White Oak Pastures: Difference between revisions
←Created page with '{{Short description|Large organic farm in Georgia, USA}} {{Draft topics|society|earth-and-environment}} {{AfC topic|geo}} {{Infobox farm |name=White Oak Pastures |image= |coordinates={{coord|31.520901|-84.8660}} |location=Bluffton, Georgia |country=United States |established=After the Civil War |owner=Will Harris |area={{convert|3,200|acre|km2|adj=on}} }} White Oak Pastures is a multi-generational, organic farm in Bluffton, Georg...' |
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White Oak Pastures is a multi-generational, [[Organic farming|organic farm]] in [[Bluffton, Georgia]] |
'''White Oak Pastures''' is a multi-generational, [[Organic farming|organic farm]] in [[Bluffton, Georgia]] in the United States. It is the largest and most diverse organic farm in Georgia (as of 2020 the farm was 3,200 acres).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Severson |first=Kim |date=2015-03-10 |title=At White Oak Pastures, Grass-Fed Beef Is Only the Beginning |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/dining/at-white-oak-pastures-grass-fed-beef-is-only-the-beginning.html |access-date=2023-03-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Sorvino |first=Chloe |title=Going Local: The Case For Bringing America’s Meat Supply Closer To Home |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2020/05/01/going-local-the-case-for-bringing-americas-meat-supply-closer-to-home/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref> The farm grows vegetables, and raises 10 species of animals including: goats, hogs, chickens, sheep, and ducks.<ref name=":0" /> The farm is run by Will Harris and his family, who are the fourth generation of their lineage to run the farm.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clifford |first=Catherine |title=These cattle ranchers are raising better beef, spending less — and reducing carbon emissions |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/19/regenerative-ranching-changing-how-cattle-graze-reducing-emissions.html |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=CNBC |language=en}}</ref> It is the only farm in the United States with federally approved slaughterhouses.<ref name=":0" /> The farm has been recognized for it's progressive, no-waste, [[regenerative agriculture]] practices, including regenerative grazing, which [[Carbon sequestration|sequesters carbon]] in the farmland, and results in "rich, healthy soil".<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Is regenerative agriculture the secret to reversing climate change? Big Food thinks so. |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/can-regenerative-agriculture-reverse-climate-change-big-food-banking-it-n1072941 |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Lampasona |first=Alexa |title=White Oak Pastures Receives Savory Award |url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/atlanta-restaurants/white-oak-pastures-receives-savory-award/C9z4oKIuGG5vWhAIIS08VI/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |website=Atlanta Restaurants & Food (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) |language=English}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Matsumoto |first=Nancy |date=August 13, 2019 |title=Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better For The Planet? Here's The Science |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/13/746576239/is-grass-fed-beef-really-better-for-the-planet-heres-the-science |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215094529/https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/08/13/746576239/is-grass-fed-beef-really-better-for-the-planet-heres-the-science |archive-date=February 15, 2023 |access-date=March 24, 2023 |website=NPR}}</ref> |
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== History and practices == |
== History and practices == |
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== Carbon sequestration and offsetting == |
== Carbon sequestration and offsetting == |
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The [[environmental impacts of animal agriculture]] have been well studied, with one major finding being that raising cows for meat is a large contributor to the [[Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture|greenhouse gas effect]], due both to the amount of food and water required to feed cows, and the amount of methane they produce.<ref name=":4" /> White Oak Pastures uses regenerative agriculture practices that reduce the negative impacts of raising cattle.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Holmes2022-10-29T08:16:00+01:00 |first=Harry |title=Why cows could be an unexpected climate solution |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sustainability-and-environment/why-cows-could-be-an-unexpected-climate-solution/672924.article |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Grocer |language=en}}</ref> The question raised by various scientists is: what percentage of their carbon emissions are offset by these practices? In 2019 White Oak Pastures began promoting the "carbon negative footprint" of their beef, suggesting that their carbon emissions from raising and processing cattle are offset entirely by these practices.<ref name=":5" /> One study of White Oak Pastures, commissioned by [[General Mills]] (which as of 2019 had not yet been peer reviewed, or published in a scientific journal), found that "the ranch offsets a majority of its emissions by capturing and storing soil carbon through the application of compost and use of rotational grazing, which moves cattle between paddocks of pasture for short periods of time, stimulating the growth of carbon-storing perennial grasses."<ref name=":3" /> Another study, done using the [[Life-cycle assessment|life-cycle assessment method]] (LCA), "carried out by a group of eight scientists, found that rotating cattle, chickens and pigs on pastures sequestered enough carbon in the soil to reduce net carbon emissions by 80%, rather than neutralizing them".<ref name=":5" /> Another LCA study "found that the 3,200-acre farm stored enough carbon in its grasses to offset not only all of the methane emissions from its grass-fed cattle, but also much of the farm's total emissions".<ref name=":4" /> |
The [[environmental impacts of animal agriculture]] have been well studied, with one major finding being that raising cows for meat is a large contributor to the [[Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture|greenhouse gas effect]], due both to the amount of food and water required to feed cows, and the amount of methane they produce.<ref name=":4" /> White Oak Pastures uses regenerative agriculture practices that reduce the negative impacts of raising cattle.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Holmes2022-10-29T08:16:00+01:00 |first=Harry |title=Why cows could be an unexpected climate solution |url=https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/sustainability-and-environment/why-cows-could-be-an-unexpected-climate-solution/672924.article |access-date=2023-03-25 |website=The Grocer |language=en}}</ref> The question raised by various scientists is: what percentage of their carbon emissions are offset by these practices? In 2019 White Oak Pastures began promoting the "carbon negative footprint" of their beef, suggesting that their carbon emissions from raising and processing cattle are offset entirely by these practices.<ref name=":5" /> One study of White Oak Pastures, commissioned by [[General Mills]] (which as of 2019 had not yet been peer reviewed, or published in a scientific journal), found that "the ranch offsets a majority of its emissions by capturing and storing soil carbon through the application of compost and use of rotational grazing, which moves cattle between paddocks of pasture for short periods of time, stimulating the growth of carbon-storing perennial grasses."<ref name=":3" /> Another study, done using the [[Life-cycle assessment|life-cycle assessment method]] (LCA), "carried out by a group of eight scientists, found that rotating cattle, chickens and pigs on pastures sequestered enough carbon in the soil to reduce net carbon emissions by 80%, rather than neutralizing them".<ref name=":5" /> Another LCA study "found that the 3,200-acre farm stored enough carbon in its grasses to offset not only all of the methane emissions from its grass-fed cattle, but also much of the farm's total emissions".<ref name=":4" /> |
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* [https://whiteoakpastures.com/ White Oak Pastures website] |
* [https://whiteoakpastures.com/ White Oak Pastures website] |
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* [https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/joe-rogan-experience-1893-will-harris/ Will Harris on The Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)] |
* [https://www.jrepodcast.com/episode/joe-rogan-experience-1893-will-harris/ Will Harris on The Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)] |
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* [https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2022-11-21/lovin-it-mcdonalds-and-walmart-beef-suppliers-risking-public-health-with-reckless-antibiotics-use "McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers risk public health with ‘reckless’ antibiotics use" (Bureau of Investigative Journalism)] |
* [https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2022-11-21/lovin-it-mcdonalds-and-walmart-beef-suppliers-risking-public-health-with-reckless-antibiotics-use "McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers risk public health with ‘reckless’ antibiotics use" (Bureau of Investigative Journalism)] |
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* [https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-05-15/the-biggest-ideas-in-farming-today-are-also-the-oldest#xj4y7vzkg "The Biggest Ideas in Farming Today Are Also the Oldest" (Bloomberg News)] |
* [https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-05-15/the-biggest-ideas-in-farming-today-are-also-the-oldest#xj4y7vzkg "The Biggest Ideas in Farming Today Are Also the Oldest" (Bloomberg News)] |
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Revision as of 11:05, 5 April 2023
| White Oak Pastures | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Town/City | Bluffton, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 31°31′15″N 84°51′58″W / 31.520901°N 84.8660°W |
| Established | After the Civil War |
| Owner | Will Harris |
| Area | 3,200-acre (13 km2) |
White Oak Pastures is a multi-generational, organic farm in Bluffton, Georgia in the United States. It is the largest and most diverse organic farm in Georgia (as of 2020 the farm was 3,200 acres).[1][2] The farm grows vegetables, and raises 10 species of animals including: goats, hogs, chickens, sheep, and ducks.[1] The farm is run by Will Harris and his family, who are the fourth generation of their lineage to run the farm.[3] It is the only farm in the United States with federally approved slaughterhouses.[1] The farm has been recognized for it's progressive, no-waste, regenerative agriculture practices, including regenerative grazing, which sequesters carbon in the farmland, and results in "rich, healthy soil".[4][5][6]
History and practices
White Oak Pastures was started by Will Harris' great-grandfather after the Civil War (which ended in 1865). It was then passed down from father to son, and was expanded into a truck farm. The following son, Will Harris' father, expanded the farm a cow-calf operation that used modern practices such as hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.[7][1][4] In the 1990s, Will Harris began to pay more attention to the less-than-ideal treatment, and general poor health, of cattle being grown and processed by conventional methods. For example: cattle raised at White Oak Pastures would need to be shipped elsewhere for processing, which often involved spending "30 hours on [a] truck, with the ones on the bottom getting covered in feces and urine".[1]
In 1995 Harris began transitioning to holistic agriculture practices, which included stopping common practices like giving the cows hormones for growth.[2] In 2000 White Oak stopped using chemical fertilizers on their pastures. In 2006 they began selling their meat to Whole Foods Market. In 2008 White Oak Pastures opened the first federally approved, on-site slaughterhouses, where they began processing cattle into beef. In 2010 they added a chicken plant. These facilities were designed in part by Temple Grandin.[1]
In 2014 their overall sales were reported to be around $28 million dollars.[1] In 2015 they were recognized by The Savory Institute as a leader in regenerative agriculture practices.[5] In 2020 their overall sales were reported to be around $20 million dollars.[2]
Carbon sequestration and offsetting
The environmental impacts of animal agriculture have been well studied, with one major finding being that raising cows for meat is a large contributor to the greenhouse gas effect, due both to the amount of food and water required to feed cows, and the amount of methane they produce.[6] White Oak Pastures uses regenerative agriculture practices that reduce the negative impacts of raising cattle.[4][6][8] The question raised by various scientists is: what percentage of their carbon emissions are offset by these practices? In 2019 White Oak Pastures began promoting the "carbon negative footprint" of their beef, suggesting that their carbon emissions from raising and processing cattle are offset entirely by these practices.[8] One study of White Oak Pastures, commissioned by General Mills (which as of 2019 had not yet been peer reviewed, or published in a scientific journal), found that "the ranch offsets a majority of its emissions by capturing and storing soil carbon through the application of compost and use of rotational grazing, which moves cattle between paddocks of pasture for short periods of time, stimulating the growth of carbon-storing perennial grasses."[4] Another study, done using the life-cycle assessment method (LCA), "carried out by a group of eight scientists, found that rotating cattle, chickens and pigs on pastures sequestered enough carbon in the soil to reduce net carbon emissions by 80%, rather than neutralizing them".[8] Another LCA study "found that the 3,200-acre farm stored enough carbon in its grasses to offset not only all of the methane emissions from its grass-fed cattle, but also much of the farm's total emissions".[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Severson, Kim (2015-03-10). "At White Oak Pastures, Grass-Fed Beef Is Only the Beginning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ a b c Sorvino, Chloe. "Going Local: The Case For Bringing America's Meat Supply Closer To Home". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ Clifford, Catherine. "These cattle ranchers are raising better beef, spending less — and reducing carbon emissions". CNBC. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ a b c d "Is regenerative agriculture the secret to reversing climate change? Big Food thinks so". NBC News. Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ a b Lampasona, Alexa. "White Oak Pastures Receives Savory Award". Atlanta Restaurants & Food (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Retrieved 2023-03-24.
- ^ a b c d Matsumoto, Nancy (August 13, 2019). "Is Grass-Fed Beef Really Better For The Planet? Here's The Science". NPR. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ Wells, Myrydd (2016-10-13). "White Oak Pastures' General Store is the first retail store to open in Bluffton in more than 40 years". Atlanta Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
- ^ a b c Holmes2022-10-29T08:16:00+01:00, Harry. "Why cows could be an unexpected climate solution". The Grocer. Retrieved 2023-03-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
External links
- White Oak Pastures website
- Will Harris on The Joe Rogan Experience (podcast)
- "Is carbon-neutral beef possible or a pipe dream? Soil may offer clues." (The Washington Post)
- "McDonald’s and Walmart beef suppliers risk public health with ‘reckless’ antibiotics use" (Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
- "The Biggest Ideas in Farming Today Are Also the Oldest" (Bloomberg News)