(Published in Ranch and Country Magazine, Spring 2026)

Is regenerative agriculture more profit-able than conventional farming? The documentary film, Common Ground says, "yes, much more profitable!" The film was released to select US theaters in 2023, and now streams on Amazon Prime Video. The film backs up these claims with staggering statistics, and with stories told by farmers actually using these practices.

A related Netflix documentary, Kiss the Gound originally released in 2020 also now streams alongside its sequel. This film introduces methods of no-till farming, planting cover crops, and livestock integration. It explores the trend of desertification, and how loss of topsoil contributes to the development of more and more deserts worldwide.

Regenerative agriculture is rapidly moving from a niche approach to a mainstream trend, with the US market projected by some sources to reach well over 6 billion in the next few years. Global projections reach much higher.

First, taking a step back, there is something called soil, and something colloquially called dirt which, when air-borne becomes dust. What’s the difference?

Dirt is made up of mineral based compounds, most of which are varying combinations of silicon. It is devoid of a living ecosystem. Soil on the other hand is a living ecosystem, filled with microorganisms that can cycle nutrients which sustain life and plant growth. The backbone of this organic matter in soil is carbon.

All living things contain carbon compounds - microbes, enzymes, plants, animals and humans. The topsoil of a farm field is filled with carbon-based compounds that support life and plant growth.

Leaves of plants take in carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and water from the soil, and mix it with sunlight to make glucose in a complex process called photosynthesis. The glucose mixture made from carbon feeds the stems and leaves and roots. Oxygen is released into the air as a by-product. Glucose in plant roots feed microbes, fungi, and enzymes in the soil. These fungal networks, in exchange, scavenge the soil for nitrogen and for minerals like phosphorus that the plant needs for growth. All of this activity can produce a nutrient rich, plentiful and profitable crop.

The roots of plants become the network through which the production of carbon rich “living” soil takes place. Plant roots are “super-highways.” If the roots are left in tact after a crop is harvested, they help hold soil in place, and gradually decompose which continues to enrich the soil.

One aspect of regenerative agriculture is to avoid tilling the soil in order not to disturb the roots. The no-till method can use a simple piece of equipment called the Roller Crimper to smash stalks that remain after harvest into a “mulch mat,” which sits on the surface of the soil, protecting the soil from erosion and weed growth, while maintaining the root system beneath the surface. The mulch mat also increases the infiltration rate, which is how much water soil can hold before run-off, which erodes the soil.

When the next planting season comes, seeds can be injected directly into into soil using a no-till drill, which is literally a kind of soil hole puncher. Alternatively a no-till planter has can be used for larger seeds and seed rows, like corn and soybeans.

Planting cover crops increases and diversifies the carbon enriching network in the underground root system, enhancing the health of the soil. Cover crops also crowd out unwanted weeds, help prevent erosion, and improve water infiltration rates.

Healthy soil produces higher quality crops and may also produce higher yields. These factors are an aspect of increased profits with regenerative practices. But a more important contribution to higher profits is significantly reducing the need for herbicidal chemicals and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

Most herbicides are highly toxic. They kill weeds while at the same time invading the delicate ecosystem of enzymes and fungi in the soil. Notably, these chemicals are one of the most expensive of farming costs. The creation of a mulch mat can reduce weed growth, and reduce the need for these costly herbicides, while at the same time foster healthier soil.

Various forms of tillage have been used in agriculture for approximately 10,000 years. Wheat is thought to have first been cultivated in the Fertile Crescent, an area in the Middle East spreading from Jordan, Palestine, and Lebanon to Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. Evidence suggests that early forms of tillage may have contributed to long-term degradation of the land in these areas, and to the formation of the deserts that are now widespread in the Middle East.

But for the American farmer who faces debt from exceedingly high input costs, what counts is whether regenerative agriculture can change the bottom line. “Evidence from multiple farm studies and financial analyses suggests that regenerative farming can produce higher profits for many farmers, especially after the transition period…” These documentary films suggest regenerative agriculture is a game changer.

Linda Boston Franke - RC Editor