2. How much human work goes into the complexity at the heart of Polyface Farms? What is Pollan’s complex view on that work? (Complex means that he has more than a single view).

Human effort for the better of the animals. The  human workload that goes into the complexity at the heart of polyface, is ecocentric. For example Salatins treatment of pigs is “designed around natural predilections of the pig rather than around the requirements of a production system” The pig well being has priority over anything, Salatin states  “pig happiness is a by product of treating a pig like a pig”.  Pollans complex view on this work is line with his morals.  He explains that humans have a lot of work to do, to farm this way.  Pollan says “thats still us humans out there moving the cattle every morning.

 

2. In Salatin’s and Pollan’s views, what’s wrong with monoculture farming? Recalling Bittman and Kingsolver, to what degree are the practices of industrial food production dependent on the monoculture?

In Salatin’s and Pollan’s view, the wrong in monoculture is the entire process of how un natural it is.  The machinery, the chemicals and the fertilizer are all examples of whats wrong with monoculture in the eye’s of Pollan and Salatin. The putting of animals in close quarters, when Pollan says monoculture of ”chickens raised in close confinement”. Monoculture and industrial food production go hand in hand. In order to raise a monoculture on a farm on an industrial level, you’d probably need to to use pharmaceuticals and pesticides” and thats why chemicals were invented, in Pollan’s words “to keep monoculture from collapsing”.

 

3.Besides products and profits, how do Pollan and Salatin measure the success of the farm?

Pollan and Salatin measure the success of the farm in many ways, one of these is how biological in touch with the animals the farm is. For example, the system of converting animals waste to supply nutrients to other animals. Polyface uses nitrgoen from the chickens waste to fertilize the grass, so the cows can eat that healthy naturally fertilized grass. This supports the view of being  biologically in sound with the animals. This connects to many examples the farm uses to provide a almost self sustaining farm.