Lisa Brown, our Poultry Plant Manager, has worked at White Oak Pastures since 2012. Next month will mark her sixth year with us. Learn more about Lisa, our Manager of the Month.

“I started in the poultry plant on the bottom of the line plucking feathers. I then worked my way up to the viscera table, where I worked for two years. I was introduced to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) books and started working with the HACCP program and the line. HACCP are the rules and guidelines that you follow to work under the United States Department of Agriculture. I started learning that, along with other office responsibilities until there was a management position available. I went for it, and got it!

Will Harris answers the trending question: "What farmers wish you knew about farming."

When I was an industrial farmer, I'd have said that I wish that you knew how hard it is, how stressful it is, how complicated it is, how much work there is, or...it's hot, cold, wet, dry, dirty, nasty, shitty, greasy, etc, etc, etc...

Now that I farm differently, that is not what I would wish for you to know.

A situation is developing that needs to be brought to your attention. It could be economically devastating to producers of grassfed beef in the United States.

In 1997, a natural twist on a traditional Southern food was born. Kevin and Gayla Shaw began grinding natural white corn into grits for their own personal use. Their creation was a hit when they gave it away in Christmas gifts, so they decided to expand their market.  Gayla’s Grits has always prided itself in keeping the integrity and quality of their grits 100% all natural. In keeping with this standard, non-GMO heirloom seeds are used to grow the corn that is used for their grits on their family farm.

“I’ve always been easy going. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help you. That’s just the way I am”. Meet David Taylor, jack-of-all-trades and Employee of the Month at White Oak Pastures. Read on to get to know David and why he’s so special to our farm.

Located above Atlanta in Suwanee, GA is a locally owned and operated business called Cultured Traditions. Tanya and Charles Sharp bring their Russian tradition to the South with their variety of fermented foods.

Historically, when growing fresh foods was not possible, people learned how to naturally ferment foods to preserve them for storage and use during the winter months. Over time, the health benefits became obvious, and have since been proven to be even more significant. For this reason, consuming fermented foods strictly for their health benefits is quite common.

We love our composting operation that allows us to turn unsellable parts into something that enriches our land years down the road. Therefore, we made it our mission to figure out how to save, dehydrate, and sell some of these extra parts and pieces to our most loyal customers.

Our Pet Chew Department came to life quickly and in full-force! We now save tracheas, esophagus’, feet, noses, ears, etc. from all 10 species raised and processed on our farm, turning them into dehydrated chews. Our customers range from large pet stores in New York, all the way down to small boutiques in Miami, where your average animal lover just wants the best for their pup.

Tell us a little about Whole Dog Market and what you do?

The Whole Dog Market is built on a customer focused experience. We have 4 retail stores in the Atlanta area and one in the Birmingham area. Our primary goal is to listen to our customers and help them find the best food in their price range. Food affects our dogs so much in terms of health and behavior that we start there. Our hand-picked food offering is free of soy, corn, and artificial colorings and dyes.

At White Oak Pastures, we love our pets. Most of our employees have at least one pet! We also love the spoiled life our farm lets us provide for our animals. Pets are family to us, and we want to feed them the same healthy food we feed ourselves. In addition to the vast array of pasture raised, sun-dried pet chews we give our animals, we can feed our pets an all natural, raw diet from our humanely raised 10 species of livestock. White Oak Pastures has no shortage of diet variety for your furry friends, and we can make it all easily accessible by shipping it right from our pastures to your doorstep. We are excited about the growing interest in returning pets to raw diets. We are proud to provide pet owners a range of raw food options. Our products come with the peace of mind that the...

We are extremely honored to be featured in National Geographic's new book "Big Chicken" by award winning author and journalist Maryn McKenna. Maryn's work has appeared in the New York Times, WIRED, the Atlantic, Scientific American and National Geographic. She is a TED speaker and specializes in food and public health policy. Maryn's book "Big Chicken" has already appeared in several prominent magazines such as the most recent publications of National Geographic and The Atlanta.