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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Michael Pollan article

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: "Christine & Marlin" <glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Michael Pollan article
  • Date: Sun, 30 Apr 2006 22:09:54 -0400

I am not sure when this article was written, but it seems to be out of date.  Joel’s brother Art regularly markets Joel’s meat and eggs to restaurants and stores at least as far away as to Washington D.C.  He markets to businesses in our local town of Harrisonburg.  Because he is “bigger” than we, he can supply regularly.

 

Joel and Teresa were so helpful and generous to us in the early 1990’s (sharing their models and ideas); so that we could get started in market-farming.  However, it doesn’t “go down well” with me when I hear him criticize the “big guy” and the middleman.  He is going down the same road.  Many times there is financial sustainability when one gets “bigger”.

 

His financial figures are misleading.  The 500 acre farm was his dad’s; so he does not figure any cost on that.  When we first went to see them, his income was low.  The way he could afford to buy a new tractor in the early 1990’s, was to have trees logged off his farm. 

He doesn’t figure labor costs either.

 

Currently Joel makes a lot of money off his ideas and his charismatic speeches.  Does any one know what it costs to get him to speak at a conference?  What does it cost an individual to attend a field day at his farm?  Joel and Polyface Farm have become famous.  As our neighbor once said, “You can make more money telling others how to farm than by farming.”

 

Christine Burkholder

 


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Dawn M. Ripley
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 1:00 AM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [Market-farming] Michael Pollan article

 

Thought you guys might enjoy another article about Joel Salatin:

 

 

Dawn

 


****************************

Dawn M. Ripley
Holdfast Farm
5561 Budd Road
New Albany, Indiana  47150-9109

ripley AT iglou.com
www.members.iglou.com/ripley


If we fall in love with creation deeper and deeper, we will respond to its endangerment with passion.

                                                                                                -- Hildegard of Bingen




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