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Associates
404-816-3068
WHITE OAK PASTURES TURNS ZERO WASTE PRACTICES INTO PET FOOD AND CHEW
Georgia’s Largest Organic Farm Helps Consumers Emulate Natural Feeding
for Companion Animals by Creating Convenient Raw Whole Pastured Poultry Line
ATLANTA (Oct. 19,
2015) – Given the way White Oak
Pastures, a family-run farm in Bluffton, Georgia, humanely raises 10
species of animals, it’s no surprise that the farm is now offering an
all-natural line of food and chews for pets. In addition to being the most
diverse farm in the South, White Oak Pastures is also known for its closed-loop
farming practices and zero waste protocol that now also benefits a new type of
customer: the four-legged kind.
“We continue to learn more about how to manage our
by-products, and pet food processing is our latest endeavor to utilize offal
and also echo how dogs and cats have always fed themselves in the wild,” says
Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattleman and White Oak Pastures’ owner. “We
are excited to provide pets with something like they evolved eating, like their
ancestors ate.”
All animal blood, bones and eviscerate were previously
composted to make organic fertilizers to be used as soil amendments for the
farm’s Certified Organic pastures and garden. Now, White Oak Pastures is turning
them into chews and raw pastured poultry grinds for pets.
The success of the pet chews, which range from best sellers
like the rawhide chews, tracheas and cow pizzles to pet marrow bones and rabbit
feet, led the farm to explore additional products. With the help of Whole Dog Market, a strong supporter
of the farm, White Oak Pastures has recently introduced three varieties of raw
meat blend pet supplements made from its pastured poultry: guinea fowl, duck
and chicken.
“The purpose of our blends is to provide a convenient option
for customers feeding raw. We are not selling a complete diet, but more so, a
raw supplement like what animals would have hunted for before kibble,” explains
Amber Reece, who creates White Oak Pastures’ pet chews and also manages the
farm’s egg candling and packaging, tallow soap making, hide tanning and leather
making.
The farm’s pet food is processed in the same manner that its
ground beef or ground turkey is made, only with the addition of organs and
bones to create a delicious raw ground product. Because the raw meat blends and
chews are made on premises like all of White Oak Pastures’ other products, they
meet all the same standards that the farm’s human food meets, including
Certified Humane, Certified Grassfed and Animal Welfare Approved.
The main benefit of White Oak Pastures’ chews is the lack of
preservatives used. While larger commercial pet product companies often use chemicals
to remove the moisture and other preservatives, White Oak Pastures uses
sunlight for their rawhides and a dehydrator for all other chews.
“All of our rawhides are cut by hand, soaked in a sodium
hydroxide and water solution to remove the hair, stretched and dried in the
sun," explains Reece. “The other chews—like the cow trachea, esophagus and
ears—are all dehydrated for 24 to 36 hours. We don’t use any type of fillers;
our pet chews go straight from the animal to the consumer.”
Although the farm's current pet-friendly options are mostly
geared toward dogs, White Oak Pastures’ director of operations Brian Sapp says cat
treats are something they are working on for the future. The farm is also
looking to offer a raw goose meat blend this fall.
About White Oak
Pastures
White Oak Pastures is a multigenerational, family-owned and
operated grass-fed beef, lamb, pork, goat, rabbit and free-range poultry
producer committed to the principles of sustainability and stewardship. The
five-generation farm, led by owner Will Harris, has operated continuously on
the same land in Early County, Georgia, for more than 150 years. White Oak
Pastures cooperates with nature to produce artisan products that are healthy,
safe, nutritious and delicious. Care is given to ensure that all production
practices are economically practical, ecologically sustainable and that the
animals are always treated humanely. White Oak Pastures never falters in
conducting business in an honorable manner, for the sake of the animals, the
land and the people eating the products. The farm now also offers on-site
lodging and dining.
Harris and White Oak Pastures have received several awards
for setting farming standards, contributing to the restaurant industry and
being dedicated to the sustainability of organic farming in Georgia, including:
2011 Georgia’s Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business
Administration, 2011 Georgia Restaurant Association’s Innovator Award, Will
Harris inducted into the Fellowship of Southern Farmers, Artisans and Chefs, 2012
American Treasures Award from MADE: In America, 2012 Centennial Family Award,
2012 Distinguished Conservationist, 2012 LDEI Green Ribbon Recipient, 2013
Swisher Sunbelt Farmer of the Year and 2014’s Most Respected Business Person of
the Year by Georgia Trend Magazine.
White Oak Pastures also holds several certifications
including: Certified Grassfed by the American Grassfed Association, Certified
Humane by the Humane Farm Animal Care, Animal Welfare Approved by Animal
Welfare Institute, Master Cattleman by the University of Georgia, Certified
Organic by Georgia Crop Improvement Association and Good Management Practices
approved by Silliker, Inc.
White Oak Pastures products can be purchased at more than
1,000 Publix supermarkets throughout the
Southeast and at Whole Foods Market
locations from Miami, Florida, to Princeton, New Jersey. The beef is
distributed by Kelly's Foods,
Buckhead Beef, Sysco Gulf Coast,
Sysco Atlanta,
Sherwood, Maplevale Farms, Merchants and US Foods. Customers can also place
orders online. White Oak Pastures is located at 22775 Highway 27 in Bluffton,
Georgia. For more information, call 229-641-2081 or visit whiteoakpastures.com.
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