Page 49 - Winter2010

All Thumbs Book Reviews

The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer to this puzzle is the humble cow. Contrary to
By Joel Salatin popular belief, cows are not an ecological di-
Polyface Farm, Inc. 2010 saster. Properly managed cows on grass will
sequester more carbon in the soil than any other
Environmentalism is important and also known technique. While this is a good thing, he
controversial. We have choices. We can look for does not say or imply that carbon dioxide in the
enlightenment on the subject from someone who atmosphere should be our most feared enemy.
pontificates from their power-massage recliner I’m glad he doesn’t. Without carbon dioxide,
in their climate-controlled McMansion in the life as we know it would cease. So when envi-
suburbs, or we can look to someone whose liveli- ronmentalists or government agencies reclassify
hood depends on a correct understanding of the an essential component of our atmosphere as a
environment. contaminant, how am I supposed to hang on to
The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic any respect for such an agency?
Farmer is a book written by just such a man. Salatin talks about environmentalist-
Joel Salatin is the author. He also owns Polyface sponsored government wetland regulations,
Farm, which has operated for about fifty years which essentially require freezing the area being
under the principles explained by his book. I regulated into a steady state where nothing is
think that is about long enough for him to get an ever allowed to change. Unfortunately we live in
idea whether he is going in the right direction or a world where change is the norm, so stopping
not. the change requires a lot of work on the part of
This book is loaded with ideas you don’t hear humans—which means we need to burn a lot of
every day. Bigger is not always better. Artificial that evil fossil fuel. While those kinds of people
insemination may not be a good idea for keeping chase their tails, the lunatic farmer works with
your herd genetically robust. Is there really a food nature rather than trying to lock it in a cage.
shortage? He makes an excellent argument for One could cite many examples of pop envi-
why we should want smart, well-paid farmers. ronmentalism. Ironically, you will read none of
Do we really want something as important as our this nonsense in the book by the lunatic farmer.
food to be produced by people who are as poor One of the great things about being a lunatic
as dirt and half as smart? farmer is you don’t need to let political cor-
What does it say about our culture when we rectness censor your thinking. We can listen to
pay millions to rock stars and expect the farmer someone with a long track record of success or What does
to take a vow of poverty? We might want to re- listen to the eco-freakos. We have choices. it say about
think those twisted and unhealthy values. There This book is only funny if you have a sense our culture
are too many interesting and great ideas to list of humor. For those who know Joel Salatin,
them all in a review. You’ll just have to buy the you will be happy to see familiar examples. At when we pay
book. Polyface, the chickens still express their chicken- millions to
One radical idea is that farming does not ness, and you can see the cow-ness of the cow, rock stars and
have to be a blight on the land. Farming, done the pig-ness of the pig, and the Salatin-ness
right, can heal the land, build soil and improve of the Salatin. You will also hear phrases like expect the
the environment. Salatin explains in some de- the “Greco-Roman western linear reductionist farmer to take
tail how to build soil much faster than one inch systematized fragmented disconnected parts- a vow of
every thousand years or whatever the “experts” oriented individualized culture. . . ” As fun as
are saying these days. A very important piece Continued on page 52 poverty?

WINTER 2010 Wise Traditions 49

74240_text.indd 49 12/13/2010 2:14:10 AM