Portland Flocks to Hear Joel Salatin Speak

Today, August 13 is likely your best opportunity to see the gregarious and visionary Joel Salatin speak in person. Founder of Polyface Farm, Salatin is a small-scale organic farmer whose pasture-based method of raising meat and eggs and selling them directly to consumers offers an ecological alternative to polluting, diseased, anonymous, corn-fed animal products. He will be giving a talk tonight from 7 to 9 pm at Friendship Masonic Center. Proceeds benefit Hollywood Farmers Market.

Salatin is worth seeking out as has a unique gift for communicating how urgently we need to overhaul our food production systems, all the way from the farm to your table. According to Salatin, he is “…in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture” (from his farm’s website). Salatin’s work has been popularized by Michael Pollan in The Omnivores Dilemma. He was also featured in the movie Food, Inc..

In addition to being a slow food darling, Salatin’s written quite a few books of his own, including the following:

Pastured Poultry Profit$: Describes the how and why one would keep chickens on pasture. If you keep chickens at all (even a flock of three like I do) this one is a real eye-opener. I love the eggmobile!

Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal: A scathing critique of agricultural regulations (and government regulations in general) that have been designed without regard for the small-scale, organic grower.

The Lecture:
Friendship Masonic Center from 7 to 9 pm today, August 13. 5626 NE Alameda Street (57th and NE Sandy Blvd.) $25.

A benefit for Hollywood Farmers Market. Get tickets at the the Hollywood Farmers Market this Saturday from 8 am - 1 pm or by contacting the Market at 503-709-7403 or tickets@hollywoodfarmersmarket.org.

Thought you should know he’s got a few other stops planned, too:
Urban Farm Store from 4:30-5:30 today, August 13. 1925 SE Morrison St. 97214. Free!
Whole Foods in Tigard Oregon from 11-12 noon on Friday, August 14. 7380 SW Bridgeport Rd 97224. Also free!