Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food

232 Will Harris - Why one of the largest pasture raised company in the US doing really well but still barely making any money


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A conversation with Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures, six generations, 156-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, about being in the space for 25 years but barely making money, new people wanting to get into the space, the unfairness built into the highly chemical, fossil fuel, extractive agriculture systems and a lot more.

White Oak Pastures take pride in farming practices that focus on regenerative land management, humane animal husbandry, and revitalizing our rural community. They know radically traditional farming creates products that are better for our land, their livestock and their village. They are proud of their zero-waste production system that utilizes each part of the animals they pasture-raise and hand-butcher on their farm.

What does it tell us when leaders who have been in the regenerative space for 25 years is barely making any money? What does it tell us if it is one of the leaders in the regenerative space not only in terms of operation, scale, highly diversifies, mostly vertically integrated, probably one of the biggest pasture raised and slaughtered companies and in the US?

What does it teach us? Not that he is complaining, they are doing fine, 180 FTE, he is able to pay the bills. But they are just making it with large operational loans every seasons.

What does it tell us about the sector now? What does it tell us about new people wanting to get into the space and what does it tell us about the incredible unfairness built into the highly chemical fossil fuel extractive agriculture systems? Big questions in the conversation with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures. We hope it gives you some food for thought and energises you even further to get to work for the transition we need.

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Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and FoodBy Koen van Seijen

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