Will Harris is our hero.

by duluth, October 26, 2009 | Permalink

Just like Willie sings, my heroes have always been cowboys.  They don’t necessarily have to come in the form of horseback-riding, chaps-wearing tough guys (although that certainly doesn’t hurt.) No, cowboys come from all walks of life, in all shapes and sizes, all demographics and nationalities, but they share one commonality–they ride to the rescue.

Will Harris is one such cowboy.

Will owns White Oaks Pastures and Harris Family Heritage Beef, a sustainable farm located in the far southwest corner of our fair state near Bluffton, Georgia.  The beef his cattle provide is one of the most popular products in our Johns Creek store.  His cattle are born on the farm, graze on grass in the warm Georgia sunshine and are harvested on site, providing a humane and sustainable process that doesn’t include any artificial hormones, containment feeding, animal-by products or antibiotics.  

Will changed his production model for cattle after re-thinking about what was best for the animal and his land. He rode to their rescue, and now his farm is a shining example of all that is good about sustainable, artisan farming. He rides to the rescue of the consumer who has been wary about the content of their beef and provides them with a product that is wholesome and delicious. He also rides to the rescue for those who believe in the cause of good food by serving as president of Georgia Organics and working with Whole Foods Market to educate and advocate to consumers about healthy eating choices.

And this past Wednesday, when our store hosted a benefit for Slow Food Atlanta’s Flooded Farms Relief Fund, Will Harris rode to the rescue of those devastated by the September floods. He came straight off a big, white airplane and drove through Atlanta traffic to our store to sell his beef and chat with the crowd, working his cowboy charm on everyone who came by that day.  We made some hamburgers with his grassfed beef and sold those as part of a box lunch, with all the proceeds going toward the relief fund.  So to Will we say—thanks, pardner. We couldn’t have done it without you.

One Response to “Will Harris is our hero.”

1. Territa Jane Says:
   October 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pm

   To see a wonderful film about this remarkable man and his operation, check out the Southern Foodways Alliance website and watch the movie “Cud” at http://www.southernfoodways.com/documentary/film/index.html.

   Truly a pioneer, we are lucky he’s based right here in Georgia! Why would you get your beef anywhere else?!

Leave a Reply

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comment Posting Guidelines. If you have a store-specific inquiry, please contact your local store.