The people and films waking the world up to soil
These are the scientists, farmers, activists and filmmakers who have dedicated their lives to understanding and restoring the living world beneath our feet. Their work will change how you see food, farming and the earth itself.
Dr. Ingham has spent decades studying the billions of organisms that live in healthy soil. Her work on the soil food web transformed how scientists and farmers understand what soil actually is — a living, breathing ecosystem, not just a growing medium.
"If we lose the soil food web, we lose the ability to grow food without inputs."
A MacArthur Fellow and professor at the University of Washington, Montgomery has written some of the most compelling books on soil health and regenerative agriculture. His work bridges science and storytelling in a way that anyone can understand.
"Healthy soil is the foundation of human civilization — and we are destroying it."
Indian scholar, environmental activist and food sovereignty advocate. Vandana Shiva has fought for decades against industrial agriculture and for the rights of farmers and seeds. Her perspective connects soil health to justice, culture and the future of humanity.
"The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real being."
Gabe Brown is one of the pioneers of regenerative agriculture in America. After years of crop failures nearly bankrupted his farm, he transformed his land using cover crops, no-till farming and integrated livestock — and the results were extraordinary.
"Nature doesn't till. Nature doesn't use synthetic fertilizers. Nature has been building soil for millions of years."
Joel Salatin calls himself a "Christian libertarian environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer." His Polyface Farm in Virginia has become a model for how farms can produce abundant food while building soil health — and his books and talks have inspired a generation of farmers.
"If we are not farming in a way that leaves the land better than we found it, we are not farming."
Ray Archuleta spent decades at the USDA helping farmers understand and rebuild their soil. His passionate and practical approach has helped thousands of farmers across America make the transition to regenerative practices — and his demonstrations of healthy vs degraded soil are unforgettable.
"Soil is a living organism. When you understand that, everything changes."
Narrated by Woody Harrelson, Kiss the Ground brought regenerative agriculture to a mainstream audience for the first time. It argues that by restoring soil health we could potentially reverse climate change — and it does so in a way that inspires rather than overwhelms.
"Beneath our feet lies the solution to many of the world's greatest problems."
Groundswell explores the idea of regenerative agriculture through the stories of farmers, ranchers, scientists and advocates who are rebuilding soil health across America. Its central message is simple but profound — soil is not dirt, it is a living system, and restoring it changes everything.
"Many of today's environmental and food-system problems share a common root: unhealthy soil."
John and Molly Chester leave Los Angeles to build a biodiverse farm from scratch on depleted land in California. Over ten years they document their struggles and breakthroughs — showing what it actually looks like to bring soil back to life. One of the most beautiful and honest farming films ever made.
"We had to learn to embrace the dysfunction of nature to restore balance to our farm."