In this episode Charlie interviews American farmer and leading regenerative agriculture advocate Joel Salatin. Joel recounts his Regenerative Journey from his formative years as the son of a chicken farming accountant in Venezuela through the rehabilitation of his family farm in Swoope, Virginia, to the prolific supplier of fresh food to his customers and legendary public speaker. He talks about the importance of communication, authenticity and also about how highly he regards Australia within the regenerative agriculture space.

Episode Takeaways

We moved forward in faith not in fear | If you stop fighting nature, and you see nature as a partner. Hand in hand going in the same direction, it costs a lot less financially and ecologically | Communication is typically not taught in 'Farming 101' | Farmers have to be experts in lots of things. There is a lot of talent within the farming community but a lot of time this isn’t leveraged. There are many number of things that farmers can do. It is a tragedy, a societal indictment, that we have created this mystic of the peasant farmer | My sense is that Australia is a very fragile landscape but it's also a very wealthy country. As such the world's eyes are on Australia to wear the responsibility seriously and continue to lead the world in regenerative practices.

Links

Polyface Farm - Joel’s farm

Joel Salatin Nutrisoil ‘Sustainable abundance’ conference – 21/22nd May 2019, Victoria, AUS

‘Polyfaces’ documentary (2015) – filmed over 4 years by Darren Docherty and Lisa Heenan.

The Top Five Regrets of the Dying - A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing – Bronrie Ware

Sex begins in the kitchen – Kevin Leman

Albert Einstein - Einstein said definition of insanity ‘doing the same thing and hoping for a different result'.

Steven Covey – Circles of influence

BEEP (Boorowa Education Excursion Program) - Boorowa Community Landcare Group

See you at the top – Zig Ziglar

Alan Savoury – Zim ecologist (Alan Savory Institute)

The lean farm – Ben Hartman

Laura Tingle's Canberra, the invention of jaywalking, and unearthing Roman mosaics