Omnivore's Chapter 8

In this chapter, I thought it was very interesting when Pollen got into describing in detail the reasons and methods of Polyface Farms. I really like the whole entire concept of the completely and entirely self sufficient and sustainable farming of chickens, pigs, cattle, eggs, ect...... Using natures natural processes, they have firtilizer, pest control, and feed, all of which are produces using the combination of the natural processes of the animals being raised! The cattle graze on the grass, the chickens clean up ofter them, spreading the cow patties, and eating the insects and pests and then their droppings that they leave in pasture returns the nitrogen much needed to make healthy grasses. These healthy grasses are again used to provide nutrients for the cattle. It is an amazing cycle when you think about it. Refering back to Chapter 9's The Slaughter, you can see how he even makes use of the guts of the slaughtered chickens, he places them in sawdust and makes his own compost with it which is yet another natural form of fertilizer but is natures way and not mans way. I think this idea of self sufficient farming has the potential to change the face of America's food production. Not only because it is good for the environment and clean and pleasant for the animals, but it is capable of producing surprisingly large amounts of products. Much more than you would think in fact. On his 100 acres, he produces 25,000 lbs of beef, 50,000 lbs. of pork, 12,000 broilers, 800 turkeys, 500 rabits, and 30,000 dozen eggs. "...still more astonishing is the fact that this pasture will be in no way diminished by the process--in fact, it will be the better for it, lusher, more fertile, even springier underfoot..." Why would people want to do it any other way?