A Bold Return to Giving a Damn
Written by Will Harris
Why did you write the book?
"As I approached 40 years of age my view of how I should treat my land, my herd, and my community radically evolved... in ways that I would never have expected. My perception of what is good land stewardship. and what is good animal welfare, and what is good community service turned upside down. Good land management came to mean giving up utilizing harmful industrial reductionist science tools like pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Good animal welfare came to mean moving from merely not treating animals with cruelty to allowing them to express their instinctive behavior.
Good community development came to mean evolving my hometown [Bluffton, Georgia] from a literal ghost town into a delightful little village. I realized that what I had done was good, and important, and highly replicable. I understood that if I could tell my story to other farmers and ranchers, they too could find the courage to step outside the horribly damaging commodity agricultural production system.I wanted to share my 30-plus-year journey with others who might decide to make the same choice."
Where to Order the Book
What do you hope the book will accomplish?
I hope that this book will help farmers and ranchers [and those who aspire to become farmers and ranchers] find the confidence to turn their backs on industrial, centralized, commodity agricultural system and work with nature to provide a food system that repairs the damage that we have created over the last 75 years.
How can folks help?
Support your local farmer, buy authentic food. You can shop online with our farm and/or check out these other farms that we know and trust.
Will Harris Featured Appearances
White Oak Pastures In the News
Georgia Magazine
March 2023 Edition
In this Spring edition, Georgia Magazine highlights White Oak Pastures as a Southwest Georgia farm that has returned to its roots. The article features a brief history of the farm and the changes that have been implemented by Will Harris as the fourth generation steward of the land.
Written by: Lanier Nagle
Sundance Film Festival 2023
Food And Country
America’s policy of producing cheap food at all costs has long hobbled small independent farmers, ranchers, and chefs.
Worried for their survival, trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl reaches out across political and social divides to uncover the country’s broken food system and the innovators risking it all to transform it.
The Meat Mafia Podcast
#160: A Bold Return to Giving a Damn featuring Will Harris
Topics in this conversation include:
- How did White Oak Pastures come to be?
- Building a legacy on the land- Welfare farming & its effect on our health
- A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: Changing Our Culture
- Carbon sequestration, the water cycle, and returning life back to the land
Farm to Table Talk
Giving A Damn – Will Harris
Food, farms and earth will be better if more people give a damn. Will Harris does. He has worked as a cowboy and a rancher for decades, but now calls himself a land steward and herdsman.
At White Oak Pastures in SouthWest Georgia, over 150 employees work together to raise, process, and ship meat from 10 species of livestock to loyal customers. And while they are proud of the grassfed and pasture-raised meats that they sell, their business centers around one central goal: regenerate the land.
Variety
‘Food and Country’ Review: Pandemic-Made Doc Addresses Dire Kinks in the Food Chain
There's urgency here, but Food and Country doesn't scold. It feeds viewers ideas about what might be scalable in terms of independent farming...
Fourth generation rancher Will Harris is particularly affecting as he walks around White Oaks Pastures in Bluffton, Ga., the farm he took from an industrial operation to a nearly 100% carbon negative spread: 'I don't think of this farm as a factory. I think of it as an organism,' he says.
Secret Atlanta
Enjoy The Reopening Of The Livingston Bar At The Historic Georgian Terrace Hotel
The new menu will showcase a mixture of local and European influences. Meese said guests can expect to experience “a mixture of a mixture of French, Italian and Spanish along with the flavors of Georgia.” Appetizer dishes include tuna crudo with ponzu, pickled cucumber and matcha crisp. Entrees will include entrees such as White Oak Pastures braised short ribs with cipollini onions, fingerlings and heirloom carrots, Maine diver sea scallops with truffled Parmesan risotto.
Lancaster Farming
Direct Climate Funds to Farms, Not Big Business [Opinion]
"...a study cited by Farm Action’s comment focused on the carbon sequestration potential of regenerative grazing and diverse husbandry.
White Oak Pastures, a family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, found that their integrated system is six times more carbon efficient than typical American production systems, sequestering 85% of the farm’s total emissions, and that rotationally grazed beef may be a very unusual case of having a net negative carbon impact from its production."
Joe Rogan Experience #1893
Listen as Will Harris joins the Joe Rogan Experience.
Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman and farmer. He's the owner of White Oak Pastures: a family farm utilizing regenerative agriculture and humane animal husbandry practices.
Russell Brand
“That P*sses Me Off!” Will Harris BREAKS DOWN Bill Gates’s Greenwash Bullsh*t
Listen as Will Harris and Russell Brand discuss Bill Gates’s land grab & use of technology in farming.
Joe Rogan Experience #1784
Listen as Diana and Robb incorporate White Oak Pastures' rural revival and regenerative practices into the conversation with Joe Rogan.
Diana Rodgers is a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and host of the "Sustainable Dish" podcast. Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist, author, and co-host of "The Healthy Rebellion" radio podcast, alongside his wife Nicki Violetti. They are the co-authors of "Sacred Cow: The Case for (Better) Meat," a companion book to the documentary of the same name.
Southeast Toyota Finance
Farm-to-table: 3 regional restaurants for fresh fare
When you eat your food, do you know where it comes from? And no, ‘the grocery store’ doesn’t count.
This year, consider showing your support to a community-based business and check out a farm-to-table restaurant in our region.
Civil Eats
Op-ed: What I Learned from White Oak Pastures—and What Other Farms Can, Too
"I saw first-hand the difference intentional, human-powered farming can make for the land—and for the vibrancy of rural communities."
PJ Media
American Farmer Puts Bill Gates on Notice
“Hell yeah I have concerns about Gates controlling farmland,” Harris begins. “Just like I don’t want a child abuser controlling even one child, I don’t want him to control a single acre.”
He then lays out five reasons why Gates’ farm policy ideas are wrong and closes the post with an open letter to Gates, inviting him to White Oak Pastures to see how a real farm runs.
House Ag Democrats
Soil Health Practices and Programs that Support Regenerative Agriculture
Mr. Steve Nygren uses White Oak Pastures as an example of how food should be produced.
He advocates for incentivizing regenerative and organic farming as well as consideration and protection for family farms.
MeatEater
Restoring The Cycles of Nature | Wild+Whole Sourced
Danielle visits White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia to learn about regenerative farming. She discovers how this farming practice captures carbon, benefits our soil, increases biodiversity, and can even improve habitat for the game and fish we pursue. She helps to butcher the flank and skirt steak from a cow and cooks a delicious meal over an open fire for the Harris family.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers risk public health with ‘reckless’ antibiotics use
Read how Will Harris turned his back on the industrial style of farming he learned at university and from the generations of farmers in his family.
Among the major changes he made was stopping the routine use of antibiotics. “My use changed abruptly...Today we use an antibiotic therapeutically if we have a sick animal. Now, in the environment in which I raise my animals, we don’t have sick animals very much.”
The Epoch Times
A 156-Year-Old Farm in Georgia Finds Success in Farming the Old-School Way
“Waste not; want not”—the proverbial saying describes a mentality responsible for the explosive growth and popularity of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia. Established in 1866 (just one year after the Civil War ended), White Oak remains with its founding family, the Harrises, and the current generations agree that the farm’s longevity is due to focusing not just on profits, but on the land, animals, and employees.
Organic Consumers Association
Regenerative Farmer Will Harris on Regenerative Agriculture
Will Harris is a regenerative farming pioneer who runs White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia.
He produces high-quality grass fed products, including beef and other animal products, and is an inspirational example of how to convert from conventional to regenerative agriculture and thrive financially.
Yahoo! Finance
Bill Gates Called Out By Farmer For Secretly Buying Up US Farmland: 'I Don't Want Him To Control A Single Acre'
Read Will Harris' concerns about Gates controlling farmland, “Just like I don’t want a child abuser controlling even one child, I don’t want him to control a single acre.”
Noble Research Institute
White Oak Pastures: How a 156-year-old farm practices “radically traditional farming”
"White Oak Pastures is a six-generation, 156-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia. My family, the Harris family, has operated the same farm in Early County since 1866. Settled by Captain James Edward Harris, the farm has come full circle, meaning from a polycultural production system in the 1800s to a monocultural cattle farm in the 1950s, and then back to a polycultural system in the early 2000s."
The Telegraph
Family farms are the bedrock of American agriculture
"Small and family-owned farms are vital to ensuring American families have a variety of choices to find their favorite foods at their local grocery stores, markets and, increasingly, direct to the consumer from the farm itself."
Yahoo! Finance
Clean 13 'water heroes' celebrated by Georgia Water Coalition
"White Oak Pastures (Early County): Will Harris and his team at White Oak Pasture's regenerative land management practices are proving their ability to sequester as much carbon as is produced by the livestock raised on the farm. The beef raised on the farm in southwest Georgia's Bluffton community has a carbon footprint 111 percent lower than conventionally raised beef. The businesses' farming practices are protecting local creeks and improving the land."
The Working Cows Podcast
Ep. 258 – Will Harris – Regenerating Rural America
Will Harris of White Oak Pastures joins The Working Cows Podcast to talk about regenerating rural America.
White Oak Pastures is in Bluffton, GA a town that was gutted through the industrialization of agriculture. We talk about what the role White Oak Pastures has played in facilitating its regeneration.
The Active Life
The Farming That Could Save the World | Will and Jenni Harris of White Oak Pastures | Podcast Ep 175
Will and Jenni Harris discuss their individual roles and involvement with White Oak Pastures' progression.
Force of Nature Meats
Ep. 4 WHAT GOOD SHALL I DO - Will Harris on his journey from conventional farming to regenerative!
Will Harris, landsteward of White Oak Pastures speaks at the 1st annual "What Good Shall I Do" conference. Watch and listen along with us as he talks about his journey from farming conventionally to managing his land regeneratively and the lessons he learned along the way.
American Grassfed Association
AGA Producer Profiles: White Oak Pastures
In this Producer Profile, AGA takes a closer look at our first ever AGA certified producer, White Oak Pastures with Jenni Harris.
Russell Brand
Oh F*ck, He's At It Again
Watch Russell Brand breakdown Will's recent viral moment discussing Bill Gates becoming the largest farmland owner in the U.S. on Fox Business.
The Purist
Regeneration Nation
Amely Greeven writes in depth about her "unique sensory experience" at White Oak Pastures.
View White Oak Pastures' feature in the 2022 June issue (Page 92-95).
The Defender™
What Industrial Ag Gets Wrong and How Regenerative Farming Can Fix It: Joe Rogan Chats With 4th-Generation Farmer Will Harris
Prior to the mid-’90s, Will Harris ran White Oak Pastures the way his father and most other farmers in the country had — “as a very linear, monocultural cattle operation.” In an interview with Joe Rogan, Harris explained how and why he converted his 3,000-acre farm to a “kinder, gentler agriculture.”
Pharos Fit Podcast
Will Harris of White Oak Pastures - How to think about Food Systems Differently - Episode 87
In this podcast, Will discusses what it means to be a true steward of the land, the problems with chemicals and industrial farming, the challenges a regenerative farm faces, and how we fix the environmental problems that we have created by interfering with the natural cycles of life.
Herald and News
Opinion: Family Farms are the Bedrock of American Agriculture
Big Ag is increasingly threatened by family farms that pride themselves on the humane treatment of the animals they raise and the farmworkers they employ, such that they have pumped untold amounts of money into taking their fight to the Supreme Court.
The Carnivore Lion
White Oak Pastures Will Harris: BIG LIES - Big Pharma and Regenerative Farms
Will Harris discusses the corruption of our agriculture and how regenerative farming is the answer to restoring our health, climate change and animal welfare.
Alison Morrow
Thousands of cattle dead - why? || Will Harris (White Oak Pastures)
Listen to Alison Morrow and Will Harris discuss the mainstream media, the lack of resilience in our food supply chain, USDA regulations, and more!
Michael Kummer
The Importance of Regenerative Agriculture
In this insightful conversation with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures, we talk about the importance of regenerative farming practices for animal welfare and soil quality, and dig into why most modern farming operations break the cycles of nature (thus negatively impacting the environment and the health of everyone involved).
Climate & Capital Media
Is there a place for beef in a climate-friendly future?
Eating beef. A guilty pleasure at best for climate-concerned carnivores. But it’s bad, right?
Jenni Harris, part of a fifth-generation to make her living on the White Oak Pastures family farm says, categorically: Nope.
“I believe that the earth evolved into this pretty green-blue planet teeming with life because of animal impact and I don’t think we can maintain this really pretty green-blue planet without animal impact,” she says. “I think that our farm is proof of that.”
Written by: Kari Huus
Read the full article here
Waco Tribune-Herald
Will Harris: Family farms are the bedrock of American agriculture
Rising feed, fertilizer and fuel costs and global pressures have put the American farmer at a crossroads.
The large, multinational agribusiness conglomerates who have come to dominate our nation’s food chain would like nothing more for regular Americans to think that their mass-produced meats are the only options available.
The Naturally Inspired Podcast
Will Harris - White Oak Pastures. Radically Traditional Farming.
Will Harris discusses White Oak Pastures' transition from using the industrial farming methods he was trained in to adapting a regenerative production model.
The Climate Kitchen
Episode 10: Labeling, Certifications, and How To Buy Better Food
At no point in human history have we been more disconnected from the growing of our food than we are today.
Tune in to learn from incredible guests, including Will Harris of White Oak Pastures, about dangers of misleading food labels.
Ranch Investors Podcast
How a World-Class Cattleman Revived a 130-Year-Old Farming Method
In this episode, Will Harris tells the story of how he revived a 130-year-old farming method.
By using sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices, Harris has improved the quality of his cattle while preserving the land. He is a true world-class cattleman, and his story is both inspiring and informative.
The Ground Work Podcast
Building Resilient Communities, Ecosystems, and Businesses with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures
Tune in as Will Harris highlights how market access and getting your product to consumers is one of the biggest hurdles in the business and how ‘greenwashing’ in the market has made it harder for small businesses to bust into the space occupied by multinational corporations.
At the heart of the conversation, is an idea of coming home and digging in to build up rural America, just like Will has done with Bluffton
Farm Traveler Podcast
Ep 163: Regenerative Farming and Decentralizing Food – White Oak Pastures
In this interview, Jenni Harris talks about how White Oak Pastures started regenerative farming practices, how we manage 10 different livestock species, and how we engage with consumers through lodging, workshops, direct-to-consumer, and dining.
Jenni also talks about the importance of decentralizing food, how regenerative farming isn’t just a new buzzword just for marketing, and why country of origin labels might need to come back on some foods.
Yanasa TV
The Farm Bill | Regenerate America Farm Bill
Will Harris of White Oak Pastures and Finian Makepeace of Kiss the Ground are hosted by Yanasa TV to discuss our current agriculture system.
Curly-Haired Country Gal
How Can I Be Happy & Healthy at 100? ║ Wise Traditions Conference 2022
Walker Homes, our Makerspace manager, shows off the White Oak Pastures table at the 22nd annual Wise Traditions Conference, put on by the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Good Morning America
With all the talk this season about turkey production, we were invited on Good Morning America this week to talk about how to reserve your bird for Thanksgiving this year.
Bloomberg
Georgia cattle raiser Will Harris left behind the destructive techniques of modern agriculture, charting a new path forward for the livestock industry.
Written By: Amanda Little
Feast and Field
Why pasture-raised turkeys are getting so much attention this Thanksgiving
Chances are you’re either serving or consuming turkey this Thanksgiving, just like 88% percent of Americans. And, if you’re like us, you probably want to make sure the turkey you’re eating was treated with compassion during its short life. If so, a pasture-raised turkey from a regenerative farm like White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia, just might be your new holiday go-to.
Edible Communities
Consumers Hold The Key To Building A Better Meat System
"Over the past 40 years, as the meat packing industry has consolidated in the name of scale, efficiency and profits—and while consumers have been the beneficiaries of cheap meat—producers, rural communities, slaughterhouse workers and the environment have all paid a steep price...
'The USDA rule that allows multinational corporations to shop for grassfed beef in the cheapest markets in the world and then sell it to the most lucrative market in the world (the U.S.) and call it product of the USA is a major issue,' says Will Harris."
Katie Bell
Rural Revival
A personal look into the rural, farming community of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia as they create a solution to the carbon emission crisis caused by livestock.
Super Human Radio
Re-learning Balance for Health + Alternatives To Turkey for Thanksgiving
On this episode of Super Human Radio, listen as host Carl Lanore walks through the realities of Thanksgiving this year. With national news sources indicating that turkeys will be in short supply, learn as Carl and Wes Ruff from White Oak Pastures discuss those realities and other options that are readily available to make a good meal for your friends and families. They discuss the commitment that White Oak Pastures has to the land, to people, to the animals, and how this can benefit your family as well!
Getting Ahead of It
Watch Will Harris and Nick de Vries of Silicon Ranch examine the various plant species and root structures thriving on the land and review the already-visible outcomes of early action taken via Regenerative Energy® at the future site of Clay Solar Ranch.
Sustainable Dish
Sustainable Dish Episode 164: Will Harris on regenerative farming at White Oak Pastures
In 1995, Will made the bold decision to stop using industrialized farming methods at White Oak Pastures and instead return his operation to the traditional farming techniques used by his forefathers.
Today, White Oak Pastures operates as a living ecosystem that is holistically managed and proudly zero-waste – all while employing 155+ people and helping to revitalize the small town of Bluffton, GA.
Listen Now
AgEmerge Podcast
In 1995, Will made the audacious decision to return to the farming methods his great-grandfather had used 130 years before. Today, we get to journey with Will to understand the mindset, work, and fortitude it takes to risk it all and successfully implement these farming practices.
Southern Soil Magazine
White Oak Pastures: Closing the Loop
When it comes to transitioning a farm from conventional to regenerative practices, there is likely no better example than White Oak Pastures. Within a single generation, the farm has gone from a monoculture cog in the industrial-agriculture machine to a living, breathing, closed-loop symbiotic ecosystem where multiple types of livestock thrive.
Living Web Farms
White Oak Pastures: A Model Regenerative Farm
The Harris family has been farming their land in Bluffton, Georgia since 1866, starting with old-fashioned ways that predated the use of chemical additives, hormone injections, and all the trappings of industrial agriculture.
Part 1 of the series joins Will Harris for a farm tour with members of the American Grassfed Association, where he currently serves as President.
Santa Barbara Independent
Farming for the Future at Jalama Canyon Ranch
Matt Kettmann interviews Will Harris from White Oak Pastures on the success of regenerative farming. He brings this insight into his article - White Buffalo Land Trust Leads Regenerative Agriculture Project on 1,000-Acre Property.
Dating Advice
Editor’s Choice Award: White Oak Pastures Offers Couples a Farm Setting for a Digital Detox While Modeling Sustainable Agriculture
When couples decide they need to get away from their hectic lives for a weekend, they often want to go somewhere they can completely unplug. That’s the case with many visitors to White Oak Pastures, a sixth-generation farm in Bluffton, Georgia. But couples can also get something else while there: a lesson in sustainable farming.
Successful Farming
40 SEASONS: Farm Transformed
A focus on building soil changes row crop farm into a climate-friendly, meat-producing center.
“Even on fields where we started making changes 25 years ago, the soil just keeps getting better. It’s more productive, has more soil life, has greater water percolation, and produces more diverse species of plants.” - Will Harris
Talk Farm to Me
Farmer Will Harris transformed his third generation family farm from a monoculture factory farm to a regenerative multi-species farm that is no longer dependent on commodity structures or industrial fertilizer. He learned a thing or two along the way that he's willing to share. Farmer Will Harris wrote an open letter to billionaire Bill Gates whose status as the largest owner of US farmland recently came to light. We discuss what many are calling a "land grab" by Gates and what the technology magnate might learn from what Will Harris has done on his farm, White Oak Pastures in rural Bluffton, Georgia.
Organic Association of Kentucky
Learn how 4th generation land steward, Will Harris, successfully took his family ranch on a journey from monoculture farming to vertically integrated traditional farming methods. This journey started in 1995 and has been very successful. White Oak Pastures is now recognized as a leader in regenerative agriculture and humane animal treatment methodologies.
This presentation was part of OAK's 10th Annual Organic Farming Conference on January 26-30, 2021.
Super Human Radio
Cattle Ranching that's Better for the Planet
What if raising cattle could actually be better for the planet than growing fruits and veggies? Well, there's a way to do that without sacrificing quality and taste. White Oak Pastures beef in fact tastes better and is no more expensive than any other beef out there. Would you buy that beef over another? Lets help change the world together.
Oxford Real Farming
Many grass-fed/regenerative farmers have been “going against the grain” for years. There are signs this is changing as more farmers are looking at regenerative techniques, especially with changing subsidies in the UK. US ranchers Doniga Markegard and Will Harris are leading the field when it comes to grass-based farming systems and regenerative land management.
In this session, Guardian journalist, Phoebe Weston, will discuss the and rewards of moving away from intensive techniques towards systems that work more with nature. Also, how farmers should be encouraged to move to more nature-friendly methods how industry and governments should be supporting such a transition.
Source for Tomorrow - The Future of Beef
Questions have been raised for years about the sustainability of cattle farming. Learn from Will Harris, 4th generation land steward of White Oak Pastures about how his farm faces the challenges that factory farming has introduced into the environment. By using regenerative farming methodologies, Will and his family have been able to build a holistic scenario in which cattle are raised humanely and the impact to the environment is healthy and strong. He's taken his farm back to methods that are natural and healthy for the land and the land is better off for it!
Source for Tomorrow - Q&A
Will Harris engages in a conversation with Carys Bennett, PhD, Senior Corporate Liaison, PETA and Rachel Dreskin, US Executive Director, CIWF around the future of the beef industry. He chronicles how he led his farm away from industrialized farming methods in 1995 to a healthier, holistic approach. Gain an understanding of how the cattle industry can be a vital component of a healthy environment globally when expanded holistically.
Fai Farms
Will Harris talks to Ffinlo Costain about his life as a commodity cattleman and what made him change the way he farms. He describes the dark early days and reflects on how his success brought his family back home, and breathed new life into his community.
He explains why he gets fed up with scientists, who 'bicker and fight all the time' over how to measure carbon, when the benefits are there in the ground for all to see. Will also offers up words of wisdom for President Biden's new Agriculture Secretary.
Listen to Farm Gate, Episode 34
The one with Will Harris
Strong Sistas
Tune in as Ashely Armstrong speaks with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton Georgia, on the benefits of regenerative farming. Learn what monoculture farming is and why it is detrimental to the environment. Gain an understanding of the origins of pesticides and why “Radically Traditional Farming” practices, as Mr. Harris would put it, is the answer for our families, communities and indeed for our planet.
Sustainable Food Trust
Will shares the rich history of White Oak Pastures and explains how the coronavirus has affected the farm's sales. They also discuss the principles of regenerative agriculture, soil building, and the farm's fully integrated supply chain.
Carnivorecast
The Carnivore Cast is a podcast focused on the carnivore diet and lifestyle with practical advice from successful carnivores, citizen scientists, and top researchers answering your burning questions and meaty topics.
The Washington Post
The meat industry's supply chain is failing, but these smaller farms can still meet your needs
Supermarkets may have a limited supply of beef and chicken, but you can still get your meat at these online shops dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices.
Fox News
Farmers dubbed the 'Carbon Cowboys' say business is booming during coronavirus
Will Harris, a 65-year-old rancher from Bluffton, Ga., pointed out that while the pandemic has dried up their wholesale food-service business, retail online sales are soaring.
“One of the least resilient parts of the American food production system is that the chain is too long. The multinational food companies have spent the last 25 years narrowly focused on maximizing their profits through efficiency,” he explained. “Now, amidst the challenges of this pandemic and pending food shortages, these factory farms are euthanizing pigs and poultry because the processing plants have closed and cannot get to them.”
Forbes
Going Local: The Case For Bringing America’s Meat Supply Closer To Home
Will Harris is at odds with the way most producers get meat to the American public. The Georgia farmer shuns the large production plants that dominate the protein supply chain in the country, raising his “athletes” — hens, pigs and cattle and seven other species — on 3,200 acres near the Alabama border. He raises them holistically, before slaughtering them for meat and selling it to local restaurants, local grocers and home delivery nationwide.
Revolution Health Radio
How Sustainably Raised Cattle Help the Environment, with Will Harris. Chris Kresser and Will debunk the claim that beef production is always harmful to the environment. In this episode, we discuss:
rePlant Capital
An Interview with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures
Will Harris is welcomed by rePlant Capital to discuss food resiliency, the unintended consequences of our nation's food production system, and consumer recommendations.
Human Performance Outliers
In this episode, Will Harris from White Oaks Pastures joins the show to explain how he used vertical integration methods to create a carbon sink that produces a negative carbon output on the White Oak Pastures farm.
The Farm Report Ep. 197
“Cows were born to roam and graze; hogs were born to root and wallow; chicken were born to scratch and peck. All these are instinctive behaviors that are inborn, and when we create the factory farm environment, we deprive these animals of that opportunity.” [14:15] Will Harris on The Farm Report
Atlanta Magazine
A taste of the scenic fun and relaxing getaways Southwest Georgia’s small towns offer
When traveling through Southwest Georgia, you’re never too far from a delicious Southern meal, exciting excursions, museums housing tons of history, or cozy places to stay.
These highlights of towns and cities across Southwest Georgia include Bluffton’s Multigenerational Farm: White Oak Pastures.
Independent
20 pledges for 2020: Can a cattle farm really be sustainable?
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations says livestock are responsible for 14.5% of what they call ‘human-induced’ greenhouse gas emissions.
In this article, Julia Platt Leonard dives into these statistics and analyzes how they may not accurately reflect regenerative cattle farms.
The Meatcast by EPIC Provisions
If you’re interested in a deeper look at EPIC’s sourcing, this is the episode for you. Our main guest is Will Harris from White Oak Pastures, the gold standard of EPIC's ranching/farming partners. Will and I cover the following topics and plenty more in only the way Will Harris can…
CNN Business
Hamburgers are hard on the planet. These cattle ranchers are trying to change that
"There's a very nice relationship in healthy landscapes between green and growing plants, like grass, and carbon storage underground," said Courtney White, co-founder of The Quivira Coalition, a non-profit group devoted to improving ecological health.For Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattle rancher in Bluffton, Georgia, that type of grazing is a way to emulate the farming practices of his ancestors, which were less taxing on the land and animals.
Forbes
Can Loans Tied To Soil Health Save Agriculture? A New $250 Million Fund Wants To Find Out.
After White Oak’s online sales surged during the pandemic, owner Will Harris approached rePlant because he needed to build out his six-generation farm’s cold storage facility, at a cost of $2 million.
Robb Wolf The Healthy Rebellion Radio Podcast
Robb Wolf of The Healthy Rebellion Radio podcast interviewed Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. Will talks about the power of regenerative farms to bring economic vitality back to their communities.
The Seed and Plate
A Look at Real Life at White Oak Pastures
You can gain a glimpse into the life of a farmer without quitting your day job and buying a plot of land. Visiting a fully operational farm-for-profit opens your eyes to the realities of the job—the harsh and the beautiful, the rigorous and the peaceful—and it gives you a depth of perspective and appreciation for the people who grow your food.
Quivira Coalition
CONVERTING FROM INDUSTRIAL TO REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE: WHITE OAK PASTURES
Since the end of the civil war, White Oak Pastures has been in the Harris family, but their farming practices have ranged from 19th century subsistence farming to post-war industrial agriculture — and now larger scale regenerative farming. Will Harris has created a closed-loop, no-waste farm, whose goals include providing healthy food raised in a healthy manner, humane animal welfare practices, and revitalization of the rural community where they’re rooted.
Cision PR Newswire
Solar 'Farms' Will Capture Greenhouse Gases to Store in the Soil
What if renewable energy was not just sustainable but was also regenerative?
This is the goal of a partnership between White Oak Pastures and Silicon Ranch Corporation, one of the nation's largest independent solar power producers and the U.S. solar platform for Shell. In 2020 alone, this partnership will bring holistic planned livestock grazing and regenerative land management practices to nearly 2,400 solar farm acres in Southwest Georgia to create carbon sinks, restore biodiversity and soil health, and add to the environmental, social, and economic benefits of these clean energy projects.
Independent Processor
White Oak Pastures has become a leading advocate for regenerative animal agriculture
The last time that White Oak Pastures was on the cover of this magazine, it was because owner Will Harris had decided to build a processing plant to slaughter his own grass-fed beef. Over the last dozen years, the company continues to be at the forefront of producing pasture-raised beef.
Green America
Heal the Soil, Cool the Climate
"If society can convert a good portion of the world’s agricultural land to regenerative practices, we could heal the soil enough that it could start sequestering a whole lot more carbon—enough to actually reverse climate change."
Huddle Haven
Tune in for the Huddle Haven podcast, Episode 31 where Jenni Harris of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton Georgia discusses why “Radically Traditional Farming” practices are good for livestock, the land and our communities.
Jenni, her family, and team believe radically traditional farming creates products that are better for our land, our livestock and our village. White Oak Pastures is fiercely proud of our zero-waste production system that utilizes each part of the animals they pasture-raise and hand-butcher on the farm.
As the Director of Marketing, Jenni spends her time focusing on the balance of e-commerce growth and wholesale relationships. She gives us a wonderful perspective of how we can all do our part to heal our planet…and tells a beautiful story, leaving all to treasure…there’s no place like home!
Sustainable Dish
Will Harris of White Oak Pastures, about changes in farming over the generations, what's important at White Oak Pastures, and the moral and environmental arguments for meat-eating.
Quivira Coalition
Since the end of the civil war, White Oak Pastures has been in the Harris family, but their farming practices have ranged from 19th-century subsistence farming to post-war industrial agriculture — and now larger scale regenerative farming. Will Harris has created a closed-loop, no-waste farm, whose goals include providing healthy food raised in a healthy manner, humane animal welfare practices, and revitalization of the rural community where they’re rooted.
The Animal Wellness Podcast
COVID-19, the Shortage of Meat and Animal Husbandry--Episode 15
While Americans are struggling to keep beef, poultry and pork in their refrigerators, exports of those products to China have quadrupled, and hundreds of thousands of animals are being killed and wasted on factory farms. In this episode, we talk to cattleman Will Harris of White Oak Pastures and Wayne Pacelle and Marty Irby from Animal Wellness Action to learn how severely our current system is broken and why it's so bad for people and the animals we take to eat.
Eat Real, Eat Kind
Regenerate Your Land Like a REAL Farmer
In this episode, Will Harris talks about the nitty gritty life-cycle taking place at White Oak Pastures.
2019
Joe Rogan Experience #1389
In the process of debunking the film Gamechangers, Joe and Chris Kresser talk about the myths and misleading environmental claims used by fake meat companies to justify their expansion of carbon-emitting agribusiness. During the wide-ranging conversation, they discuss White Oak Pastures groundbreaking Life Cycle Analysis showing our cattle sequester 3.5 lbs of carbon for every pound of grassfed beef produced. Along the way, they make several insightful points about overall animal welfare (biodiversity) and soil health.
CNN Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Watch as Will Harris debunks the fake meat industry’s impossible claims on CNN International ‘The Future Of Meat’ by Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
Bitter Southerner Podcast
In Partnership with America’s Test Kitchen. In a special bonus episode of The Bitter Southerner Podcast, editor-in-chief Chuck Reece talks to native Southerner Bridget Lancaster of public television’s “America's Test Kitchen” and shares a story from her podcast called “Proof.” In it, reporter Maya Kroth looks at how a Spanish pig is changing Southern farmlands. She meets Georgia farmer Will Harris, who is upping the South’s pork game by introducing Iberian pigs to the United States. These pigs are the source of jamón ibérico, a precious cured ham produced in Spain.
Primal Edge Health
Thanks to Primal Ege Health for inviting Will Harris to discuss the important differences between regenerative farming and how industrially-farmed proteins are produced. Will also tells the story of how our carbon-negative Life Cycle Assessment was conducted.
Cision PR Newswire
The focus should be on addressing industrial farming. Not turning plants into meat.
Will Harris refuted the fake meat industry's impossible claim that they are benefiting future generations, pointing out that the trendy plant-based proteins are contributing to climate change while his grassfed cattle help reverse it.
On 'The Future Of Meat' Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the regenerative livestock pioneer appeared to dismiss the fake meat industry as "a sincere form of flattery." He pointed to the recent White Oak Pastures Life Cycle Assessment1 which found his certified grassfed cattle are sequestering more carbon in the soil than they emit during their lifetimes.
- Electric City Butcher: Speaking with the Granddaddy of Grass-Fed Beef
- BBC: The 'radically traditional' beef farmer reducing carbon emissions
- NPR: Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better For The Planet? Here's The Science
- The Conversation: Vegan Food’s Sustainability Claims Need To Give The Full Picture
- NPR: How Georgia Became A Surprising Bright Spot In The U.S. Solar Industry
- Civil Eats: Impossible Foods and Regenerative Grazers Face Off in a Carbon Farming Dust-Up
- GreenBiz: How Regenerative Land and Livestock Management Practices Can Sequester Carbon
- Forbes: Food and Climate -- It's Not Just About Hamburgers
- Triple Pundit: Enlisting Cows in the Struggle to Reverse Climate Change
- The New York Times: The Sweet Success of the Spiral-Cut Ham
- Let's Talk Beef: White Oak Pastures Will Harris
- CISION PR Newsire: Study: White Oak Pastures Beef Reduces Atmospheric Carbon
- CNN Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Could fake meat burgers make cows obsolete?
- NBC News: Can regenerative agriculture reverse climate change? Big Food is banking on it.
- Green Global Travel: Is Will Harris' White Oak Pastures the Future of Sustainable Agriculture?
2018
- A Visit with White Oak Pastures
- Eater.com: The Jamón Went Down to Georgia
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Eggs From Pasture-Raised chickens key to crème brûlée
- CISION PR Newswire: A Big Win For A Small Farm: White Oak Pastures Entitled To Compensation For Poultry Destruction By Bald Eagle Attacks
- Atlanta Magazine: White Oak Pastures’ General Store is the first retail store to open in Bluffton in more than 40 years
2017
2016
- Pastures of plenty - How White Oak Pastures has taken family farming from sustainable to regenerative.
- Audubon: An Organic Chicken Farm in Georgia Has Become an Endless Buffet for Bald Eagles
- Slow Money: Animals, Land and People: An Interview with Will Harris
- Wise Traditions: Farming As It Should Be With Will Harris
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