#1893 - Will Harris cover

#1893 - Will Harris

NaN minutesEpisode #1893
Will Harris

Will Harris is a fourth-generation cattleman and farmer. He's the owner of White Oak Pastures: a family farm utilizing regenerative agriculture and humane animal husbandry practices.

www.whiteoakpastures.com

Episode Timestamps

  • Introduction to White Oak Pastures

    • Will Harris discusses his family's history with the farm and introduces the types of animals they raise.
  • Grain-fed Cows are Unnaturally Obese

    • Will Harris explains how grain-fed cows are not natural and how they compare to his cows in terms of weight and lifespan.
  • Changing the model of farming

    • The industrial commodity centralized model led to unintended consequences in animal welfare, which made the speaker change his farming model.
    • Good animal welfare means providing an environment for animals to express instinctive behavior, but the CAFO confinement model doesn't allow that.
    • The speaker changed the way he raised cattle 25 years ago, quitting feeding chicken litter and subtherapeutic antibiotics.
  • Misapplication of technology in agriculture

    • Misapplication of technology makes agriculture destructive, with unintended and undesirable consequences.
    • The speaker's farm employs technology, but reductive science technology may not lend itself to living systems.
    • The speaker talks about the land side of the farm, highlighting the three most damaging things to soil: cultivation, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides.
  • Roundup and glyphosate

    • Many people have Roundup in their blood (estimated at 80%)
    • Some people argue that glyphosate in small amounts is not a big deal, but this is not well understood
    • Glyphosate is not good for people, but the levels at which it becomes toxic are not well known
    • Roundup was invented in the 70s and used until the late 90s
    • Glyphosate is very effective, but practitioners are trying to move away from it due to the harm it causes
  • Battling invasive plants naturally

    • Organic apple cider vinegar and soap are not very efficacious at killing an invasive plant called Tropical Soda Apple
    • Glyphosate is very effective, but its harmful effects have caused practitioners to seek natural alternatives
    • A professor at the University of Florida has brought in a beetle from Paraguay that eats only Tropical Soda Apple
    • Cows, sheep, and goats are effective at killing kudzu, an invasive plant similar to Tropical Soda Apple
    • Concerns about introducing an invasive beetle species that might migrate onto other foods and destroy other plants
  • Scaling up regenerative farming

    • The challenge of scaling up regenerative farming to feed a large population living unnaturally
    • The argument that we shouldn't have 18 million people in one area
    • Most people in the regenerative space are not from an industrial farming background
    • Practitioners of regenerative farming still face resistance from their communities
    • The question of whether we need factory farming to meet the demands of a large population
  • Farming Methods for Earth's Carrying Capacity

    • Debate about the best farming method for the Earth's carrying capacity
    • Industrial farming's use of misused technology
    • Comparison of industrialized and regenerative systems
    • Advantages and disadvantages of both systems
  • Cost of Industrial versus Regenerative Farming

    • Inputs of industrial model to take cost out of production
    • Percentage of cost difference in regenerative model
    • Example of cost of production for grass-fed beef and poultry
    • Externalized costs of production
    • Effects on taxpayers and the environment
  • Externalized expenses and the agricultural industry

    • Farmers receive a small portion of the consumer dollar
    • Big ag takes on the risks and provides services
    • Consumers buy products, not animals
    • Industrial agriculture is efficient but lacks resilience
  • The Savory Institute and complex systems

    • Regenerative farming requires a shift from the industrial model
    • Living systems are complex and cannot be reduced to simple input/output
    • Industrial farming breaks the cycles of nature and produces less abundance
  • The impact of chemical fertilizers on water quality

    • The neighbor's farm has used several hundred pounds of chemical fertilizers on corn.
    • The chemical fertilizers are a contributing factor to the dark and muddy runoff from the neighbor's farm.
    • The runoff also contains herbicide, insecticide, and fungicides.
    • There are no financial consequences for these substances entering the water.
  • The impact of water runoff on Apalachicola Bay

    • The water from the neighbor's farm flows into Apalachicola Bay.
    • Apalachicola Bay was once famous for its oysters, but the area has banned oyster harvesting due to low numbers.
    • Oysters purify water, and their absence has negatively impacted the fishery.
    • The speaker's farm contributes clean water to the bay, while the neighbor's farm's runoff causes pollution.
  • The impact of organic matter on water retention

    • The speaker's farm has achieved an organic matter level of 5% through animal impact.
    • The organic matter allows the farm to absorb more water than the neighbor's farm, which has only a 0.5% organic matter level.
    • The neighbor's farm is an example of industrial farming which results in decreased organic matter.
    • The speaker's farm has a generational view and has invested in the improvement of the land over a long period.
  • Guardian Dogs Protect Poultry from Predators :

    • Guardian dogs (Great Pyrenees, Okbosh, Anatolian Shepherds) protect the poultry from mammal predators like coyotes, foxes, etc.
    • Because the predators are nocturnal, the dogs are trained to be nocturnal too.
    • However, during the daytime, the birds are susceptible to attacks from raptors.
    • Electric netting around the birds' area helped to keep the dogs in and reduced the likelihood of raptor attacks.
  • Industrial System's Impact on the Environment :

    • The speaker believes that the industrial system's siloed, reductionist approach to science has negatively impacted complex cyclical systems.
    • The speaker believes that the industrial system is a recent development in human history.
    • The speaker describes how university education in animal nutrition and health focuses on separate disciplines and undermines the wholism of complex systems.
    • The speaker argues that running whole systems is not taught enough in universities.
  • Industrialization and Centralization of Agriculture

    • Industrialization of agriculture damaged land, water, and environment
    • Centralization of agriculture impoverished rural America
    • Commoditization also negatively impacted agriculture
    • Alternative farming methods can re-enrich the land and local economy
  • Positive Economic Impact on Communities

    • White Oak Passage is the largest private employer in the county
    • Majority of the people in the town are employed by White Oak Passage
    • White Oak Passage has helped employment rate by 128.75%
    • White Oak Passage brought high-speed internet to the town
  • Raising animal agriculture is not inherently evil and can be beneficial

    • Harris opposes the idea of raising animal agriculture being inherently evil
    • Raising animal agriculture correctly can benefit the environment and society
    • If Bill Gates adopted Harris's practices, it would be a net positive for everyone
    • Harris hopes someone like Gates will realize the benefits of regenerative agriculture
  • Carbon is not inherently bad, managing land properly can be a solution to climate change

    • Harris believes carbon is being villainized intentionally
    • The focus on carbon is preventing discussions about other elements of nature
    • Technology can't solve climate change, managing land properly can be a solution
    • Proper management of land is a natural way of addressing climate change
  • Concerns about narratives surrounding the plant-based protein industry

    • Harris questions how the narrative about cattle destroying the earth caught on
    • The narrative surrounding carbon may be intentional as well
    • There's a lot of money to be made in the technology that takes carbon out of the air
    • Harris isn't worried about losing his customer base to the plant-based protein industry
  • Local food and Greenwashing

    • Local food production has a lesser carbon footprint
    • Whole Foods Market is a big customer of the speaker but their relationship is cooling down
    • Greenwashing is the practice of big food advertising using misleading terms to convince consumers that their product is the same as local, sustainable and organic food products
  • Inaccurate Numbers and Greenwashing

    • Whole Foods says their step rating system includes 2,451 farms and ranches but the speaker thinks the number of step five plus producers is much smaller than that
    • The speaker thinks Whole Foods is using misleading terms to make their products sound better than they actually are, a practice known as greenwashing
    • The speaker thinks Publix and other supermarkets are more honest in their marketing and sales practices compared to Whole Foods
  • The Problem with Bullshit

    • The speaker doesn't care if Whole Foods stops doing business with them because they don't want to participate in greenwashing practices
    • The speaker prefers honesty and integrity in business practices even if it means more work and less profit
    • The speaker thinks the mission and values of the host's company are attractive and aligned with their own values
  • Zero Waste Farming

    • White Oak Pastures operates at zero waste.
    • They slaughter around 100 cows, 40 hogs, 40 sheep and goats, and 1000 birds a week.
    • This generates about nine tons of nutrient waste, which they compost and use to fertilize the land.
    • The farm uses all parts of the animals, including the liver, heart, bones, and fat, to make a range of products like lard and tallow.
    • They also dehydrate organs like tracheas and penises to make pet treats.
  • Solar Grazing

    • White Oak Pastures has partnered with a company called Silicon Ranch to graze their solar voltaic production land.
    • The CEO of Silicon Ranch initially didn't see the benefit of grazing for the land, but was convinced by the farm's explanation of natural systems and microbial cycles.
    • By grazing on the solar land, the farm will help with vegetation control and improve the land's health.
    • Solar grazing could become a new trend with the millions of acres being used for solar voltaic production.
    • This partnership also provides opportunities for underserved farms and farmers who don't have access to their own land.
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