When you close your eyes and think of Mardi Gras, what do you envision? Perhaps the glamorous parades splitting the crowded streets as beads, trinkets, and doubloons are tossed from adorned participants on floats. Maybe you see the colors of purple, green and gold which signify justice, faith, and power. Some may view something dark or supernatural with images of voodoo, zombification and Papa Legba. Movies and TV shows such as Tremé, True Detective, and James Bond’s “Live and Let Die” have depicted both sides of the light-hearted and darkness of Mardi Gras.

Here in North America, we celebrate the rise of the New Year by staying up til midnight in our respective time zones to watch a lit shiny ball or, in one case, a Moon Pie drop from the sky. As the crowds' countdown to “1”, projectiles are shot in the air with the spectacle of colorful booming fireworks bursting against the black canvas of the midnight sky. The much-celebrated fireworks were first developed in Medieval China, which leads us to the topic of the Chinese New Year. February 4th sparks the celebration with reunion dinners with emphasis on creating thoughtful dishes to celebrate ancestors, much akin to how Southern families gather. 2019 celebrates the Year of the Pig with the distinction of the Earthly branch.

It is noted in some myths that the Jade Emperor held a race to an...

With Thanksgiving and Christmas behind us, I begin reflecting on the year that has come and gone. There are always things I wish I had accomplished, but also those projects for which I’m proud to have completed. This valuable reflection allows me the opportunity to set goals (or resolutions) for the New Year. I hope while you all are planning your resolutions, you’ll consider making the commitment to only eat pasture-raised meats and poultry. I’ve put together my Top 5 Reasons below; however, there are even more reasons than any of us could possibly count.

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” joyfully echoes from the radio, and it is!

However, they failed to mention that it is also the busiest, most hectic and quite honestly, the most stressful time of the year as well. When the stress of it all becomes too much, it’s important to take a deep breath and step away. A quiet, peaceful day on the farm is the best remedy for holiday stress. Please join us at White Oak Pastures’ General Store Open House in downtown Bluffton, GA on Sunday, December 16, 2018, from 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.

White Oak Pastures is a multifaceted regenerative farm raising ten different species for meat, with cattle and poultry as the largest in number. Only 55% of the cow is made up of cuts that are marketable. Because we are committed to adhering to our no-waste tenet, we were motivated to find ways in which to use the parts of the animals that aren’t consumed. Jacqueline DeWitt, our composting manager, explains the aspects of our composting program:

“In our system, we render fat from the cattle to make soaps and salves, sell trim to processors, tan hides, make pet chews, and feed our guardian dogs. Even after all of these measures are taken to use all parts, there are still 4 million pounds of animal remains each year that we can not process or use. So, we do the next best thing: We...

It happens. Every. Single. Year. We blink, and here comes Thanksgiving, approaching faster than the previous year, and the rest of the year is history! White Oak Pastures has so much to be thankful for on any given year, but particularly this year with hurricanes Irma and Michael ravaging through our little town of Bluffton and the surrounding areas. We were not left unscathed, but we endured both, and for that, along with a number of countless blessings, we are thankful.

Last week, the White Oak Pastures farm family suffered through a direct hit from Hurricane Michael with sustaining winds up to 115 miles per hour. Will Harris shared that he has never witnessed a storm of this magnitude in Bluffton, Georgia in his entire life.

The livestock production staff, with the assistance from other farm departmental staff, worked endlessly in preparation to protect our livestock. Their tireless efforts paid off; however, we have incurred a substantial amount of loss. Although suffering from some livestock and structural damage, we are extremely grateful that our processing plants were strong enough to withstand Hurricane Michael.

White Oak Pastures has always had a website, but over the years, we have worked to build our site to better serve our customers who shop for products or information. Today, we are certain we have the most efficient and user-friendly site.

Many of our customers know that our passion is raising livestock on pasture in a way that regenerates the land. Witnessing animals execute what they are meant to do, which is roam our pastures, leaving it richer and more suitable than it was, is something that’s deeply rooted in the history of our farm. In the 1990’s, my Dad, Will Harris, learned that there are passionate customers who care about the same things he does: the land and the animals. After years of research, Dad was convinced he had to build a processing abattoir for our livestock and create a brand.

White Oak Pastures Entitled To Compensation For Poultry Destruction By Bald Eagle Attacks

In a victory for White Oak Pastures and for small farms in America, The National Appeals Division (NAD) of the Farm Service Administration (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, determined that the farm is entitled to compensation for the loss and destruction of its poultry due to bald eagle attacks. To date, White Oak Pastures estimates that bald eagles have destroyed nearly 160,000 chickens, resulting in over $2,200,000 in losses. The decision followed years of disputes between the farm and the FSA, the organization responsible for compensating producers and farmers under the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). The NAD ruling determined that FSA failed to follow its own rules for...