The Wisdom of the Vineyard: Why Regeneration Matters Everywhere

Why We Attended the Regenerative Food Systems Investment Forum

At the Change Happens Foundation, our mission has always been rooted in advancing science, environmental innovation, and human wellbeing. This October, our team traveled to Minneapolis to attend the Regenerative Food Systems Investment (RFSI) Forum, joining a remarkable gathering of farmers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors who share a simple but powerful belief: the health of our planet and the health of people are one and the same.

Regenerative Agriculture: Beyond Organic

“Organic” was once the gold standard—but regenerative agriculture takes that ideal further. It’s organic+ farming that not only avoids harm, but actively heals. Rather than focusing solely on what we don’t add to the land (synthetic fertilizers, pesticides), regenerative agriculture emphasizes what we give back—to the soil, to the ecosystem, and ultimately to human health.

At its core, regenerative agriculture is about soil as a living system. Beneath our feet lies a vast and intricate microbiome—billions of bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms that sustain life above the ground. This hidden world determines the nutrient density of our food, the resilience of our crops, and the capacity of the earth to capture and store carbon.

Learning from the Ground Up

At RFSI, we heard from innovators proving that healthy soil equals healthy people. We learned how cover crops, crop rotation, reduced tilling, and managed grazing can rebuild topsoil, increase biodiversity, and enhance water retention—all while pulling carbon from the atmosphere and locking it back into the ground.

In contrast, conventional practices like tilling and pesticide use disrupt the soil’s microbiome—killing the beneficial organisms that create fertility naturally. When the soil loses its microbial life, it loses its structure, its nutrients, and its ability to hold water. It becomes dependent on chemical inputs and vulnerable to drought and erosion.

The lesson is simple, but profound: when we restore the soil, we restore balance.

A Familiar Truth from the Vineyard

Having spent more than a decade as a winemaker, this concept feels deeply familiar. In the wine world, we have long understood that the character of a wine—the expression of terroir—depends entirely on the vitality of the soil. We’ve seen firsthand how pesticides, tilling, and synthetic inputs can dull not only the land, but the flavor, aroma, and life of the wine itself.

It’s encouraging to see other industries finally embracing what vintners have known for centuries: that soil is not an inert medium, but a living partner. We’re eager to help others break ground without breaking the ground—supporting new systems that cultivate abundance through stewardship rather than depletion.

Investing in a Living Future

For us, attending RFSI wasn’t about chasing the latest trend—it was about rethinking what “investment” means. Investing in regenerative food systems is not just an environmental choice; it’s a health choice, a community choice, and a long-term economic choice.

We came away from Minneapolis with renewed conviction that philanthropy can play a catalytic role in accelerating this movement—by supporting science, education, and early-stage innovation that help farmers transition from extraction to regeneration.

The Path Forward

Regenerative agriculture offers something rare in today’s world: hope grounded in biology. Every acre converted, every field restored, every microbe brought back to life represents measurable progress toward a healthier planet and a healthier population.

At the Change Happens Foundation, we are committed to deepening our engagement in this space—starting with Iowa and expanding globally—supporting the science, the farmers, and the innovators who are rebuilding the world from the ground up.

Because when the soil thrives, everything thrives.