The Omnivore's Dilemma

Salatin compares the work he does as a farmer to that of a conductor leading an orchestra. Cattle are moved onto a field to eat grass where they leave behind cow patties. The chickens eat mostly grass and bugs found in pasture and patties, and their diet is also supplemented with grain. As the chickens move across a field, they reintroduce nitrogen to the soil. They must be rotated regularly, however, as they can burn a field with too much nitrogen. Their fertilization keeps the grass healthy, making it ready for cattle again in a few days.

Salatin’s approach is a stark contrast to the industrialized farms that dominate American food culture. Pollan finds it difficult to characterize the processes on Salatin’s farm, because they are more complex than the linear and rational approaches of industrialized farms. By simplifying systems through monoculture to promote the greatest output, industrialization practices efficiency. Salatin’s comprehensive approach reinforces the idea of a farm as an organism in which all parts work independently to serve the whole. Although his processes are more complex, Salatin argues that they are no less efficient. He models his farming practices after the processes found in nature.