it certainly did!
October 26, 2021
Fantastic! This book covers every topic you need to know to run a successful homestead. If we don’t start taking back control of where our food comes from, we’re going to have a lot more issues in our hands than which political person disagrees with me today.
October 26, 2021
I was disappointed by this book, to be honest. There's some good info in there, but for so many things he just refers readers to other books. He also didn't totally seem to grasp the audience of homesteaders, and stayed primarily focused on herds of cattle.
August 19, 2023
Fun to read as a left-brained thinker who does not own a farm. Lots of good info and analysis of how to raise livestock on a small farm. I don't know what would have happened if my mom had read this 50 years ago. Would she have been encouraged or discouraged.
December 26, 2023
Fantastic book for those who want to homestead or for those who have been homesteading, but want to follow the Polyface model more closely. This book gives lots of things to think about, like water sources and fencing options, that will save the potential homesteader many headaches down the road.
August 13, 2025
Joel is an absolute wizard when it comes to getting back to our roots and ways of homesteading. Raising animals in the only way it should be done. I respect Joels ways and all of his knowledge and i think you will too. Very easy read.
November 23, 2022
Really helped me prioritize my to do list. An easy enjoyable read that will certainly save me time and money
October 11, 2023
Hell yes. All the libertarian livestock homesteading info one could dream of. Thank you Joel.
Want to read
January 23, 2024SM
April 11, 2024
Good read if you're interested in homesteading.
August 29, 2024
Such a great read. Any new homesteaders or aspiring homesteaders should read this book
July 9, 2025
A book written for someone my size.
not-going-to-read
July 29, 2025Don't have to read because Melissa read it
January 11, 2026
Great guidance, from a very experienced homesteader!
December 22, 2021
A realistic view on how to start, operate and grow a homestead. From super basic and things that are so common sense we wouldnt normally think about; to some weird odds and ends that we didnt know to think about. Great book all around.
March 30, 2023
Surprisingly good read. Enjoyable.
June 18, 2023
Amazing body of work. If homesteading or small farming is your life's passion, don't miss this book.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews