Green Group discussion

Adding this topic for those interested in discussing Joel Salatin's latest book, Folks, This Ain't Normal.

I was fortunate enough to see Mr. Salatin speak during his book tour, and he was engaging, funny, and passionate. I came away from that presentation convinced that he has crucial insights into where we've gone wrong in favoring the industrial over the local, especially with regard to food. The book definitely adds weight to the arguments he put forth during his speaking engagement.

This book did surprise me in some ways. It's more overtly political than I expected, and the tone is a bit curmudgeonly. It's funny, and satirical, but at times it reminded me of that grumpy old guy with the house on the corner who's always yelling at the kids to stay off of his lawn. ;-)

The points about the benefits of traditional (a.k.a., "normal") local food systems vs. the modern ("abnormal") industrial food systems certainly convinced me. What I honestly did not realize was how profoundly government agencies / oversight ("the food police") - and the lobbying of well-intentioned but naive environmentalists (myself included, I'm afraid) - have crippled the efforts of local producers like Salatin and like-minded independent farmers. Salatin rails against the USDA, the FDA, the FSIS, the IRS, and other federal bureaucracies that have made his life (and livelihood) a living hell over the years.

Salatin points out that the federal regulatory regimes supposedly intended to ensure food safety (and generally supported by "greenies") are in actuality tools of the very industrial producers they're ostensibly designed to check. In his experience, the mega-sized agribusinesses and their lobbyists cozy up to legislators to make certain that the new regs favor their "mass-production" model while shutting out innovation from smaller local producers. The costs of compliance are manageable for a huge operation but are utterly prohibitive for small-scale operations like Polyface Farms. Often, well-meaning environmentalists who believe "the agribusinesses can't be trusted" become unwitting co-conspirators by supporting these heavyweight regulations to the detriment of the small farmers they ultimately want to help.

Salatin's libertarian streak is evident throughout the book as he rants against the IRS, the nanny state, and federal oversight in general, bemoaning the loss of personal responsibility. He also ridicules the "connected world," the willingness of most of America to suckle on celebrity gossip and reality TV, and the plague of kids playing XBox instead of doing home & garden chores. I see a lot of truth in what he has to say, but (as an info technology pro for my day job) I struggled with the extreme positions he sometimes takes. No TV in the house? If the Salatins have made that work for decades, that's awesome, but I don't think it's a terribly practical admonition for most of America.

Overall, this was an entertaining and educational read. Similarly to Bill McKibben's advice in "Eaarth," Salatin believes decentralizing and reducing regulation (and federal government intervention in general) are our best shots at restoring some semblance of normality to our lives. He makes a strong case on many fronts. When I look at the complete ineptitude in the U.S. Congress these days, a major downsizing (and corresponding reduction in federal taxes) makes a lot of sense. Hey, Washington, D.C., let us eat what we want - we don't need your approval to know it's healthy! And it doesn't have to be bathed in chlorine or irradiated to make it safe to eat if it's grown in a clean environment to begin with!!!

Thanks for your excellent review, Brian--the line that hit me was: "I see a lot of truth in what he has to say, but (as an info technology pro for my day job) I struggled with the extreme positions he sometimes takes. No TV in the house? If the Salatins have made that work for decades, that's awesome, but I don't think it's a terribly practical admonition for most of America."

I started the book, but found the "extreme positions" very offputting. I live in a farm community where our local organic farms have CSA's in which many participate--so I understand his view on food. However, his "rants" led him into territory where his opinions seem judgemental, to say the least.

I much prefer the writings of Wendell Berry, who has lived a life true to the land and celebrates that life in his essays and poems, minus the ranting.

The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays

Julia wrote: "Thanks for your excellent review, Brian--the line that hit me was: "I see a lot of truth in what he has to say, but (as an info technology pro for my day job) I struggled with the extreme positions..."

Very cool - I put this Wendell Berry book on my To-Read list. Thanks for the tip, Julia! (And I hope your Goodreads access issues are resolving.)

Brian wrote: "Adding this topic for those interested in discussing Joel Salatin's latest book, Folks, This Ain't Normal.

I was fortunate enough to see Mr. Salatin speak during his book tour, and he was engaging..."

I just have to read this book. (And great review!)

I've never met or seen Salatin in person, only viewed him in Food, Inc. But he does seem a bit curmudgeonly.

And I'm part of the problem too, shopping at an "organic store that won't be named." There is no Salatin near me, but I've heard how hard it is for farmers like Salatin to get started and to stay in business because of the hold big agriculture has on the various U.S. agencies and therefore the regulations they make.

I don't mind his message about disconnecting. It isn't doable for most people - and I'm a big "everything in moderation" person. TV has some good points, and we all need to kick back and relax now and again. But it might get people to think about downsizing their viewing habits. I know that I've been watching less and less TV lately, being very picky about what I watch. Less mindless viewing. And that's a good thing.