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FROM PASTURED ANIMAL TO ARTISAN PRODUCT: FARM LIFE COMES FULL CIRCLE
AT WHITE OAK PASTURES
Will Harris Creates Environment of Zero Waste at His Idyllic Southwest Georgia Farm
ATLANTA (January 2, 2015) White Oak Pastures, the multigenerational farm in Bluffton,
Georgia, not only raises cows, hogs, sheep, goats, rabbits, geese, ducks, chicken, guineas and
turkeys it also raises the bar for closed-loop farming practices. Will Harris, White Oak
Pastures owner, has the utmost respect for the entire animal and follows a zero-waste
protocol that puts the concept of factory farming out to pasture.
George Washington Carver once said, In nature, there is no waste, recalls Harris, a fourthgeneration cattleman. We endeavor to operate our red meat and poultry abattoirs the
same way.
At White Oak Pastures, this endeavor starts with the Serengeti Rotational Grazing Model.
Large ruminants (cattle) graze first, followed by small ruminants (goats and sheep) and
then birds, encouraging a natural fertilization process that mimics the East African
ecosystem and keeps parasites from spreading.
Beyond the pastures, Dr. Temple Grandin, the internationally recognized authority on
humane animal handling and slaughter, designed the farms processing plants and
slaughtering systems to keep animals as calm as possible and prevent suffering. As
opposed to industrial processing plants that may slaughter more than 6,000 cattle or
500,000 chickens per day, White Oak Pastures slaughtering procedures are performed by
hand using a captive bolt, resulting in only 35 head of cattle and 1,000 chickens per day.
Consequently, the processing abattoirs are Animal Welfare Approved.
Our plants are not efficient; they are humane, Harris points out.
White Oak Pastures has achieved a zero-waste status for these humane meat and poultry
plants by making the following commitments:

The processing plants are powered by a 50, 000-watt solar voltaic array housed on
premises.
Solar thermal technology is used to heat the wash down water needed for the
farms livestock processing.
The farm has its own water treatment plant, monitored through the Environmental
Protection Division, to turn wash down water into irrigation water for the pastures.
All animal blood is digested to make liquid organic fertilizer, bones are ground to
make bone meal, and all eviscerate is composted. These organic fertilizers are then
used as soil amendments for the farms Certified Organic pastures. Some of White
Oak Pastures cow bones are also lovingly transformed into grass-fed jewelry
created by Madeline Smiles.
All cowhides are salted and shipped to a tannery to become leather, which is then
made into rugs, jewelry, coasters and other household items for White Oak
Pastures customers.

This year, White Oak Pastures took its zero-waste operations a step further and began
turning cooking grease from the farms on-site restaurant into biodiesel to power the
tractors.
Every day, we are learning more and more about how to manage our by-products, says
Harris. We recently learned how to render down our grass-fed beef fat to make tallow
soap. Its an ongoing commitment to do the right things for both our land and our animals,
he adds.
As a result of these practices, even the employees of White Oak Pastures are cared for in a
safer and healthier manner. They work on non-mechanized lines rather than the more
dangerous automated assembly lines of high-volume slaughterhouses. Those who work on
both the kill floor and in the cutting room are artisans trained in several skills, and all
employees are encouraged to take home fresh produce from the organic farm to share with
their families.
The well-being of our workers is a major priority for us, says Jenni Harris, marketing
manager and Will Harris middle daughter. The fact that, in addition to my own family, 10
of our employees families have multiple members working at White Oak Pastures speaks
volumes about the environment here. We truly are a family farm in every sense.
About White Oak Pastures
White Oak Pastures is a multigenerational, family-owned and operated grass-fed beef,
lamb, pork, rabbit and free-range poultry producer committed to the principles of
sustainability and stewardship. The five-generation farm, led by owner Will Harris, has
operated continuously on the same land in Early County, Georgia, for more than 150
years. White Oak Pastures cooperates with nature to produce artisan products that are
healthy, safe, nutritious and delicious. Care is given to ensure that all production practices
are economically practical, ecologically sustainable and that the animals are always treated
humanely. White Oak Pastures never falters in conducting business in an honorable

manner, for the sake of the animals, the land and the people eating the products. The farm
now also offers on-site lodging and dining.
Harris and White Oak Pastures have received the following awards for setting farming
standards, contributing to the restaurant industry and being dedicated to the sustainability
of organic farming in Georgia: 2011 Georgias Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S.
Small Business Administration, 2011 Georgia Restaurant Associations Innovator Award,
Will Harris inducted into the Fellowship of Southern Farmers, Artisans and Chefs, 2012
American Treasures Award from MADE: In America, 2012 Centennial Family Award, 2012
Distinguished Conservationist, 2012 LDEI Green Ribbon Recipient, 2013 Swisher Sunbelt
Farmer of the Year and 2014s Most Respected Business Person of the Year by Georgia
Trend Magazine.
White Oak Pastures also holds several certifications including: Certified Grassfed by the
American Grassfed Association, Certified Humane by the Humane Farm Animal Care,
Animal Welfare Approved by Animal Welfare Institute, Master Cattleman by the University
of Georgia, Certified Organic by Georgia Crop Improvement Association and Good
Management Practices approved by Silliker, Inc.
White Oak Pastures products can be purchased at more than 1,000 Publix supermarkets
throughout the Southeast and at Whole Foods Market locations from Miami to Princeton,
NJ. The beef is distributed by Kelly's Foods, Buckhead Beef, Sysco Gulf Coast, PFG,
Maplevale Farms, Merchants and US Foods. Customers can also place orders online. White
Oak Pastures is located at 22775 Highway 27 in Bluffton, Georgia. For more information,
call (229) 641-2081 or visit whiteoakpastures.com.
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