Will & Jenni Harris @ White Oak Pastures

The Original Regenerative Brand 

On this episode, Anthony and Kyle speak with Will and Jenni Harris from White Oak Pastures, a 160-year-old, zero-waste, regenerative farm in Bluffton, Georgia that raises 10 species of animals living in symbiotic relationships with each other and the land. White Oak has been a pioneer in American grass-fed beef production, selling both Publix and Whole Foods their first domestic-supplied grass-fed beef over a decade ago. Today, White Oak operates a myriad of businesses at their home ranch and their meat products can be found online and in many retailers.

160 Years, 5 Generations, & A Radically Traditional Approach

White Oak Pastures has been in the Harris family for 160 years. Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattleman, initially followed in his father's footsteps as an industrial beef producer. However, disillusionment with the excesses and unintended consequences of conventional agriculture, including overuse of chemical inputs and the impact on land and animals, led him to question the system. As he phased out all of the “-cides” like pesticides and herbicides, he noticed cattle wouldn’t graze unwanted vegetation, sparking the need for other species to manage the pasture naturally. Will began introducing sheep, followed by hogs, goats, and poultry. Through trial, error and looking deeply at what the land needed, he developed a new, regenerative approach.

“I was a very industrial cattleman. I got disillusioned with that management style after twenty years… I saw the unintended consequences of those technologies and I didn’t like it. So I started moving away from it and this is where we wound up.” – Will

Today, White Oak Pastures is a vertically integrated, zero-waste regenerative operation with over 160 employees, making it the largest employer in its county. The farm processes cattle, hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry on-site and operates a commissary kitchen producing jerky, bone broths, pickled vegetables, and jams. Beyond protein, they offer a wide range of value-added goods like pet treats from animal by-products, handmade leather belts and bags, and tallow-based skincare products, soaps, and candles. The farm’s enterprises include a general store, a full-service restaurant, and on-site lodging such as cabins for agritourism. 

The Original Regenerative Brand!

The beginnings of the White Oak Pastures brand were marked by trial, humility, and a little luck. When Will Harris first moved away from industrial cattle raising, he didn’t yet know how to properly grass-finish cattle, and the early beef was tough and lean. To make the most of what he had, he began grinding whole animals into ground beef, which turned out to be a high-quality product. Fortunately, White Oak’s pivot to regenerative production came just as consumer interest in grass-fed beef was beginning to rise. In 2002, Publix became the first retailer to market White Oak's beef as American grass-fed, with Whole Foods following shortly after. Will’s early marketing materials leaned heavily on health claims and the nutrient density of grass-fed beef, but a chance elevator conversation at a food show shifted everything. A man reviewing Will’s brochure remarked, “People don’t want grass-fed—they want to know the farmer.” From that point on, the brand's messaging evolved to emphasize its vertically integrated food system, rooted in animal welfare, land stewardship, and revitalizing the local rural economy.

As White Oak Pastures grew, so did the need to manage the byproducts from their on-farm processing operations—which can generate up to eight tons of waste per day, including bones, organs, and other parts not marketable for human consumption. This sparked the creation of tallow-based goods like skincare products, candles, and soaps, as well as pet treats made from dehydrated hides and organs. In earlier years, they sold many of these components, like jerky cuts and bones, to other brands. Now, however, White Oak Pastures has grown its brand to be able to sell these products under its own label.

“It’s Always Been About What’s Best For The Land”

White Oak Pastures manages its 3,200-acre farm through a highly intentional and adaptive regenerative grazing system. The land is divided into roughly 150-acre paddocks, and three separate herds of cattle rotate daily through these areas. Each paddock is grazed for just one day and then rests for about 50 days. While sheep, goats, hogs, and poultry are also regularly rotated, their movement is tailored to their unique behaviors and ecological roles. The goal is never to overgraze, but rather to strategically place animals where their impact is needed most. Over time, the team has learned to read the land and respond accordingly, developing a nuanced understanding of when and where specific animal impacts are beneficial. 

White Oak has also improved its ability to finish grass-fed beef through better forage and genetics. Still, they recognize that regeneratively raised beef will not look or taste exactly like an industrial prime cut. To bridge the gap, they prioritize consumer education, helping people understand how their beef is different and offering recipes to cook it properly.

Will highlights that White Oak Pastures pursues regenerative ranching because they believe it's the right thing to do, not because it is more lucrative. He admits regenerative ranching is incredibly difficult, risky, and often offers a low return on investment and equity. While conventional farming leads to externalized costs that society has to pay for later (environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, pollution), regenerative ranching, by contrast, requires taking full responsibility for those impacts, which comes with tremendous transition costs, increased operational expenses, and often, a period of lost revenue. While he hopes to see more ranches make the transition, he understands that farmers don’t have the luxury to absorb that kind of financial strain. 

“We have driven so many species into extinction or near extinction, and that has a cost. We did it through farming with chemical fertilizer and pesticides... but the farmer nor the chemical fertilizer manufacturer nor the pesticide manufacturer covers that cost. The cost doesn't fall on the perpetrator. It falls on greater society. So no wonder they sell cheap shit. We're all paying the cost.” - Will

COVID, Rogan, & A Bold Return To Giving A Damn

White Oak Pastures was initially a wholesale-focused business until mandatory country-of-origin labeling was removed and it became harder to compete with imported meat disguised as domestic. They began to explore direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales with some success. Then in March 2020, the pandemic hit and their business tripled almost overnight. That momentum grew exponentially after Will appeared on The Joe Rogan Experience twice. The first time triggered a massive spike in awareness and demand or what Jenni described as “12 weeks of not being able to find our ass with both hands”. When Will and Jenni returned to the show in 2023, the team was ready. They used it as a platform not just to promote White Oak, but to educate the public about regenerative agriculture.

That same year, Will published his book A Bold Return to Giving a Damn, a title inspired by the colorful Southern phrases he and Jenni are known for. Will never planned to write a book, but when approached by literary agents, he agreed on the condition that a professional writer help. After weekly one-to-three-hour calls, that collaboration turned into something he’s proud of, crediting the writer for doing a fantastic job capturing his voice and story.

50% Market Share For Regen

Will and Jenni believe that meaningful change in the food system has to be led by consumers, not corporations. Big food and ag are quick to hijack terms like “regenerative,” often using them for marketing without backing them up with real practice. That’s why Will and Jenni are hesitant to even attach themselves to the word. They believe consumers need to dig deeper and be willing to engage beyond surface-level claims. At the same time, they see a huge opportunity in how social media allows people to connect directly with farmers—to see the land, the animals, and the people behind their food. 

“We don’t aspire to make this the biggest company we can make. We probably are as big as or bigger than we need to be now. So we’re not trying to grow the company. We support other people that want to do this.”​ – Will

Will and Jenni believe regenerative agriculture shouldn’t be scaled, it should be replicated. White Oak Pastures is already as complex as a family-run business can realistically manage, and they have no desire to grow it bigger. What they do want is to help others start similar operations in other regions. Through their 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Center for Agricultural Resilience (CFAR) and internship program, they’re creating pathways for education, mentorship, and hands-on learning. In the future, Will and Jenni hope to see a network of regenerative ranches across the United States delivering fresh, local meat to their regions.

This ReGen Recap was written by Katey Finnegan

You can check out the full episode with Will & Jenni Harris at White Oak Pastures HERE

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