Joel Salatin: Successional Success - Fields of Farmers

Joel Salatin's keynote presentation from PV1 in March 2014.
See more great speakers this year at PV3.
Learn more at permaulturevoices.com/pv3
The average age of America’s farmers is 60 years old. If young people can’t get in, old people can’t get out. In the next 15 years, nearly 50 percent of America’s farmland will change hands. More than 50 percent of all farming equity is owned by people old enough to retire. Hermit curmudgeon farmers need to invest in the next generation. Young people need to invest in hermit curmudgeons. In this can-do presentation based on 20 years mentoring interns and apprentices to germinate young entrepreneurial farmers, Salatin will offer a road map for both generations to create fields of farmers for tomorrow.
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[@Tdavhomestead]

Fast forward to 2023 and Joel just gave congress the business. If Joel headed up our department of ag, I truly believe that not another person in America would go hungry. The brilliance in listening to this man speak never ceases to amaze me.

[@kadellagroove]

one of the most important living Americans in my humble opinion

[@isaacfulton7731]

Until I heard about joel salatin I believed there was no money in it. Now I believe there is and I'm trying to get my family to see it

[@papapetad]

Holy cow! Finally decided to take the time and listen to what Joel has to say and check why his name has popped up in my permaculture research... That was dynamite. Happy to have checked this path. Thank you for sharing and blessings to all

[@bdburlingame]

a Legendary American Farmer and Hero

[@drestle955]

Fully agree! Now lets start taking massive action!

[@Goonch92]

Amazing, his bit on environmentalism is true.

[@MatthewHolevinski]

50% of America's farmland will change hands in the next 15 years!? That sounds like a HUGE opportunity.

[@billiamc1969]

Assuming you can afford it?

[@NoPeeking]

Joel has said before that there is no better time to get into farming than right now. You don't have to own the land, you only have to control the land.

[@Marialla.]

The thing about the average age of farmers being 60, compared to Nike employees being 32... It isn't about their age. It's about how long have they been doing this thing, and how fresh are their ideas. It assumes you started this business in both cases when you were 20, and haven't changed since. So Nike's ideas are (presumably) twelve years old, while a farmer's head is stuck in ideas forty years old. So in 2020, that's ideas from 2008 vs ideas from 1980. 2008 ideas have the massive advantage of internet having been invented before then, and 1980 ideas did not. So a 1980's person had far less access to the latest comparisons of old ideas to new ones. The point being, don't be afraid to start a new farming business if you're older. Just don't start it with outdated ideas. Start fresh, keep nimble, and keep learning!

[@NoPeeking]

Believe me, farmers who make money keep up on the newest and greatest techniques and equipment, and are very aware of what works and what doesn't. They have to, or they won't be farming for long. Every new idea that comes along isn't a good idea. The purpose of many things that come along is to separate a farmer from his money. .

[@Marialla.]

@@NoPeeking Why then would it be difficult for Joel's neighbors to see his success and want to copy his techniques? I think it's because they have invested so much into their old way (which does work, by their standards) that they cannot consider his newer ideas. These old-school neighbors may be making money, but they are not necessarily improving their soil, or strengthening the natural disease resistance of their animals. So I guess part of the question is not just "ways to make money" but the more fundamental question of what is more regenerative for the whole ecosystem.

[@cristomario9118]

You proved a point- there is no "private" property!

[@TheJamesRedwood]

How so?

[@tangle70]

You pay rent to the government that they call a tax and the government regulates it to death.

[@PeterSedesse]

The average age of Nike employees around the world is 32, but all the 6 year olds really pull down that average.

[@nephimitchell]

I just looked up stats on New York State. 30.2 million acres. This means that 10.26% of New York State was abandoned?

[@AdamGaron686]

jail me for bicycling too much or let me grow food...silly rules are silly #powerfulJRE on #deathsquadTV

[@francisgraf6393]

Is there some sort of central resource for landowners looking to get into these sort of relationships with new farmers? If not there really should be. The USDA loan programs are entirely inaccessible for many potential farmers. Even their "new farmers" loan program requires 3 years experience, and dollar for dollar collateral. The grants require either heavy underwriting or existing successful implementation.

[@DiegoFooter]

Joel's daughter in law started this site. This is the only site that I know of, but there are probably more. www.eagerfarmer.com/

[@ajb.822]

Hi, about programs to match up the 2 parties, I had heard of one yrs ago in WI, don't remember what it was called, so, yes I'm sure googling it every so often to see what's findable that way may help, but also, on Paul Wheaton's online permaculture discussion forum " permies.com" there's a category for just that ! There's a large, worldwide, community on there. My other Idea is for you ( anyone) to pick areas you're interested in farming in & check with all official farm organizations there ( such as university extension services) to ask them if they know of any programs/sites, & to ask where else to look, then go to local places like feed-mills, veterinary clinics etc., see if there's bulliten boards there where you can place an ad. Also, most farming-rich states/regions have their own farm newpapers ( in WI there's the Country Today & Agri-view ) then there's nation wide one's like the farm Journal but one's that would be more likely to have readership at least a little like-minded would be Acres USA & Farm Show ( which is awesome) & then there's facebook groups . Hope you've found some by now & that if not, this helps, & helps someone else !

[@NoPeeking]

This is not exactly what you asked for, but for what it's worth, I'll post it here. sharedearth.com/ .

[@bramvanoverbeeke8881]

Am I the only one that is seriously disturbed every time the intro plays?

[@mio.giardino]

Bram van Overbeeke I love this intro

[@Lavasalsa1]

I love Permaculture Voices

[@parkburrets4054]

700% = 8X better

[@leonardschofield9913]

I'm in Columbus Ohio. Give me some land to farm.

[@TheJamesRedwood]

You might want to add your qualifications. He wasn't saying people hand it over to anybody who asks.

[@TheHonestPeanut]

Curtis Stone. He's got an entire show in permaculture voices. All the answers you're looking for. Get to it :)

[@seavisions]

Leonard Schofield Get off your ass and get your own land.

[@NoPeeking]

sharedearth.com/

[@Lavasalsa1]

No one "gives" land to farm. You need to watch Joel's lecture on "stacking fiefdoms"