A Bold Return to Giving a Damn

One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food

By: Will Harris

Narrated by: Will Harris

"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

A needed change in our world

I have never read such a touching book about agriculture. As an animal lover and agriculture major this book touched my soul, more people need to read this book. If we were more educated on these topics there would be large scale change made.

Relevant

An absolute gem of a book, information and narration by Will Harris. Transformative and necessary for all to understand.

Loaded with personal life experience and wisdom!

I truly enjoyed this heart felt witness to Will Harris farm life. His explanation’s to why we as human beings need to take note to why industry is NOT the answer to world problems in farming and animal health is remarkable.

Educational and entertaining

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was both educational and insightful as a new small farmer and also entertaining as a book lover.

An unbelievable story that resets your mind

I’ve always been upset with the food industry and felt we are getting ripped off, this book confirms that, explains why and how, and gives you the remediation for it. Will’s voice alone is one of the best narrating voices I ever had the pleasure to listening to, and has changed my life completely. A well written book with the perfect amount of humor, anger, and education.