A Bold Return to Giving a Damn
One Farm, Six Generations, and the Future of Food
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $23.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Will Harris
-
Written by:
-
Will Harris
About this listen
"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
©2023 Will Harris (P)2023 Penguin AudioYou may also enjoy...
-
Dirt to Soil
- One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture
- Written by: Gabe Brown
- Narrated by: Gabe Brown
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dirt to Soil, Gabe Brown tells the story of his ranch's amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to our most pressing and complex contemporary agricultural challenge - restoring the soil. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over 20 years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil.
-
-
Nothing Short of Excellent
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-05-04
Written by: Gabe Brown
-
Land, Livestock, & Life
- A Grazier's Guide to Finance
- Written by: Allan Nation
- Narrated by: Brad Grochowski
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you know the new rules for profit in today's land and livestock game? Using successful grass farmers as examples, Allan explains how leasing land can add up to profits with lower risk than ownership, and can be a means for young people to get into grassland agriculture today. For more insight and analysis into land-based financial issues such as protecting yourself from falling real estate prices without selling your ranch, order Land, Livestock, & Life: A Grazier's Guide to Finance.
Written by: Allan Nation
-
Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment
- Third Edition
- Written by: Jody Butterfield, Allan Savory
- Narrated by: Paul W. Griffiths
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of resources. Livestock grazing is not the problem; it's how we graze livestock. If we don't change the way we approach land management, irreparable harm from climate change could continue long after we replace fossil fuels.
Written by: Jody Butterfield, and others
-
MeatEater's American History: The Long Hunters (1761-1775)
- Written by: Steven Rinella, Clay Newcomb
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella, Clay Newcomb
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Steven Rinella (The MeatEater Podcast) and Clay Newcomb (MeatEater's Bear Grease podcast) gather listeners for a new round of stories, this time drawing from the lives of the rugged Long Hunters, who include such figures as Daniel Boone, Henry Skaggs, and Kasper Mansker. These were the commercial hunters and trappers who explored and exploited the First Far West, the land across the Appalachian Mountains, in the era between the Seven Years War and the American Revolution—one of the most fabled periods of American history.
-
-
Never a dull moment
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-10-08
Written by: Steven Rinella, and others
-
For the Love of Soil
- Strategies to Regenerate Our Food Production Systems
- Written by: Nicole Masters
- Narrated by: Nicole Masters
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Learn a road map to healthy soil and revitalized food systems for powerfully addressing these times of challenge. This audiobook equips producers with knowledge, skills, and insights to regenerate ecosystem health and grow farm/ranch profits. Globally recognized soil advocate and agroecologist Nicole Masters delivers the solution to rewind the clock on this increasingly critical soil crisis in her first book For the Love of Soil. She argues we can no longer treat soil like dirt.
-
-
Well worth reading!
- By Sharlene McGregor on 2020-08-30
Written by: Nicole Masters
-
You Can Farm
- The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
- Written by: Joel Salatin
- Narrated by: Joel Salatin
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever desired, deep within your soul, to make a comfortable full-time living from a farming enterprise? Too often people dare not even vocalize this desire because it seems absurd. It's like thinking the unthinkable. After all, the farm population is dwindling. It takes too much capital to start. The pay is too low. The working conditions are dusty, smelly and noisy: Not the place to raise a family. This is all true, and more, for most farmers.
-
-
Self promotional in a huge way, but also very useful, down-to-earth advice about farming.
- By Gavin Hudson on 2024-02-07
Written by: Joel Salatin
-
Dirt to Soil
- One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture
- Written by: Gabe Brown
- Narrated by: Gabe Brown
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Dirt to Soil, Gabe Brown tells the story of his ranch's amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to our most pressing and complex contemporary agricultural challenge - restoring the soil. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over 20 years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil.
-
-
Nothing Short of Excellent
- By Amazon Customer on 2020-05-04
Written by: Gabe Brown
-
Land, Livestock, & Life
- A Grazier's Guide to Finance
- Written by: Allan Nation
- Narrated by: Brad Grochowski
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Do you know the new rules for profit in today's land and livestock game? Using successful grass farmers as examples, Allan explains how leasing land can add up to profits with lower risk than ownership, and can be a means for young people to get into grassland agriculture today. For more insight and analysis into land-based financial issues such as protecting yourself from falling real estate prices without selling your ranch, order Land, Livestock, & Life: A Grazier's Guide to Finance.
Written by: Allan Nation
-
Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment
- Third Edition
- Written by: Jody Butterfield, Allan Savory
- Narrated by: Paul W. Griffiths
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of resources. Livestock grazing is not the problem; it's how we graze livestock. If we don't change the way we approach land management, irreparable harm from climate change could continue long after we replace fossil fuels.
Written by: Jody Butterfield, and others
-
MeatEater's American History: The Long Hunters (1761-1775)
- Written by: Steven Rinella, Clay Newcomb
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella, Clay Newcomb
- Length: 6 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Steven Rinella (The MeatEater Podcast) and Clay Newcomb (MeatEater's Bear Grease podcast) gather listeners for a new round of stories, this time drawing from the lives of the rugged Long Hunters, who include such figures as Daniel Boone, Henry Skaggs, and Kasper Mansker. These were the commercial hunters and trappers who explored and exploited the First Far West, the land across the Appalachian Mountains, in the era between the Seven Years War and the American Revolution—one of the most fabled periods of American history.
-
-
Never a dull moment
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-10-08
Written by: Steven Rinella, and others
-
For the Love of Soil
- Strategies to Regenerate Our Food Production Systems
- Written by: Nicole Masters
- Narrated by: Nicole Masters
- Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Learn a road map to healthy soil and revitalized food systems for powerfully addressing these times of challenge. This audiobook equips producers with knowledge, skills, and insights to regenerate ecosystem health and grow farm/ranch profits. Globally recognized soil advocate and agroecologist Nicole Masters delivers the solution to rewind the clock on this increasingly critical soil crisis in her first book For the Love of Soil. She argues we can no longer treat soil like dirt.
-
-
Well worth reading!
- By Sharlene McGregor on 2020-08-30
Written by: Nicole Masters
-
You Can Farm
- The Entrepreneur's Guide to Start & Succeed in a Farming Enterprise
- Written by: Joel Salatin
- Narrated by: Joel Salatin
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever desired, deep within your soul, to make a comfortable full-time living from a farming enterprise? Too often people dare not even vocalize this desire because it seems absurd. It's like thinking the unthinkable. After all, the farm population is dwindling. It takes too much capital to start. The pay is too low. The working conditions are dusty, smelly and noisy: Not the place to raise a family. This is all true, and more, for most farmers.
-
-
Self promotional in a huge way, but also very useful, down-to-earth advice about farming.
- By Gavin Hudson on 2024-02-07
Written by: Joel Salatin
-
The Rooted Life
- Cultivating Health and Wholeness Through Growing Your Own Food
- Written by: Justin Rhodes
- Narrated by: Justin Rhodes
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Have you ever wanted to experiment with growing your own food but didn’t think you had the space, the time, or the knowledge? Justin Rhodes thought the same thing—until after years battling systemic illness and struggling to provide the kind of wholesome food he wanted for his family, he bought a seed packet at the grocery store and was hooked.
-
-
Missing half the chapters
- By Susan on 2022-06-17
Written by: Justin Rhodes
-
Soil Science for Regenerative Agriculture
- A Comprehensive Guide to Living Soil, No-till Gardening, Composting and Natural Farming - Complete with a Step-by-Step Action Plan to Quickly Grow Soil
- Written by: Amélie des Plantes
- Narrated by: Al Pagano
- Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
According to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), each year, an estimated 24 billion tons of fertile soil are lost due to erosion. That’s a whopping 3.4 tons lost every year for each person on the planet.
-
-
overall, a compact and practical guide to improving soil health with a slow and dixtionary-like first part
- By Gavin Hudson on 2024-01-07
Written by: Amélie des Plantes
-
MeatEater's Campfire Stories: Discoveries, Revelations & Near Misses
- Campfire Stories
- Written by: Steven Rinella, Clay Newcomb, Brent Reaves, and others
- Narrated by: the Contributors
- Length: 5 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In MeatEater’s Campfire Stories: Discoveries, Revelations & Near Misses, a collection of outdoorsmen share remarkable tales of life-altering moments. From a macabre discovery in the Idaho mountains that closed the book on a mystery spanning more than 50 years to an Ice Age archaeological find in remote Alaska, these stories take listeners on an immersive journey and provide intimate glimpses into a way of life that is slipping away.
-
-
A lot of wasted time
- By Martin G. on 2024-10-26
Written by: Steven Rinella, and others
-
Into the Bright Sunshine
- Young Hubert Humphrey and the Fight for Civil Rights (Pivotal Moments in American History Series)
- Written by: Samuel G. Freedman
- Narrated by: Mike Lenz
- Length: 17 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During one sweltering week in July 1948, the Democratic Party gathered in Philadelphia for its national convention. The most pressing and controversial issue facing the delegates was not whom to nominate for president—the incumbent, Harry Truman, was the presumptive candidate—but whether the Democrats would finally embrace the cause of civil rights and embed it in their official platform. On the convention's final day, Hubert Humphrey, the relatively obscure mayor of the midsized city of Minneapolis, ascended the podium.
Written by: Samuel G. Freedman
-
Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind
- A Powerful Plan to Improve Mood, Overcome Anxiety, and Protect Memory for a Lifetime of Optimal Mental Health
- Written by: Dr. Georgia Ede MD
- Narrated by: Dr. Georgia Ede MD
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Are you struggling with attention problems, mood swings, food obsession, or depression? Whatever the issue, you have far more control over your thoughts, feelings, and behavior than you realize. Although medications may bring some relief, in Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind, Dr. Georgia Ede reveals that the most powerful way to change brain chemistry is with food, because that’s where brain chemicals come from in the first place. In this provocative, illuminating guide, Dr. Ede explains why nearly everything we think we know about brain-healthy diets is wrong.
-
-
Life changing information
- By Anonymous User on 2024-09-17
Written by: Dr. Georgia Ede MD
-
Meat Eater
- Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter
- Written by: Steven Rinella
- Narrated by: Steven Rinella
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meat Eater chronicles Rinella’s lifelong relationship with nature and hunting through the lens of ten hunts, beginning when he was an aspiring mountain man at age ten and ending as a thirty-seven-year-old Brooklyn father who hunts in the remotest corners of North America.
-
-
relationship with his father
- By LC on 2024-06-12
Written by: Steven Rinella
-
Old-Fashioned on Purpose
- Cultivating a Slower, More Joyful Life
- Written by: Jill Winger
- Narrated by: Jill Winger, Andrew Eiden
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the pandemic hit in 2020, flour and vegetable seeds flew off the shelves. But homesteader and entrepreneur Jill Winger believes these longings for sourdough bread and fresh veggies are more than a trend. As our society races toward progress, we’ve left something important behind. We are more connected than ever before, yet we’re still feeling unfulfilled. In Old-Fashioned on Purpose, Winger shows how simplifying our lives and adopting retro skills such as gardening and handiwork can be the key to creating the happy and healthy life we’re yearning for.
-
-
Great Read
- By Amazon Customer on 2024-05-03
Written by: Jill Winger
-
Pastoral Song
- Written by: James Rebanks
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a boy, James Rebanks's grandfather taught him to work the land the old way. Their family farm in England's Lake District hills was part of an ancient agricultural landscape: a patchwork of crops and meadows, of pastures grazed with livestock, and hedgerows teeming with wildlife. And yet, by the time James inherited the farm, it was barely recognizable. The men and women had vanished from the fields; the old stone barns had crumbled; the skies had emptied of birds and their wind-blown song.
-
-
Lovely Calm and Nostalgic
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-10-25
Written by: James Rebanks
-
Dissolving Illusions
- Written by: Suzanne Humphries, Roman Bystrianyk
- Narrated by: Tyler Behnke
- Length: 14 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Today, we are told that medical interventions increased our lifespan and single-handedly prevented masses of deaths. But is this really true? Dissolving Illusions details facts and figures from long-overlooked medical journals, books, newspapers, and other sources. Using myth-shattering information, this book shows that vaccines, antibiotics, and other medical interventions are not responsible for the increase in lifespan and the decline in mortality from infectious diseases.
-
-
A Must Read
- By joyful grandma on 2022-12-26
Written by: Suzanne Humphries, and others
-
Call Me Hunter
- A Novel
- Written by: Jim Shockey
- Narrated by: Scott Brick, Jim Shockey
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once in a long while, a child is born possessing the rarest of gifts, the innate ability to feel impossible beauty, to recognize priceless works of art. When such a child is discovered, a 250-year-old secret organization called Our World trains them to acquire the greatest works of art through theft, bribery, forgery, and even murder. Once found, the masterpiece will disappear again without anyone ever knowing it surfaced and sold for billions of dollars of profit at a secret auction attended by only the wealthiest of the art world’s patrons.
-
-
I wanted to like this
- By Ian on 2024-08-14
Written by: Jim Shockey
-
Teaming with Microbes
- The Organic Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web
- Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, Wayne Lewis
- Narrated by: Chris Lutkin
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When we use chemical fertilizers, we injure the microbial life that sustains plants and then become increasingly dependent on an arsenal of toxic substances. Teaming with Microbes offers an alternative to this vicious circle and details how to garden in a way that strengthens, rather than destroys, the soil food web. You’ll discover that healthy soil is teeming with life - not just earthworms and insects, but a staggering multitude of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms.
-
-
Really wanted to finish but...
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-05-25
Written by: Jeff Lowenfels, and others
-
Wild New World
- The Epic Story of Animals and People in America
- Written by: Dan Flores
- Narrated by: Clark Cornell
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1908, near Folsom, New Mexico, a cowboy discovered the remains of a herd of extinct giant bison. By examining flint points embedded in the bones, archeologists later determined that a band of humans had killed and butchered the animals 12,450 years ago. This discovery vastly expanded America's known human history but also revealed the long-standing danger Homo sapiens presented to the continent's evolutionary richness. Distinguished scholar Dan Flores's ambitious history chronicles the epoch in which humans and animals have coexisted in the "wild new world" of North America.
-
-
the narrator is junk.
- By Brett on 2024-07-31
Written by: Dan Flores
What the critics say
"There’s a lot to like about the book — Harris’s cheeky sense of humor, for one. And his exploration of his family’s roots, their sacrifices and hard-earned victories...But it’s Harris’s dogged insistence on explaining the hidden costs of the “abhorrently cheap food”...that makes the book so necessary."—The Washington Post
"A Bold Return to Giving a Damn is more than a memoir—it is a full exploration of the history of food production in this country, with all its beautiful and ugly aspects. It’s the education we all need to embrace."—NY Journal of Books
"A solution-based offering from a Georgia farmer who has practiced regenerative agriculture for over three decades...Throughout, Harris pushes readers to have the courage to give a damn about the future. Two of his adult daughters came back home to farm; inspired readers will want to join them."—Booklist
What listeners say about A Bold Return to Giving a Damn
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Corey
- 2023-12-07
Great Achievement and story
I love that the writer read the book. His insight and delivery was perfect for this title.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-11-27
Honest and Engrossing
The best audio book I’ve listened to this year. Combination of the amazing story of the revitalized White Oak Pastures delivered by its creator in his own authentic voice makes this a most compelling experience. And if you ever wondered about a better way forward for our food, our ecosystems and our way of life, this is a great place to start.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wally Grobb
- 2023-11-21
Amazing book.
Literally had to listen to this book twice in a row. Far to much info to digest in one go. love that the author read it himself. Years of knowledge and a deep understanding of what is good and natural with first hand experience of hiw to do it wrong make this a complete must read for anyone even considering making better food choices.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lara
- 2024-11-06
So much info!
It took me a bit to get used to Will's gravelly accent but this book was so informative and inspiring. He shares all the rough parts of his journey, his struggles with government, and corporate greenwashing, along with a bit of farming history and carbon science. I was riveted the whole ride. I'd love for Will to write a book that details the specifics of rotational grazibg and husbandry, like a how-to manual.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SheMcG
- 2023-11-24
A must read if you care about your health or the environment.
Will Harrison I hope to come visit your farm some day. I really enjoyed your book. I thank you for what you are doing for the environment and for providing healthy food choices. You are a true inspiration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Denny Byrne
- 2023-12-24
Inspiring and influential.
I am happy Will Harris did the narration himself as he is a wonderful and compelling speaker who is so enjoyable to listen to. His voice calms my soul and his no nonsense, unapologetic approach is the inspiring call to action I needed to help me get to the next level on my food sourcing journey. Well done to all the folks behind White Oaks.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2024-01-22
Mr. Harris and his families story
Great book, and listening to the author tell his own families story, made it that much better. Glad I gave it a listen. Hope others will also.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ayzhia
- 2024-02-23
a beautifully layed out description of the food crisis
Will Harris has a voice that truly speaks the truth with a balanced disposition that is pleasant to listen to. He addresses the real problems with real solutions...!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!