Joel Salatin: “They Said Farm Kids Make The Best Soldiers”

Joel Salatin shares two powerful stories from his experiences in advocacy and politics that reveal the deep disconnect between government institutions and grassroots solutions. The first recounts a secret meeting in Richmond, Virginia, where Governor Terry McAuliffe invited a group of farmers, including Salatin, and then surprised them with a visit from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. Vilsack’s statement that 'farm kids make the best soldiers' was both shocking and demoralizing, highlighting how farmers are valued not for their stewardship or food sovereignty, but for their utility to national defense. The second story follows a small farmer’s journey from trying to sell a steer to a neighbor to becoming a key figure in the food freedom movement, culminating in a lobbying day with a Virginia delegate. Salatin reflects on how the General Assembly operates not to solve problems, but to quickly assign political alignment—'yes, no, pile it up'—making real change nearly impossible. Together, these stories underscore the systemic barriers to food autonomy and the urgent need for bottom-up solutions outside government structures.