Polyface Farm

I read most of The Omnivore's Dilemma a few years ago and, true to form, told Craig all about it as I read.  One of the things we found most intriguing was Polyface Farm, where Michael Pollan spent some time working and learning (and then writing about) their back-to-the-earth, beyond-organic way of raising cows, chickens, etc.  We knew the farm was in Virginia and talked about visiting it some day, so when we realized that it wasn't too terribly far out of the way when you're en route to Kentucky, we decided that now was our chance.

So a couple hours into our journey, we detoured off the beaten path towards the town of Swoope, Virginia.  Polyface Farm is well hidden-- you wouldn't find it without good directions!  But it certainly was charming.  I tend to think of farms as being flat, with straight lines of corn or something.  This was hilly with lots of trees-- I loved it!  And it gave the kids a nice chance to stretch their legs, which is always a good idea on a long trip.

Looking at the bunnies

Craig liked their watering tubes, which were fastened to buckets on top of the house-- this worked to keep the roof on, collect rainwater AND give the bunnies a drink!

While we were there, we bought a small chicken for roasting, eggs, a tomato, and some beef patties.  (We'd brought a cooler with ice so we could transport all this stuff.)  And then at Natalie and Cameron's we ate it all.  The chicken was good (I wished I could have had Julia Child there to determine if it tasted good and chicken-y!).  The eggs were good, although very rich.  And the patties and tomato were AMAZING.  You can DEFINITELY taste the difference between grass-fed beef and corn-fed beef!  I think the only burger I've ever had that could compare is the Shake Shack's burgers in New York.  The tomato was so sweet I considered eating it like an apple.

Looking up the hill to where they kept chickens and cows

The little store

 Craig had done his homework on the place by reading Folks, This Ain't Normal, by Joel Salatin, the owner (or I could just call him "the farmer," although that paints a picture of a very quaint, simple hayseed-of-a-man, not the very sharp, down-to-earth business man he seems to be).  I've been reading it too, now, and I have to admit that he makes a lot of great arguments.  It's certainly inspiring Craig and I to finally get our act together and plant a garden, if nothing else!

Those things that look like steps are henhouses

We didn't think to get a picture from the top of the hill looking down, which was too bad because that's where the best view was.  But we were glad we got to go and are hoping to visit again and go on one of the official tours some time soon!