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A Bold Return to Giving a Damn: One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food
"If I could have one wish it is that every eater in America would read this book." —Ruth Reichl
From a pioneer of the regenerative agriculture movement, a memoir-meets-manifesto on betting the farm on a better future for our food, animals, land, local communities, and our climate
Raised as a fourth-generation farmer, when Will Harris inherited White Oak Pastures he was a full-time commodity cowboy who played hard and fast with every tool the system offered – chemicals, antibiotics, steroids, and more. His ancestors had built a highly profitable, conventionally-run machine, but over time he found himself disgusted with the excess, cruelty, and smalltown devastation this system entailed. So he bet the farm on forging a different way of doing things. One that works with nature not against it, and bridges the quickly widening delta between consumers and their food. Armed with tenacity, conviction and an outsized tolerance for risk, Harris called his approach “radical traditional” and it made him the pioneer of regenerative agriculture long before the phrase existed.
At once an intimate, multi-generational memoir and a microcosm of American agriculture at large, A BOLD RETURN TO GIVING A DAMN offers a pathway back to producing food the right way. At a time when food supply chains are straining, climate-induced catastrophes are playing havoc with harvests, and concern around who owns America’s farmland are more prescient than ever, Will Harris urges us to consider where the food we eat really comes from, and to re-connect to the places and people who raise what we eat each day. With keen storytelling, a good dose of irreverence, and an unflinching willingness to speak truth to power, Harris shows us why it’s never been more important to know your farmer than now.
Featured in Food and Country directed by Laura Gabbert and Ruth Reichl
From a pioneer of the regenerative agriculture movement, a memoir-meets-manifesto on betting the farm on a better future for our food, animals, land, local communities, and our climate
Raised as a fourth-generation farmer, when Will Harris inherited White Oak Pastures he was a full-time commodity cowboy who played hard and fast with every tool the system offered – chemicals, antibiotics, steroids, and more. His ancestors had built a highly profitable, conventionally-run machine, but over time he found himself disgusted with the excess, cruelty, and smalltown devastation this system entailed. So he bet the farm on forging a different way of doing things. One that works with nature not against it, and bridges the quickly widening delta between consumers and their food. Armed with tenacity, conviction and an outsized tolerance for risk, Harris called his approach “radical traditional” and it made him the pioneer of regenerative agriculture long before the phrase existed.
At once an intimate, multi-generational memoir and a microcosm of American agriculture at large, A BOLD RETURN TO GIVING A DAMN offers a pathway back to producing food the right way. At a time when food supply chains are straining, climate-induced catastrophes are playing havoc with harvests, and concern around who owns America’s farmland are more prescient than ever, Will Harris urges us to consider where the food we eat really comes from, and to re-connect to the places and people who raise what we eat each day. With keen storytelling, a good dose of irreverence, and an unflinching willingness to speak truth to power, Harris shows us why it’s never been more important to know your farmer than now.
Featured in Food and Country directed by Laura Gabbert and Ruth Reichl
304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2023
About the author
Will Harris
42 books13 followersPlease be aware that there are several authors listed under this name here, so the books shown below are written by different authors.
More authors of this name, identified by an addition in brackets, can be found here:
Will Harris (UK Poet)
Will Harris (Life Coach)
More authors of this name, identified by an addition in brackets, can be found here:
Will Harris (UK Poet)
Will Harris (Life Coach)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
December 20, 2023
Will Harris is the 4th generation to farm his family's land in Georgia. His father started industrializing their farm and Will picked it up and continued in that vein for awhile as well. Then he started to realize that industrial farming was hurting everything - their land, the animals, the farmers, the community, and even the food. Because he was already financially stable, he started making incremental changes that over time lead to some very big changes. He eventually built a slaughter facility on his farm to be able to control even how his animals were slaughtered. White Oak Pastures farm now has 6 generations of the Harris family living on it and is considered a pioneer in the regenerative farming movement.
I was all set to LOVE this book, but I was disappointed. The writing felt very rambling and could have been organized better. It also seems a little suspicious that suddenly Will Harris had this epiphany one day while his cattle were being loaded to go to a feed lot and he decided to completely change every aspect of the farm. That needed to be more fleshed out in my opinion. It was portrayed like this overnight HUGE change. While he did talk about things that were failures as he started to transition the farm, overall the depiction of this seemed a little too easy and simplistic. I also found it interesting that his father started having dementia in his early 60's and it was never mentioned that maybe that was because of all the chemicals he used and was exposed to while farming. But this was the reason Will came back to the farm to run things when his Dad started to decline more.
I also did not appreciate that he acted like he was THE regenerative farming pioneer and NO ONE ELSE WAS DOING THIS at the time. Polyface farm started in 1961 - they didn't achieve the fame they have now until later when Joel was running it, but other people were doing regenerative farming in the US before the 1990's. Maybe Harris didn't know about Joel Salatin. But that's hard to imagine as it was a very small world of farmers like that in the 90's and early 2000's. He never mentioned Joel or Polyface at all which seemed odd to me as Joel is such a huge voice for this movement and has been for a LONG time. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan that featured Joel was published in 2006 and really sparked a lot of the public interest in this kind of farming and food.
Overall, I just didn't care for the tone of the book. Harris comes across as arrogant in my opinion and like he was the only one doing this for so long (which is not the case). The book was rambling and kind of all over the place. There are many MUCH better books out there about regenerative farming and the pioneers, or current voices, of the movement. Check out anything written by Joel Salatin or Ben Hewitt.
There were some quotes I liked:
"Separating animals from the landscapes they evolved to live on - grasslands for herbivores, forests for hogs - was our original sin. Moving them indoors into industrial-scale houses, or fully away from their natural environment in concrete feedlots, was the ultimate arrogance." (p. 125-26)
"I believe that to raise food the right way, humane slaughter must be brought under the farmer's oversight - whether it happens on their own farm is not as important as whether the farmer has a direct connection to the process, and some influence over how it is done. This is extremely unusual even today." (p. 136)
[During COVID] "On our cyclical farm we didn't miss a beat. That's not said from a place of arrogance. But the pandemic impacted us a lot less than it impacted the Big Food system, because we are not as dependent on external sources for the things we need done, and we don't rely on other entities to take our products to market. Building a system in which we have control over production, processing, and marketing made it easier for us to pivot under duress." (p. 244)
I was all set to LOVE this book, but I was disappointed. The writing felt very rambling and could have been organized better. It also seems a little suspicious that suddenly Will Harris had this epiphany one day while his cattle were being loaded to go to a feed lot and he decided to completely change every aspect of the farm. That needed to be more fleshed out in my opinion. It was portrayed like this overnight HUGE change. While he did talk about things that were failures as he started to transition the farm, overall the depiction of this seemed a little too easy and simplistic. I also found it interesting that his father started having dementia in his early 60's and it was never mentioned that maybe that was because of all the chemicals he used and was exposed to while farming. But this was the reason Will came back to the farm to run things when his Dad started to decline more.
I also did not appreciate that he acted like he was THE regenerative farming pioneer and NO ONE ELSE WAS DOING THIS at the time. Polyface farm started in 1961 - they didn't achieve the fame they have now until later when Joel was running it, but other people were doing regenerative farming in the US before the 1990's. Maybe Harris didn't know about Joel Salatin. But that's hard to imagine as it was a very small world of farmers like that in the 90's and early 2000's. He never mentioned Joel or Polyface at all which seemed odd to me as Joel is such a huge voice for this movement and has been for a LONG time. The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan that featured Joel was published in 2006 and really sparked a lot of the public interest in this kind of farming and food.
Overall, I just didn't care for the tone of the book. Harris comes across as arrogant in my opinion and like he was the only one doing this for so long (which is not the case). The book was rambling and kind of all over the place. There are many MUCH better books out there about regenerative farming and the pioneers, or current voices, of the movement. Check out anything written by Joel Salatin or Ben Hewitt.
There were some quotes I liked:
"Separating animals from the landscapes they evolved to live on - grasslands for herbivores, forests for hogs - was our original sin. Moving them indoors into industrial-scale houses, or fully away from their natural environment in concrete feedlots, was the ultimate arrogance." (p. 125-26)
"I believe that to raise food the right way, humane slaughter must be brought under the farmer's oversight - whether it happens on their own farm is not as important as whether the farmer has a direct connection to the process, and some influence over how it is done. This is extremely unusual even today." (p. 136)
[During COVID] "On our cyclical farm we didn't miss a beat. That's not said from a place of arrogance. But the pandemic impacted us a lot less than it impacted the Big Food system, because we are not as dependent on external sources for the things we need done, and we don't rely on other entities to take our products to market. Building a system in which we have control over production, processing, and marketing made it easier for us to pivot under duress." (p. 244)
October 14, 2023
If I could give it 6 stars I would. One of the most important books I've read in years, and in the top 3 books I wish every American would read.
November 8, 2023
I had no idea of what I’d be reading (or listening to on Audible) but I fell in love with it immediately. Being from the south I love a great good old boy southern accent and Will Harris reading his own book was icing on the cake! He took us on such a journey with his family farm and how he was able to turn it around and also provide the next generation or two with sustainable farming. Anyone who is truly concerned about our environment and how the cattle commodity is much like our food commodities, keeping the environment poor and what goes into our bodies in poor health should really read this book. Best book I’ve read in years!!!!
November 9, 2023
I’m still pulling my thoughts together after having read this book, so I will likely come back and change this review after some time but here are my initial thoughts.
The author is not an exceptional writer. He rambles a bit and tends to repeat himself. I think this is an important part of the book, though. He’s not a scientist and he’s not an academic; he’s a farmer. He knows more about farming than I ever will and I’m deeply grateful that he had the courage to write this book.
I think of myself as well educated on agricultural matters. I worked on organic farms out of college and went to a number of conventions as well. Will Harris showed me that I still have a lot to learn.
Harris spells out the many reasons we must transition our farming economy away from the industrial, commodity, centralized system that is in place today. Perhaps the most compelling reason is that system’s vulnerability. Add to that the impacts on the environment and on rural economies and you begin to see that regenerative agriculture is the solution to so many of our societies ills that the only sane response is gratitude that someone figured it out and that people are making it happen.
Harris explains the transformation that took place on his farm with a reverence for nature that is authentic and moving. He’s got a no nonsense way of thinking and writing based on years of tough decisions that put the health of his family, land, and animals first. He explains how his regenerative model regenerated more than just his farm and revitalized his poor rural town - even drawing in young people from around the country. He also addresses the absurdities in the way our economy values things - using the example of a field appraiser who said according to the rules he has to follow, a fertile piece of land has the same value as one that is essentially a desert. Harris asks us to consider the “true cost” of the cheap food that comes out of the industrial system - the cost in environmental clean up, in the long term treatment of chronic illness, in the devastation of the rural economy.
Regenerative agriculture on the other hand gives farmers the opportunity to get out of the debt cycle, to farm with integrity and autonomy, and to regain their rightful place as a pillar of rural economies. But Harris does not sugarcoat it. The transition can be costly and stressful. Luckily, todays farmers have people like Harris and host of older farmers to show them some of the ropes and to make that transition smoother and easier.
I hope every person who eats food and every farmer who grows it will read this book.
The author is not an exceptional writer. He rambles a bit and tends to repeat himself. I think this is an important part of the book, though. He’s not a scientist and he’s not an academic; he’s a farmer. He knows more about farming than I ever will and I’m deeply grateful that he had the courage to write this book.
I think of myself as well educated on agricultural matters. I worked on organic farms out of college and went to a number of conventions as well. Will Harris showed me that I still have a lot to learn.
Harris spells out the many reasons we must transition our farming economy away from the industrial, commodity, centralized system that is in place today. Perhaps the most compelling reason is that system’s vulnerability. Add to that the impacts on the environment and on rural economies and you begin to see that regenerative agriculture is the solution to so many of our societies ills that the only sane response is gratitude that someone figured it out and that people are making it happen.
Harris explains the transformation that took place on his farm with a reverence for nature that is authentic and moving. He’s got a no nonsense way of thinking and writing based on years of tough decisions that put the health of his family, land, and animals first. He explains how his regenerative model regenerated more than just his farm and revitalized his poor rural town - even drawing in young people from around the country. He also addresses the absurdities in the way our economy values things - using the example of a field appraiser who said according to the rules he has to follow, a fertile piece of land has the same value as one that is essentially a desert. Harris asks us to consider the “true cost” of the cheap food that comes out of the industrial system - the cost in environmental clean up, in the long term treatment of chronic illness, in the devastation of the rural economy.
Regenerative agriculture on the other hand gives farmers the opportunity to get out of the debt cycle, to farm with integrity and autonomy, and to regain their rightful place as a pillar of rural economies. But Harris does not sugarcoat it. The transition can be costly and stressful. Luckily, todays farmers have people like Harris and host of older farmers to show them some of the ropes and to make that transition smoother and easier.
I hope every person who eats food and every farmer who grows it will read this book.
October 10, 2023
Special thanks to Viking and the Goodreads Giveaways for my having received a copy of A Bold Return to Giving a Damn!
I found this book an engrossing read; it really met me where I was at as someone with a casual knowledge of sustainable practices open to discovering more. Moreover, I very much appreciated that the text does not present a blindly idealistic picture and that the vision has instead been interwoven with a degree of pragmatism befitting one with a life’s worth of real-world experience.
I do wonder, however, if those who are already well acquainted with what is currently referred to as the regenerative agriculture movement would get quite as much out of this read as I. That said, I think there are prescient points raised within the text that would merit even the consideration of those better versed in this matter.
I found this book an engrossing read; it really met me where I was at as someone with a casual knowledge of sustainable practices open to discovering more. Moreover, I very much appreciated that the text does not present a blindly idealistic picture and that the vision has instead been interwoven with a degree of pragmatism befitting one with a life’s worth of real-world experience.
I do wonder, however, if those who are already well acquainted with what is currently referred to as the regenerative agriculture movement would get quite as much out of this read as I. That said, I think there are prescient points raised within the text that would merit even the consideration of those better versed in this matter.
November 13, 2023
".. a book that is based on experiential wisdom in a time when the greater public worships at the altar of reductive science."
This is an important concept and this book really resonates with me; I truly hope that these methods and this mentality take hold to carve out the brunt of agricultural entrepreneurship to come. Beyond the deep necessity of change is an endearing tone that makes for an inspiring read about the no nonsense approach of 'those damn Harrises' and which offers insight to the complexity of the problems we face, because we have abandoned our alliance with nature.
Highly recommend to anyone who eats.
This is an important concept and this book really resonates with me; I truly hope that these methods and this mentality take hold to carve out the brunt of agricultural entrepreneurship to come. Beyond the deep necessity of change is an endearing tone that makes for an inspiring read about the no nonsense approach of 'those damn Harrises' and which offers insight to the complexity of the problems we face, because we have abandoned our alliance with nature.
Highly recommend to anyone who eats.
January 14, 2024
This man has SOMETHING TO SAY. His wisdom has been earned after decades of experience. He's clearly identified a big problem, and he knows how to fix it. Is anybody listening? The book itself is well-written and readable. I recommend it for anybody who eats.
February 13, 2024
Great insight into where our food comes from, specifically meat. If you care about where your food comes from or care about the health of animals, you should read this. Will Harris cares about his farm and animals and the future of this country, unlike the big corporations that deal with our food.
November 14, 2023
I read this book cover to cover in an afternoon. Brilliant. Honest. Inspired. Necessary.
June 11, 2024
Absolute game-changer. Puts a whole new perspective on what we think we know about what we consume and the monopoly that is Big Agriculture.
July 4, 2024
Insightful story … highly recommend!! Everyone who eats meat should read this book.
November 9, 2023
This is a must read for anyone that consumes food. I wish I could have listened to it as an audio book with Will narrating. He truly understands farming both as a conventional farmer (he does not shy away from his past or his former way if doing things) and as a regenerative farmer. He took himself out of the industrial food system and shares the struggles he encountered along the way.
November 9, 2023
Eye-opening and inspiring, whether you raise plants and animals or simply eat them. Highly recommend to anyone in either category.
January 9, 2024
Loads of important information in here regarding the food we eat. Not exactly a thrilling read but definitely educational. It was eye opening how little we care about what we put in our bodies just because we are told "it is safe and healthy". Hmm, actually that sounds awfully familiar and was definitely not true when I last heard it. The start of the book was pretty slow and lacked substance, which almost had me walking away from it, but I am glad I stuck with it.
Much of the contents was already known to me but I was certainly lacking the specifics. Some things like imported meats being allowed to be stamped "product of the USA" just because it is packaged here or technical things like letting a caged chicken sit outside on a concrete pad for a few minutes is enough for it to be sold as "free range". Or factory farms that never let their cattle outside to roam actually can sell their product as "grass fed". With things like that, it is no wonder that health (mental and physical) is on a decline in the USA. Our food supply has very obviously been compromised by practices that make more money for inferior products. Since we source these products, both plants and animals, for our own consumption, it is a pretty "duh" moment that we would be negatively affected ourselves.
Mr.Harris did not disguise that his product is more expensive than corporate farms and ranches. I think he even said it was around 30% and goes up from there on choice products. He was also quite aware that such an increase is a deal breaker for many an American. In a time when the economy is failing and wages have been stagnant, many families are forced to buy the cheapest things they can find. I know from my own experience that processed foods that are made as cheaply as possibly have an effect on my body that is not to my benefit. I make home cooked meals but are my ingredients ethically sourced and are the plants and animals healthy or instead pumped full of chemicals to promote immediate growth while sacrificing longevity? No..sadly they are probably not. I feel Mr.Harris' farm is probably an outlier in the industry and most grocery stores would not waste shelf space.on products that are more expensive than what they already have.
White oak pastures is something that I will be looking into further and finding regenerative farming practices locally is also probably a good idea for the future. Although, as was stated toward the end, many phrases like that have been bastardized by big corporations and their friends the politicians who can slap a pretty bow on even the most cruel and backwards of practices. So unless I can go talk to an actual Amish farmer and sourced directly from people like that, the product is likely substandard and any claim to having a better practice is likely a smokescreen. Reminds me of when I bought my car and the sticker said "Made in USA"...except every part listed was produced in another country. It was just put together here and that apparently is enough to make the lies acceptable.
Much of the contents was already known to me but I was certainly lacking the specifics. Some things like imported meats being allowed to be stamped "product of the USA" just because it is packaged here or technical things like letting a caged chicken sit outside on a concrete pad for a few minutes is enough for it to be sold as "free range". Or factory farms that never let their cattle outside to roam actually can sell their product as "grass fed". With things like that, it is no wonder that health (mental and physical) is on a decline in the USA. Our food supply has very obviously been compromised by practices that make more money for inferior products. Since we source these products, both plants and animals, for our own consumption, it is a pretty "duh" moment that we would be negatively affected ourselves.
Mr.Harris did not disguise that his product is more expensive than corporate farms and ranches. I think he even said it was around 30% and goes up from there on choice products. He was also quite aware that such an increase is a deal breaker for many an American. In a time when the economy is failing and wages have been stagnant, many families are forced to buy the cheapest things they can find. I know from my own experience that processed foods that are made as cheaply as possibly have an effect on my body that is not to my benefit. I make home cooked meals but are my ingredients ethically sourced and are the plants and animals healthy or instead pumped full of chemicals to promote immediate growth while sacrificing longevity? No..sadly they are probably not. I feel Mr.Harris' farm is probably an outlier in the industry and most grocery stores would not waste shelf space.on products that are more expensive than what they already have.
White oak pastures is something that I will be looking into further and finding regenerative farming practices locally is also probably a good idea for the future. Although, as was stated toward the end, many phrases like that have been bastardized by big corporations and their friends the politicians who can slap a pretty bow on even the most cruel and backwards of practices. So unless I can go talk to an actual Amish farmer and sourced directly from people like that, the product is likely substandard and any claim to having a better practice is likely a smokescreen. Reminds me of when I bought my car and the sticker said "Made in USA"...except every part listed was produced in another country. It was just put together here and that apparently is enough to make the lies acceptable.
January 1, 2024
I came across Mr. Will Harris via an instagram reel. He was reading an excerpt from this book and when I found out he had done the audio version I immediately purchased a copy.
I knew I wasn’t purchasing a how to book on regenerative farming. Hell, I’m not a farmer. I aspire to have a successful hobby flower farm and and some back yard chickens but I’m not about to purchase acres of land and start raising animals. What I do have is a desire to improve the land I have and to be more informed about the food we purchase.
This book was a story about a wrong turn made right with a lot of hard work and luck sprinkled in. It was informative, inspiring, and there were parts that pissed me off. Not with what the Harris family is doing,rather with those that seek to make a profit with no concern about the impact their decisions have on the lives outside their circle of greed.
I’ve seen other reviews that label Mr. Harris as arrogant. I didn’t get that. He mentioned several times how he knew he was fortunate to be in the position he was in when they started to change their farming practice. How he learned from others in the process, and also learned a lot of things the hard way.
I finished the book wanting to know more. Any book that sets me on the path of researching how to do better while I’m still drawing breath is a good one in my opinion.
And anyone who has “An unwavering commitment to integrity and a profound intolerance for assholes.” are my kind of people. So maybe I’m just partial. ;)
I knew I wasn’t purchasing a how to book on regenerative farming. Hell, I’m not a farmer. I aspire to have a successful hobby flower farm and and some back yard chickens but I’m not about to purchase acres of land and start raising animals. What I do have is a desire to improve the land I have and to be more informed about the food we purchase.
This book was a story about a wrong turn made right with a lot of hard work and luck sprinkled in. It was informative, inspiring, and there were parts that pissed me off. Not with what the Harris family is doing,rather with those that seek to make a profit with no concern about the impact their decisions have on the lives outside their circle of greed.
I’ve seen other reviews that label Mr. Harris as arrogant. I didn’t get that. He mentioned several times how he knew he was fortunate to be in the position he was in when they started to change their farming practice. How he learned from others in the process, and also learned a lot of things the hard way.
I finished the book wanting to know more. Any book that sets me on the path of researching how to do better while I’m still drawing breath is a good one in my opinion.
And anyone who has “An unwavering commitment to integrity and a profound intolerance for assholes.” are my kind of people. So maybe I’m just partial. ;)
January 16, 2024
“I’ve lived through many other moments of food system fragility.” 243
“The change just isn’t gonna happened the way I always thought it would, like a tsunami, fast and devastating, taking down everything old and rebuild again. “ 246
Chapter 4 is the core of the book: “If farmers want to raise food in a way that is better for all concerned, and if they don’t want to hand over a legacy of desertification, depleted soils, and polluted water to the next generation, they have to stop focusing on the end products and turn around to focus on nature as the source of life and growth.” (p. 75)
But….read his pages.
His ideas began when he was a college student in a school that had a major focus on how farms. There would be a very different of how food is made, based on the only times but still with the materials and machines that we have.
He says, “…I’m a nature-born skeptic, a person who is not found out outside authorities telling me what to believe, and certainly not telling me what to do on my own land.”
Reading the book got me thinking often of how he could do this. But, it’s a book to know—even if you’re not making your own food.
“The change just isn’t gonna happened the way I always thought it would, like a tsunami, fast and devastating, taking down everything old and rebuild again. “ 246
Chapter 4 is the core of the book: “If farmers want to raise food in a way that is better for all concerned, and if they don’t want to hand over a legacy of desertification, depleted soils, and polluted water to the next generation, they have to stop focusing on the end products and turn around to focus on nature as the source of life and growth.” (p. 75)
But….read his pages.
His ideas began when he was a college student in a school that had a major focus on how farms. There would be a very different of how food is made, based on the only times but still with the materials and machines that we have.
He says, “…I’m a nature-born skeptic, a person who is not found out outside authorities telling me what to believe, and certainly not telling me what to do on my own land.”
Reading the book got me thinking often of how he could do this. But, it’s a book to know—even if you’re not making your own food.
February 7, 2024
Anyone concerned about factory farms, corporate agriculture, and/or the health of the food these systems produce, will want to read Will Harris's book. A sixth-generation Georgia farmer, Harris realized one day that he was but a small cog in the mass production of our food and he wanted off the hamster wheel. What he's done since that day in 1995 turn a farm a monoculture farm into a holistic, resiliant enterprise that has improved the health of the soil, animals and community in which it's located. Harris admits he benefited from inheriting land and no debt, yet what he's undertaken to transform his farm has cost him plenty and is not a task for the weak of heart.
If you're squeamish about straightforward, barnyard language leave this book on the shelf. If you care about the future of agriculture, give it a read.
If you're squeamish about straightforward, barnyard language leave this book on the shelf. If you care about the future of agriculture, give it a read.
January 7, 2024
I am really inspired by the regenerative agriculture movement and also enjoyed Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown and all three of Judith Schwartz's books in 2023. If you are interested at all in where your food comes from, what's wrong with industrial agriculture, or ways to reverse climate change, this is a must-read. Harris is a fourth-generation Georgia cattle rancher in a poor county who isn't what you picture when you think of an environmentalist. His story of transitioning his family ranch to a more humane, more sustainable model over a 25-year period is really enlightening and inspiring and told in a simple, highly readable way. I've often wished people cared more about why so much meat is so cheap. I hope people will read this and think more about the real cost of cheap meat.
April 21, 2024
I normally knock a point off my rating when the author comes across as a know-it-all blowhard, but this is an exception where I think that is EXACTLY the tone this book needed. Equal parts memoir and manifesto, Will Harris comes across as a hard-charging, take-no-prisoners cattle rancher from southern Georgia - except he's a regenerative farmer hell-bent on doing what's right for all of the cycles of nature, including the soil and his herd.
If we want to get back to understanding the holistic, true production cost of our food, we need more reformed industrial ag farmers sharing their stories like Will Harris has. The first thing I did after finishing this book is Google regenerative farms near me, and I look forward to visiting 2 of them in the near future.
If we want to get back to understanding the holistic, true production cost of our food, we need more reformed industrial ag farmers sharing their stories like Will Harris has. The first thing I did after finishing this book is Google regenerative farms near me, and I look forward to visiting 2 of them in the near future.
November 28, 2023
A very thought provoking look into the rebirth of an all natural, God created agricultural cycle for food production vs the industrialized production.
As a rare, one with farm experience, it took me back to the things I valued and treasured. The historical evolution of food production transformation and the long term cost/benefit analysis was eye opening.
While focused on the food system, the author raises questions transferable to other societal system transformations that have been hijacked for ‘the public good’, only to realize the hijackers had self-serving nefarious intents.
I’m going to find my local farmers who practice regeneration resilience farming for the long term.
As a rare, one with farm experience, it took me back to the things I valued and treasured. The historical evolution of food production transformation and the long term cost/benefit analysis was eye opening.
While focused on the food system, the author raises questions transferable to other societal system transformations that have been hijacked for ‘the public good’, only to realize the hijackers had self-serving nefarious intents.
I’m going to find my local farmers who practice regeneration resilience farming for the long term.
February 21, 2024
This is the story of White Oak Pastures. It will also show you (from a high level) why the US food system is unsustainable and overall bad for the environment and probably your own health.
This is not a how-to on regenerative farming. There are mentions of some concepts (rotational grazing, monoculture, etc) but you will not learn how to start a regenerative farm.
This book is for someone who doesn't know that our current agricultural system has issues, or those who like stories about a man with a huge head start transforming his business from a profitable destructive one to a less profitable regenerative one.
This is not a how-to on regenerative farming. There are mentions of some concepts (rotational grazing, monoculture, etc) but you will not learn how to start a regenerative farm.
This book is for someone who doesn't know that our current agricultural system has issues, or those who like stories about a man with a huge head start transforming his business from a profitable destructive one to a less profitable regenerative one.
July 29, 2024
An introspective journey about how a farm transformed from a high yied system to a sturdy, almost self-sufficient system for their farm and themselves.
He brings up a lot of great points about how creating a farm that works with the land and not just bleeding it dry will lead to generations of healthy crops and livestock. Something we desperately need more of around here.
I wish there were more data points to dig through, but with 25 years of product margins and a few food scarcity crises, the facts are hard to pass by. I'm excited to find more books about how to implement some of these ideas he shares, because actions, at the end of the day, speak louder than words.
He brings up a lot of great points about how creating a farm that works with the land and not just bleeding it dry will lead to generations of healthy crops and livestock. Something we desperately need more of around here.
I wish there were more data points to dig through, but with 25 years of product margins and a few food scarcity crises, the facts are hard to pass by. I'm excited to find more books about how to implement some of these ideas he shares, because actions, at the end of the day, speak louder than words.
December 31, 2023
Audiobook read by the author. Book so good I got the "real thing" for my brother and dad for Christmas. Incredible story of transitioning to a better way of animal Husbandry and land management. I've been following the Regenerative Agriculture movement for several years now and I had never internalized the amount of effort an existing farmer/ rancher would have to put in to change. It's a complete paradigm shift. But then again the transition to our current form of farming took decades as well. Hopefully we can see more success stories like this in the near future.
January 4, 2024
As a vegetarian, this book has totally shifted my beliefs towards a climate positive diet. Animal agriculture not only isn’t the problem but it holds the a piece of the solution. Will not stop thinking about holistic land management and the value that raising herds has on the land, the people, and rural communities. Where I used to think climate and agriculture solutions existed in plant based diets, I now see I was missing the larger picture. Regenerative ranching
is where it is as at!!! Get to know your farmer! Question everything!!
is where it is as at!!! Get to know your farmer! Question everything!!
February 22, 2024
The content is good and the observations made about Corporate entities and government sending conflicted messages to consumers is valid but OMG, the rambling made certain sections unreadable. I found myself skipping paragraphs to just find the point. I enjoy listening to Will Harris via podcasts but whoever did the editing for this book needs to go back and reorganize the thoughts.
Great content, poor editing. Recommend you listen rather than try reading! Sorry Will but your message is too important to get lost in the weeds!
Great content, poor editing. Recommend you listen rather than try reading! Sorry Will but your message is too important to get lost in the weeds!
July 24, 2024
3 1/2 stars. Do not attempt to listen to the audiobook. The narration is truly horrible. Sorry but true. I switched over to the ebook after painfully suffering through only a few pages of listening. The book is quite interesting and very educational. I am a plant based eater but don’t take issue with anyone who chooses to eat meat or chicken. I did like his stance on humane “slaughtering” however in reality, this and the remainder of his way of life will most likely never become the norm. People are too greedy and can’t be bothered to do right by the animals or the land.
February 4, 2024
Really a fascinating and phenomenally explained book on agriculture. I am an industrial farmer per his terms but I must say his perspectives really got me thinking in new ways. This book is beyond its years. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the ending- it felt preachy like driving home an agenda when the whole premise of the book was based on more open minded thinking. Overall a highly recommended book full of truth, transparency and grit!
May 6, 2024
One person can make a difference!
Will Harris style is easy to read with a Common sense approach to land management and food production. His example shows how one person, driven by a passion for what's best for the long term and not short term greed can fuel a movement that's worth being part of. Good food, healthy land, and engaged communities are in everyone's best interest. Read this book and become part of a grass roots movement for responsible consumption.
Will Harris style is easy to read with a Common sense approach to land management and food production. His example shows how one person, driven by a passion for what's best for the long term and not short term greed can fuel a movement that's worth being part of. Good food, healthy land, and engaged communities are in everyone's best interest. Read this book and become part of a grass roots movement for responsible consumption.
December 3, 2023
A MUST Read for Anyone Who Eats
I learned so much from this book. Even more in depth than I ever imagined and some went over my head honestly. BUT he’s preaching something VERY important, and it’s gonna take everyone standing up to make any kind of change. Oh and he cusses a lot, but I promise his message and heart is worth it. A good honest man, and those are hard to find.
I learned so much from this book. Even more in depth than I ever imagined and some went over my head honestly. BUT he’s preaching something VERY important, and it’s gonna take everyone standing up to make any kind of change. Oh and he cusses a lot, but I promise his message and heart is worth it. A good honest man, and those are hard to find.
February 7, 2024
Eaters do need to read this and think about the facts presented with big ag. There is a cost for that cheap meat and the inhumane conditions we accept with livestock all so our cheeseburgers don't cost too much so I am giving it a 5. But Mr. Harris' bluster in the telling stretches a bit too far in many places.
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