Doing the Right Damn Thing

by Fran Withrow 02.2024 

As a child, Will Harris delighted in exploring the woods near his farm, and “knew how everything was and how it all fit together.” His family farmed the land in Bluffton, Georgia, for decades, and Harris grew up to became the fourth generation owner of what is now called White Oak Pastures.

The farm originally raised livestock, butchered and sold by the first Harris, James, who established the farm in 1866. James Harris sold straight to his customers, so he had a huge incentive to offer top quality food, as did most farmers of that era.

But by the time Will Harris’ dad ran the farm after the Depression, industrial methods of production were beginning to predominate. How could farmers resist the new influx of chemical fertilizers which made their jobs so much easier? And with the advent of subsidized crops, it made sense for farmers to focus on just one crop or type of livestock. 

It was just a short hop from there to factory farming, with technology taking the lead in growing the biggest cows, the plumpest hens, and the fastest growing pigs possible. Feeding them cheap corn rather than allowing them to graze naturally and confining them on feedlots meant farmers’ lives were not only easier but less financially risky.

This is how Will Harris raised his cattle for decades. But one day he had an epiphany. He remembered his childhood, wandering among the trees and streams and watching the natural cycles of nature unfold. Then he looked at his farm, with its constant stream of fertilizers, growth of just one type of crop, and cattle that heavily grazed the same acres repeatedly, and realized the land was dying. 

Harris decided to make a big change. He became a regenerative farmer, focusing on humanely raised meat and natural ways of working the land without resorting to artificial fertilizers and chemicals. He now focuses on a holistic, non-linear approach to raising food. 

“A Bold Return to Giving a Damn” is Harris’ account of how he not only made his farm a kinder, healthier place for his animals and the land, but also did much to revive the city of Bluffton. Harris says Bluffton is one of the poorest places in Georgia, but because his farm now employs almost two hundred people, this previously empty rural area is finding new life.

The story of how Harris determinedly stuck to his plan, despite the hard work, financial risk, and difficulty getting the word out about meat that is healthier (but more expensive), is fascinating reading. Harris’ writing style is conversational, sprinkled with the expletives one might anticipate from a cowboy. But his message is a crucial one: by supporting regenerative farmers and buying local, we can help save the land which factory farming depletes of nutrients, and raise meat in humane ways that actually reduce climate change. 

This book is a thoughtful treatise on the rise of factory farming and how some farmers are bravely bucking the trend. A helpful resource section is included on how to find food from regenerative farmers. Whether you eat meat or not, this is a worthwhile read.