This week on the Health Made Simple show, we welcome long-awaited guest Will Harris. 

Known as the king of agriculture, he has been featured on the Joe Rogan podcast and studied Animal Science at Georgia’s School of Agriculture. As a 4th generation farmer, he currently tends the same land his great-grandfather settled on in 1866. 

But Will is most well-known for his revolutionary farming practices. After World War II, industrial farming methods had taken over the industry. The use of herbicides, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and high-carb feeding practices took over the agricultural industry almost overnight.

While this cut costs for farmers after such a traumatic time in the world, these practices created a monoculture, limited situation. So in 1995, Will decided to return White Oak Pastures to its original farming roots his grandfather had practiced 130 years before.

Since then, he has been recognized globally as a world leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability. Now, he’s on the Health Made Simple show to join in the conversation of how modern-day farming practices are affecting our health. 

Watch the live show below:

The Whole Is Greater Than The Parts

Farmers of today face the conflicting choice of quality vs. quantity. While regenerative farming supports healthier animals (and consequently people), it is grossly more expensive than traditional farming methods that use chemicals to promote growth. It is extremely difficult for farmers to turn enough profit using regenerative farming practices to keep their doors open, thus why it is not nearly as popular amongst the industry. 

Not only that, but big-box food retailers are often unwilling to pay higher premiums for specialty farmed foods. Even “organic” or “healthy” retailers like Whole Foods are guilty of marketing and reselling foods that are not what they are claiming to be. 

So how (as the end consumer), can we ensure that the food we eat is not doing more harm than good?

In a confinement farming model, animals are not able to live naturally and instinctually. For example, a cow confined to a small stall on a cattle farm is not able to behave as it would naturally in the wild. When animals are not able to live instinctually, they become stressed. When animals become stressed, they begin to lose weight, their body composition changes, their nutrient density decreases, and their life expectancy starts to significantly decline. This is where artificial hormones and chemicals come in – to counteract this damage. 

This translates to meat that is inflammatory and damaging to the human body when consumed. When an entire society is consuming contaminated meat, the health care system becomes taxed, and begins the unhealthy snowball effect. 

It’s In The Soil

The problem with modern day farming lies even deeper than what animals consume on the surface level. Today, the soil most farmers have to use is contaminated with fungi overgrowth and chemical byproducts, and is a time-consuming (but not impossible) problem to fix. 

There are many factors that impact soil quality, and it begins with the water. If the water serving a farm is contaminated or contains overgrowth of harmful microorganisms, that will be transferred to the soil, to the animals, and consequently to our bodies. This creates a complex problem in society that becomes increasingly difficult to fix. 

It Starts With You!

The agricultural industry today is driven by consumer demand. So if the majority of consumers are willingly choosing cheaper meat alternatives, stores will supply them. 

If you value your long-term health and want to avoid disease, you need to evaluate the quality of the food you put into your body. Research the suppliers your local grocery store is using to source their products. Consciously choose to spend your money in stores that sell whole foods that support your health goals. 

If our society can collectively change their mindset around quality vs. quantity (ie price), we will relieve the pressures on our health care system, and move in a healthier collective direction.

What’s Next?

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This library of health content is low cost, so we can help you on your journey to becoming superhuman! 

Not only is it extensive, but it will continue to expand with new videos each month. Also, you will have the opportunity to share these videos with your friends and family!

Medically reviewed and written by:

Dr. Bart Precourt

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