Free Range = Free Chicken

Bluffton, Georgia 5 to 7 hours later depending on your tolerance for windshield time and appetite for roadside jerky and boiled peanuts.

On a recent visit to White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia we caught up with Mr. Will Harris to get a behind-the-scenes look at the farm.

White Oak supplies a good percentage of the grass fed beef throughout the southeast United States to boutique and large grocery market chains. Their heritage runs deep and their business operation has become an icon for large corporations seeking to connect with their millennial consumers with marketing efforts and “partnerships” with smaller farms and livestock producers.

The conversation was casual but passionate about his beliefs, way of life, and how he runs an  livestock operation and a town. Jumping in his Jeep with a six shooter dangling on the back of the passenger seat, we took a long look at how he combines the needs of his animals and that of his business.  It was a balance between environmental stewardship and and capitalism.

One vivid memory that we will take away is the interaction of mother nature and high intensity Agriculture.  The free range chickens are truly that.  There is nothing commercial about it and the local eagle population is benefiting.  Circling like vultures, free range is free chicken for them…..

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Weld is a great road trip album. It’s almost as good as Rust Never Sleeps, but Tonight’s the Night, F*!#in’ Up and Cortez the Killer make it a must for any long drive.