Kelsey Timmerman, author of Regenerating Earth, shares insights from his global journey to discover sustainable farming methods that combat environmental degradation. In a podcast episode, he highlights how regenerative agriculture can restore soil, reduce emissions, and benefit farmers economically. His work challenges the dominance of industrial practices that harm ecosystems and rural communities.
Agriculture faces severe environmental challenges, with runoff as the primary cause of degraded water quality in U.S. rivers and streams, according to the EPA. Current practices result in the annual loss of 1.70 billion tons of topsoil and account for 31% of global human greenhouse gas emissions. Motivated by personal concerns—such as the contamination preventing his children from swimming in a pond near their Indiana home—Timmerman set out on a five-continent investigation.
His travels revealed promising alternatives in regenerative agriculture, which emphasizes building soil health and carbon sequestration. Timmerman visited traditional Hawaiian kalo patches, worked with Maasai warriors in Kenya to protect cattle from lions, and explored how chocolate production might preserve Brazilian rainforests. These practices draw from Indigenous knowledge and modern soil science, including the roles of chloroplasts and mycorrhizal fungi in ecosystems.
Timmerman critiques industrial agriculture for ensnaring farmers in debt through reliance on corporate-supplied seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides. In contrast, regenerative methods prove more profitable by healing the land and aligning with nature's complexity, where nothing is wasted. Solutions already exist but are often overlooked in favor of profit-driven simplification.
For consumers, Timmerman advocates mindful choices, such as shopping at farmers markets or using the Farm Map from Regeneration International to support regenerative farms. His book, published by Patagonia Books, is available through Amazon, Powell’s Books, and local sellers. More details appear at kelseytimmerman.com. The podcast episode, originally aired on August 18, 2025, underscores that farming can regenerate rather than deplete the earth.