The Future of Food Leadership
FFL: Jenni Harris, White Oak Pastures
When Jenni Harris left her small town Bluffton, Georgia to head for college, she wasn't sure that the agricultural life was for her. But years later, she returned and found her niche at her family's fifth generation White Oak Pastures. While the farm has been in her family since 1866, her father was integral in shifting its farming practices. In 1995, the farm began transitioning the farm into using small scale and sustainable practices, and Jenny and her family are the next generation of Harris' helping to run the show. Today, White Oak raises and processes its own farm-raised animals in its USDA approved abbatoirs, it is expanding into agro-tourism, e-commerce and much more. While Jenni is quick to give the credit to family members, her background in marketing helped move White Oak beyond her dad's vision: a modern, sustainable farm.