From the Ground Up: My Journey into Regenerative Agriculture and How It's Cultivating a Healthier Future (And How Carbon Credits Can Help)

From Chad Hunter, VP of Sustainable Products at GreenFi

I had the incredible opportunity to step away from spreadsheets and strategy meetings and onto the rich soil of a regenerative farm in Indiana. 

I was invited to Bayer’s re.gen.nect conference discussing trends in consumer sustainability. Little did I know, I’d get a front-row seat to a farming revolution that’s not just about growing food, but about healing our planet and potentially improving our health. 

Seeing regenerative agriculture up close and personal was inspiring, and I want to share with you how it works, its profound benefits, the challenges farmers face, and how innovative financial tools like carbon credits are playing a role in this vital transition.

Image from the Bayer re.gen.nect conference Panel 5: Investing in Regenerative Agriculture: Strengthening the Value Chain and Building a Sustainable Future in May 2025

The Prevailing Challenge: Understanding Conventional Farming's Impact

For decades, the dominant model of farming has focused on maximizing yield, often at a significant environmental cost. Conventional practices frequently involve:

• Intensive Tilling: This breaks up the soil structure, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and leaving the soil vulnerable. Over time, it can lead to land that is less fertile and eventually unusable for growing food.

• Soil Erosion: Without protective cover or strong root systems, precious topsoil is lost to wind and water.

• Conventional Input Reliance: Traditional farming has often relied heavily on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides to boost yields. While effective in the short term, a sole focus on these external inputs, without considering their broader impact on soil biology and ecosystem health, can lead to long-term challenges for soil vitality and environmental balance.

It's clear we need alternatives that nourish us and our planet. Regenerative agriculture offers a powerful path forward.

Regenerative Agriculture: A Path to Healthier Soil and Planet

A. What is Regenerative Agriculture?

At its heart, regenerative agriculture is a holistic approach to farming that actively works to regenerate and improve soil health, rather than simply sustaining it or depleting it. Think of it as farming in partnership with nature. While specific definitions can vary, the core goal is consistent: to enhance the natural resources the farm relies on. This means producing nutritious food while also drawing down carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil.

The long-term benefits for the soil are remarkable:

• Reduced need for synthetic fertilizers (lowering carbon emissions from their production and use).

• Less intensive crop management (e.g., fewer passes with machinery for weeding).

• Vastly improved water management – soil acts like a sponge, reducing flood risk during heavy rains and retaining water during dry spells.

• Softer, healthier soil that requires less energy for planting and allows roots to thrive.

B. How Does Regenerative Agriculture Work? The Core Principles in Action

During my visit, I saw several key principles in action:

• Minimal Tillage: The farmers I met disturb the soil as little as possible. Instead of extensive plowing, they use techniques like no-till or strip-till (where only a narrow band of soil is disturbed for planting). This protects soil structure, microbial life, and keeps carbon locked in.

• Cover Cropping: This was fascinating to see. After the main cash crop is harvested, instead of leaving fields bare, farmers plant "cover crops." On the Indiana farm, they were using a wheat cover crop.

  • Benefits: These crops stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, suppress weeds, and, crucially, feed the soil microbes. In this field, they had 60-65% soil coverage with the cover crop to maximize protection from wind (Indiana is very flat!) and encourage microbial activity.

  • Nutrient Cycling: Microbes in the soil consume the cover crops and the nutrients they contain. When the cover crop is later terminated (rolled down or lightly incorporated) before planting the main crop, these microbes die and decompose, releasing those nutrients back into the soil just when the new cash crop, like corn, needs them most – often about 6 weeks after planting.

Regenerative farmland with a terminated wheat cover crop just before corn planting taken in May 2025

3. Biodiversity: While cover crops are a form of diversity, many regenerative farms also emphasize diverse crop rotations and some integrate livestock onto the land. This mimics natural ecosystems, further enhancing soil health and resilience.

The result of these practices is that over years, the soil becomes visibly darker, more porous, and teeming with life. This healthy soil not only manages water better but also improves the bioavailability of nutrients, meaning the plants can absorb them more effectively, leading to potentially more nutrient-dense food.

C. Why is Regenerative Agriculture Critical for Our Future?

Regenerative agriculture offers a powerful dual benefit: it can help mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil, while simultaneously producing the high-quality food our growing world population needs.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted in its 2023 synthesis report that land management practices, including those central to regenerative agriculture, represent one of the largest potential areas for climate action and net emissions reduction by 2030. It’s up there with solar, wind power, and stopping deforestation¹.

A chunk of regenerative soil showing deep roots and dark color, indicating high organic matter that is essential for growing high quality food (May 2025)

D. Regenerative vs. Organic: Understanding the Difference

Wondering if regenerative is just another word for organic? While there's overlap, they aren't the same.

• Organic primarily focuses on the inputs used (or rather, not used, like synthetic pesticides and fertilizers) and has a specific set of certification standards.

• Regenerative Agriculture is more focused on the outcomes – specifically, improving soil health, sequestering carbon, enhancing biodiversity, and improving water cycles. Many regenerative farms also follow organic practices, but the emphasis is on actively rebuilding and revitalizing the ecosystem.

You can think of it this way: organic is about doing less harm, while regenerative is about actively doing more good for the soil and environment.

The Farmer's Perspective: Challenges and Motivations for Transitioning to Regenerative Agriculture

A. Why Hesitancy? Understanding the Farmer's Reality

I spoke to a few farmers about how they think about switching their farming practices. I found out that switching to regenerative practices, despite the clear benefits, isn't a simple decision for farmers.

• Livelihood at Stake: Farming is their business. For most, income isn't a fixed salary; it's directly tied to how much their land produces each year. Margins are often incredibly tight, so any change that might risk yield, especially in the short term, is a serious consideration.

• Proven vs. New: Conventional methods, whatever their drawbacks, are known quantities that produce stable yields. 

• Need for Support: Understandably, farmers often need a low-risk way to begin transitioning and require supportive partners – financial, technical, and communal – throughout this journey.

Imagine you're a seasoned artisan, skilled in a traditional craft that has reliably supported your family for generations. Suddenly, you're asked to adopt entirely new tools and techniques. While these new methods promise long-term benefits for your craft and the environment, they also come with a steep learning curve and the initial risk of reduced output or quality, directly impacting your livelihood. 

This is the dilemma many farmers face when considering a switch to regenerative agriculture.

B. Voices from the Field: Farmer Experiences

I had insightful conversations with two farmers about their decisions to switch.

• One farmer shared that they had a piece of land that wasn’t able to be planted one year using conventional methods. They decided to use this low-risk opportunity to test this patch of ground with regenerative practices. The positive results encouraged them to expand.

• Another farmer was facing a crisis: their land was visibly eroding. Soil was disappearing, meaning their ability to farm that land at all was under threat. They turned to regenerative principles to stabilize the soil. The success not only saved that parcel but inspired them to adopt these practices more broadly.

C. The Learning Curve

It’s also important to remember that regenerative agriculture isn't a one-size-fits-all prescription. What works on one farm, or even one part of a farm, might need tweaking for another due to differences in soil type, climate, and available resources. This means farmers are constantly testing, learning, and adapting. This trial-and-error period can sometimes lead to lower food outputs and income temporarily, another risk they must carefully manage.

Bridging the Gap: How Carbon Credits Support the Transition

So, how can we support farmers in making this crucial shift? This is where financial mechanisms like carbon credits come into play.

A. Carbon Credits 101 (A Quick Guide)

You may have heard about carbon credits, here’s a quick overview if you need a refresher.

• What They Are: In simple terms, a carbon credit is a tradable certificate representing the reduction or removal of one metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere.

• How They Work (Briefly): Projects that can demonstrably reduce or remove carbon – like reforestation, renewable energy installations, or regenerative agriculture – can generate these credits. These projects typically undergo rigorous evaluation, development, and third-party verification processes. This helps ensure that the carbon reductions are "additional" (meaning they wouldn't have happened without the incentive from the carbon credit) and "permanent" (meaning the carbon is stored for the long term). A future blog may cover this verification process in more detail.

• Why They Are Important: When individuals or companies purchase carbon credits, they are essentially funding these carbon-reducing or -removing projects. This financial flow is often vital for these projects to exist and scale, thereby helping to slow or even reverse climate change.

Buying carbon credits is like purchasing wine from a vineyard committed to special, sustainable practices; your support helps fund their beneficial work beyond just making wine. Similarly, your carbon credit purchase directly funds projects that reduce emissions, enabling vital climate-positive actions that often wouldn't happen otherwise. 

B. Carbon Credits and Regenerative Agriculture

For farmers transitioning to regenerative agriculture, practices like no-till farming and cover cropping can significantly increase the amount of carbon stored in their soil. Carbon credit programs can provide a way for these farmers to quantify this sequestered carbon and sell it as credits. This creates an additional income stream that can:

• Help offset the costs and risks associated with transitioning to new practices.

• Provide a financial reward for the positive environmental impact they are creating.

• Accelerate the adoption of regenerative techniques.

While income from carbon credits may not always cover all the risks a farmer takes on, it's a valuable tool in making the transition more economically viable.

Benefits for Consumers: Is Regeneratively Grown Food More Nutritious?

This is a really exciting area of ongoing research. While more studies are always needed and welcome, the initial evidence is compelling: farming practices that build soil health can lead to more nutrient-dense food.

• Growing Evidence: Several studies, including those highlighted by organizations like Carboneg, Canidae, and researchers at the University of Washington, suggest that crops grown on regenerative farms can have higher levels of key vitamins (like K, E, B1, and B2), essential minerals (such as calcium, phosphorus, copper, and zinc), and beneficial plant compounds called phytochemicals, which are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

• Specific Examples: One multi-farm study found that, on average, regenerative crops contained 34% more vitamin K and 15% more vitamin E. Meat and dairy from animals raised on regenerative pastures have also shown significantly better fatty acid profiles, such as higher levels of beneficial omega-3s.

• The Soil-Food Connection: The theory is that healthier, more biologically active soils make nutrients more available to the plants. As David Montgomery, a professor at the University of Washington, puts it, "It may be that one of our biggest levers for trying to combat the modern public health epidemic of chronic diseases is to rethink our diet, and not just what we eat, but how we grow it.”

While the science continues to evolve and individual results will vary, the potential for regenerative agriculture to produce better food is a powerful motivator.

A variety of fresh fruits and vegetables (Photo by Dan Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash)

What's Next? How You Can Participate

Learning about regenerative agriculture is one thing; feeling empowered to support it is another. Here are a few ways you can play a part:

A. Be a Conscious Consumer:

• Start by simply thinking more about where your food comes from. Every food choice we make has a ripple effect.

• Understand that these choices connect not just to our personal health, but to the health of our communities and the planet.

B. Look for Labels and Ask Questions

The world of food labeling can be confusing, but certifications for regenerative practices are emerging. While the landscape is still developing, here are a few to look for:

• Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC): This is a robust certification that builds upon the USDA Organic standard by adding stringent requirements for soil health, animal welfare, and farmer/worker fairness.

• Certified Regenerative by A Greener World (AGW): This label emphasizes audited, high-welfare animal production and requires farmers to develop tailored regenerative plans for their specific operations.

You might also see terms like "climate-smart" or "raised using regenerative practices." Don't hesitate to ask your local farmers at markets or contact brands directly to learn more about their growing practices. Your questions signal consumer interest!

C. Support Businesses Committed to Sustainability 

At GreenFi, we believe in the power of conscious choices, whether it's how you bank or what you eat. By supporting businesses that prioritize sustainability in their operations and supply chains, you contribute to a broader movement for positive change. Find sustainable food options in our Green Marketplace and earn cash rewards when using your GreenFi debit card at them.

Earn cash back rewards for shopping at climate-friendly brands in GreenFI’s Green Marketplace with the GreenFi debit card

Conclusion: Cultivating a Hopeful Future, One Acre at a Time

The Bayer re.gen.nect conference and visit to that Indiana regenerative farm was a reminder that solutions to some of our biggest challenges – climate change, food security, environmental degradation – can literally start from the ground up. Regenerative agriculture is a mindset shift that sees farming as an opportunity to heal, restore, and nourish.

While the transition requires effort, investment, and a new way of thinking, the promise it holds for a healthier planet, more resilient food systems, and potentially more nutritious food is immense. By learning more, making informed choices, and supporting farmers on this journey (perhaps even through thoughtful financial products in the future!), we can all play a part in cultivating this more hopeful and sustainable world.

References

1. Calvin, K., Dasgupta, D., Krinner, G., Mukherji, A., Thorne, P.W., Trisos, C., Romero, J., Aldunce, P., Barrett, K., Blanco, G., et al. (2023). IPCC, 2023: Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, H. Lee and J. Romero (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland. First. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)) https://doi.org/10.59327/IPCC/AR6-9789291691647.