Harris Cattle Company

Duriel Harris, former NFL All-Pro receiver, manages 62 acres of rotationally grazed, certified Angus beef production for direct-to-consumer delivery.

Summary

Location: Ville Platte, LA
Products: Livestock

Our Team

Duriel Harris

Projects
Overview

Lending Successful
Ville Platte, LA

Direct-to-Consumer Grass-fed Beef Brand

by Harris Cattle Company

Improving farm infrastructure and branding will capture the full value of grazing and finishing cattle on pasture for direct-to-consumer delivery.

$148,000

100% of $148,000

Funded on 09/07/2021

Meet the Rancher

As a child, Duriel Harris had two life goals: 1) Play professional football, and 2) Be a farmer like his grandfather. It just so happened he became so great at the first vocation (Harris was an All-Pro NFL receiver who was involved in one of the greatest trick plays in NFL history), it would be another 40 years before he had time for the second. Harris’ particular interest in cattle ranching was piqued when the owner of the Miami Dolphins insisted the team eat Angus steaks as a pre-game meal. Duriel was so impressed with the quality and flavor of the meat, he tried to negotiate the inclusion of Angus cattle as part of his final NFL contract.

Harris Cattle Company was initially founded as a “hobby farm,” but it only took Duriel a few seasons to learn no such thing exists. A life-long learner, Harris has his sights set on further training through the Beef Cattle Short Course at Texas A&M, which he calls the Harvard Law of agricultural education. The same competitive spirit that allowed Duriel to reach the pinnacle of professional sports drives him to manage his ranch as holistically as possible, providing high-quality care to his soil, his animals, and his customers.

Regenerative & Sustainable Practices

What started as a cow-calf operation supplying the conventional beef industry has since shifted to rotational grazing to improve soil, animal, and human health:

HCC works with the NRCS and local ag extension office to determine an appropriate stocking rate that allows for pasture recovery and soil regeneration
Exclusionary fences installed through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program prevent erosion or contamination of the ranch water resources
Rotational grazing enhances the nutritional value of forage, breaks up pest cycles, and reduces supplementary hay costs
Timing the rotation correctly stimulates root development and re-growth without over-grazing; this keeps pasture plants in a near-constant growth state, increasing soil carbon sequestration and supplying consistent animal feed
Each year, HCC will dedicate a full steer to a local food bank to distribute meat to individuals in need of high-quality protein

Become a steward of the land

Join a growing community of sustainably-minded stewards reaping the rewards from responsible farming

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