Rebuilding Local Farms with Jordan Green
On today’s episode, we are joined by Jordan Green, the founder of Farm Builder.
FarmBuilder is consulting and teaching service for designing and operating pasture based livestock systems at a scale supporting full time income. Jordan is also a co-owner of J&L Green Farm, where he produces pasture based meat and eggs.
In the last few months we’ve had some real difficulties in accessing the meat. This is because so much meat produced by farms is produced for commercial businesses, and is only packaged in commercial quantities.
We’ve become distanced from our food, separated from where it comes from, and how it’s made. But how did we get so detached from our local farms? And how do we fix this situation we’ve found ourselves in?
Jordan has worked in the farming industry almost his whole life, and he knows a thing or two about it, and the hardships involved with being a farmer. He explains how the modern farming industry really works, the regulations that surround it, and the daily struggles that farmers come up against.
With practical advice for what individuals can do to help local farms, Jordan’s given me an eye opening experience of what it’s like to currently work in the farming industry.
”The farmers are getting paid less, the stores are charging more, and it’s the guys in the middle that are making the difference.” - Jordan Green
Time Stamps:
00:31 - Introducing our guest Jordan Green.
02:32 - What got Jordan interested in farming.
05:47 - When Jordan started the farm.
06:23 - What the ‘Prime Act’ is.
09:40 - How meat gets inspected before it’s sold.
12:44 - Peace of mind involved with knowing where your meat comes from.
14:56 - What led to the increase in regulatory bodies in America.
17:48 - The distance food travels before making it to your table, and the power large supermarkets have.
21:57 - How the poultry industry works.
27:27 - The first thing you need to do when starting a farm.
29:29 - The misconceptions people have about what it’s really like to own and run a farm.
33:07 - How Jordan was able to scale up in reaction to the crisis.
34:58 - The biggest issues farmers are having right now.
40:27 - The focus most production has on institutional buyers, but how farmers with a direct to retail outlet are in economic boom.
42:14 - The rebirth of the local food movement.
43:59 - The best thing people can do, as consumers, to help farmers.
46:59 - Why people should continue to buy from local farmers.
49:43 - The instability of the culture of cheap food that we currently have.
53:20 - The need to change the way subsidies are allocated.
56:41 - The importance of individual change.
01:00:34 - How local people can connect with local farms, and the problem with buying ‘organic’.
01:07:00 - The problem with having a central authority making decisions.
01:11:13 - The need for education if customers are going to make proper purchasing decisions. 01:21:26 - Japanese schools and their school lunches.
01:23:17 - The reason why younger generations care more about what they eat than older generations.
01:26:53 - Urban farming and the importance of knowing how to grow your own food.
01:29:11 - Jordans view on veganism as a livestock farmer.
01:39:08 - The need to reconnect with the food we’re eating.
01:42:20 - The fear of dying that is prevalent within our culture.
01:44:20 - Patrick’s thoughts on whether he’ll become a vegan, and Jordans experience with a Keto diet.
01:51:40 - Cooking at home, and the importance of having your kitchen set up right.
01:54:56 - What we can do to help in this situation.
Resources:
FarmBuilder
J&L Green Farm
Farmtotabletx
The Jungle
Texas Real Food