Joel is a real hoot - and has a real point - (independent of the argument as to whether or not mass produced food is or isn't any better for you) - letting the animals that become our food live as they were born to live - is fair to the animal, and that seems pretty relevant and important to me. The guy's passion for who is he and what he does is genuinely engaging - and it sure looks like the real thing - and I say that despite the religious aspect that is part of his vision

Apparently you can't feed the world -- at least not the fancy organic way -- according to the new york times. See rule #3:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/scienc…

@2 - that's an excellent article, based on reason - and makes valid points right down the line - though he could have acknowledged that while GMO's do increase yield they also do pose problems with respect to disrupting/supplanting the genetics of non-GMO strains that they are exposed to. Of course the resolution of the issue of feeding the world in the so-called "organic" way is either way fewer people and/or way more farmers/farmland - doesn't seem very likely

@3 that's disappointing to learn - but then again, he's religious, so it's not a big surprise

I love Joel Salatin's ideas, but his hard-core conservative Christian attitude and outlook (antigays; no women as interns on his farm) really turn me off. I've met the man and talked with him about some of this stuff at a conference. He's brilliant, but it's sad he's so narrow minded on social issues.

That's the guy that was featured in Omnivore's Dilemma as well, isn't he?