White Oak Pastures Awarded USDA Grant

Expands Distribution to 220 Publix Supermarkets

Bluffton, Ga., Feb. 21, 2006 -- White Oak Pastures, a regional producer of premium grassfed beef in Early County, Ga., has been awarded a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant for $149,904 towards development of its grassfed beef program. The grant will be formally presented by the USDA to White Oak Pastures cattleman, Will Harris, at the Publix Supermarket, Highland Plaza, 3605 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta, Ga., on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.

"The award of this grant will be beneficial for our program, but it's also a vote of confidence for all Georgia cattlemen," said Harris, the fifth generation of Harrises to raise cattle on this southwest Georgia farm.

Another important milestone for the company is its recently expanded distribution through Publix Supermarkets, which makes White Oak Pastures Grassfed Ground Beef available to 220 Publix stores in North Georgia, North Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee.

"Consumers are excited about our ground beef because it's made from the choicest cuts and hand-cut, which makes it a great eating experience. It also has the authentic flavor that you find only in grassfed beef," said Harris. "Well informed consumers also understand and appreciate the health and safety benefits of grassfed beef."

White Oak Pastures' decision to produce its ground beef from the premium cuts -- the loin, rib eye and sirloin – goes against the standard industry practice of making ground beef from the cuts that would otherwise be unmarketable.

Rather than feeding its animals in inhumane, overcrowded feedlots, which are the norm in the conventional beef industry, White Oak Pastures’s beef is produced on the family farm that has been in the Harris family for 140 years. There, the cattle roam free and graze on 1,000 acres of rich grassland. They are processed in small groups at a facility close to the Harris farm. White Oak Pastures beef is hand-cut, immediately double ground and then vacuum sealed, making it “fresher than fresh,” said Harris. No additives are used.

In addition to Publix Supermarkets, White Oak Pastures All-Natural Grassfed Ground Beef is distributed through Tree of Life, which delivers it to frozen food sections of natural foods and health food stores along the eastern seaboard, from Florida to Maine.

In addition to carrying the “Georgia Grown” logo, White Oak Pastures' beef received approval last year to use the "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" label. Unveiled in May 2003 by the nonprofit, Humane Farm Animal Care (HFAC), and now being used by 47 companies, the "Certified Humane" label assures consumers that White Oak Pastures animals receive a nutritious diet free of antibiotics or hormones and are raised with shelter, resting areas and space that are sufficient to support natural behavior.

For more information about White Oak Pastures, visit www.whiteoakpastures.com.

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White Oak Pastures Awarded USDA Grant

White Oak Pastures, a regional producer of premium grassfed ground beef in Early County, Ga., has been awarded a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant for $149,904 towards development of its grassfed beef program. The grant will be presented tomorrow by a USDA representative to White Oak Pastures' owner, Will Harris, at one of the Marietta Publix Supermarkets that distributes White Oak Pastures All-Natural Grassfed Beef. Harris represents the fifth generation of his family to raise cattle in southwest Georgia.

Where: Publix Supermarket
3605 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta
30066

(770-578-6000)

When: Tuesday, February 28, 2006, 2:00 P.M.

Contact: For more information, or to arrange an interview, call Will Harris, White Oak Pastures, at (229) 641-2081 or (229) 317-0203, or e-mail willharris@whiteoakpastures.com