(WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.) – Alternative farmer Joel Salatin will give a talk at Williams College about his book, The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer, on Thursday, February 23, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall in Bernhard Music Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Salatin’s book examines different aspects of farming, from how farmers view soil and water, to how they build fences, market their products, or involve their families. In exploring these issues, Salatin answers why it is worth pursuing his way of doing things.

Called the “High Priest of the Pasture” by the New York Times, Salatin is a third generation, full-time farmer in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, where he raises livestock using holistic methods of animal husbandry. He owns Polyface Farm, which produces high-quality, “beyond-organic” meats, raised using environmentally responsible, ecologically beneficial, sustainable agriculture. Polyface emphasizes local consumption of produce and does not ship its products. “We should all seek food closer to home, in our foodshed, our own bioregion.” The farm was featured in the documentary Food Inc. and in Michael Pollan’s best-selling book, Omnivore’s Dilemma.

Salatin is the author of several other books including Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World; Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer’s Guide To Farm Friendly Food; and Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories From the Local Food Front.