Newsletter #48: 🐄 The quickest path to healthy humans: love the soil

Articles
Written By Casey Means
 
 

💘 Happy Valentine’s Day week!!

If you’d like a healthy pink recipe idea for your loved ones for Valentine’s Day breakfast, try my Pink Pancakes with Raspberry Compote! 

If there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that spending time in nature always brings me joy and makes me feel healthier. 🌲 

One of my FAVORITE ways to be in nature is by visiting regenerative farms wherever I am in the world. I’ve written extensively about regenerative agriculture in my newsletter and Good Energy, and the core idea is simple: when it comes to agriculture, we can either fight against natural cycles (which is unsustainable and toxic) or support and nurture those cycles (which enhances both human and planetary health). Seems like a no-brainer, yet 99% of American farmland is not organic or regenerative, and instead uses destructive conventional practices that attempt to outsmart complex ecosystems and are ultimately more expensive for everyone (farmers, government, consumers). 

Read more: 

🧴 Frozen sculptures of death

The way I see it, Earth is a fairly closed-loop system with brilliant natural mechanisms for self-recycling ALL matter into clean water, nutrient-filled food, rich soil, and biodiversity… in perpetuity. The Law of Conservation of Mass says that matter is neither created nor destroyed, it only changes forms. So on Planet Earth, we essentially have a set of matter to work with, and the hope is we as humans would use and steward that matter in a way that supports life and contributes to sustainable prosperity.

Whoops, we screwed up. Unfortunately, humans have disrupted these cycles of matter in monumental ways—think: creation of landfills, plastic, dams, sewage systems, geoengineering, and synthetic pesticides—all of which disrupt nature’s interdependent ecosystems, taking matter out of regenerative cycles and causing a ripple effect of disturbance that we are only starting to see the repercussions of. 

Without human involvement, there is really no such thing as “waste” on Planet Earth because everything - literally everything - is recycled and re-enters the endlessly generative creative cycles of nature. 

So when I see a plastic bottle in a trashcan destined for a landfill, I see quadrillions of atoms – carbons, hydrogens, oxygens – that could have contributed to life-creation and useful generative cycles, but instead got funneled out of the cycles into a sort-of frozen man-made sculpture of death.

Similarly, our Western choices to not compost food and excrement and instead send it to landfills and sewage plants, to produce endless plastic, and to bury toxically-embalmed bodies in concrete vaults and metal caskets… these “normal” choices aggressively funnel usable matter away from natural cycles into a limbo state of paralyzed material utility that could take millennia to re-enter “The Flow.” All for extremely short-term convenience and allegiance to outdated or misguided cultural norms. 

The result of the breaking of cycles? Disconnection. A sick planet, a mental health crisis of monumental proportions, a fragile centralized food system, and a global chronic disease epidemic affecting billions of people worldwide. 

Read more: 

In the face of this, here’s what I know: Visiting a regenerative farm will spark inspiration and offer a tangible vision for a better future. Below, I’m sharing 11 farms I love, hoping to inspire you to get out to a farm ASAP. Want to find one near you? Just Google or ask ChatGPT: “List regenerative farms in [location] that allow visitors and offer tours.” For fun, I tried Kansas—and found eight amazing options! Regenerative farms are everywhere, doing the holy work of respecting Mother Earth in the face of monumental adversity, and the people running these operations are some of my heroes. 

In case you’re not convinced, let’s break it down:

  • Want to feel inspired about the future? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

  • Want to plan an inexpensive family outing or best date ever? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

  • Want to support local change-makers? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

  • Want to contribute to a better future for humanity and don’t know where to start? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

  • Want to be happier and healthier? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

  • Want to see a practical answer to human health and environmental devastation? 👉 Visit a regenerative farm. 

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🧑‍🌾 Farms I love that are changing the world

1. The Ground, Carlton, Oregon

The Ground is a multifaceted regenerative organization in Carlton, Oregon, encompassing beyond-organic agriculture, a gorgeous inn with a Japanese-Scandinavian aesthetic, and incredible culinary experiences. The homepage of their website verbatim echoes the title of Part 1 of my book, Good Energy: “Everything is Connected.” At its core is Tabula Rasa Farms, which practices regenerative agriculture by raising animals naturally and respectfully in concert with the land. The Ground was founded by Brenda Smola-Foti, who began by acquiring 23 acres in 2008 and later expanded the venture with her husband, Frank Foti, in 2019. I got to hear Brenda and her husband speak at a YPO event in 2024 (and we did an incredibly fun veggie scavenger hunt in their garden and a charcuterie-creating competition!) and was beyond inspired and blown away! 

🥕 How to get involved:

  • If you’re in Oregon, take a trip to the farm for a farm tour, guided nature walk learning about natural water resources and permaculture, special dinners (like a truffle celebration dinner coming up!), a sound bath experience, yoga, or pickleball! 

  • Plan a group retreat here for your organization. (This is how I visited with my husband with YPO and it was one of the best weekends of my life!).

  • Have their regenerative beef shipped to you from Source Farms. 

“The goal for the farm is for the land to thrive on its own devices, with natural water resources hydrating nutrient-rich soils and plant life that are devoid of synthetic pesticides and chemicals. And that animals will flourish here in a humane setting, eating and living healthily and ultimately providing all-natural, hormone and chemical-free food that, in turn, helps our families and customers live their healthiest lives.” - The Ground

2. Flora Farms, San José del Cabo, Mexico

Flora Farms is a 25-acre organic farm located near Cabo. Founded by Gloria and Patrick Greene, the farm features Flora’s Field Kitchen restaurant, a spa, a farm stand, and offers cooking classes, art workshops, and more. My sister-in-law told me that I would “absolutely freak out” at Flora Farms, so when I was in Cabo recently accompanying my husband on work-trip, I rushed there to take a watercolor class and tour the farm. And I can confirm: I did freak out - it’s AMAZING. Beyond. One thing I loved so much was that there is virtually zero non-useful foliage on the property: instead of decorative hedges, they have rows of rainbow chard, basil, and rosemary bushes; The flowers on the property are edible or medicinal; Instead of an ornamental succulents, they have aloe vera plants which can be used for culinary or medical purposes! No wasted space!

🥕 How to get involved:

  • If you’re in Cabo, visit the farm and take an art class, a medical plant tour, a cooking class, or have a meal!

“Rather than conventional methods, we opt to nurture the soil from its surface down, employing layers of enriching compost, nourishing mulch, and the organic remains of cover crops in decomposition. Embracing a philosophy of holistic growth, we practice crop rotation to sustain soil vitality and promote natural insect control—guided by our belief in the synergy of companion planting. The essence of our approach extends to pest management, where intervention is judiciously executed using nature's own tools—think chili pepper, herb, and garlic essences—applied only as necessary.” - Flora Farms

3. Apricot Lane Farms, Moorpark, California

The farm that sparked my FIRE for regenerative agriculture many years ago ♥️ Established in 2011 by John and Molly Chester, Apricot Lane Farms spans 234 acres in Moorpark, California. The Chesters transitioned from urban life in LA to farming, focusing on regenerative agriculture in a desire to have access to the highest quality ingredients for chef Molly. The farm cultivates over 200 varieties of fruits and vegetables and raises livestock such as cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and ducks, all managed through regenerative farming practices. They have a fantastic resource page if you’re looking to learn more about regenerative farming. I’ve been fortunate to visit the farm several times, learning about vermiculture (worm composting), compost tea, the massive water saving benefits of regenerative agriculture (regenerative soil holds much more water!), and more.

🥕 How to get involved:

4. Esalen Farm & Garden, Big Sur, California

Located at the iconic Esalen Institute, the Esalen Farm & Garden follows organic and regenerative practices to grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs for its farm-to-table cafeteria that serves dozens of people per day. Esalen’s garden serves as a hub for sustainability education, mindfulness, and community engagement, embodying Esalen’s mission of human potential in harmony with nature. I was so lucky to get to meet Candice Isphording, Head of Farm and Garden at Esalen, on a recent trip there! 

🥕 How to get involved:

“More than just a food source, the farm is a constant seasonal education in moving through transition and transformation. We compost nearly 500 pounds of food and green waste every day to build the fertility of our soil for future generations.” - Esalen Institute

“My vision for the Farm & Garden is to continue creating a beautiful and inspiring space that fosters education, reverence for the Earth, community, healthy food, and medicine.” - Candice Isphording

5. Babylonstoren, Simondium, South Africa

Babylonstoren is a historic Cape Dutch farm located in Simondium, South Africa. The farm integrates traditional and modern agricultural practices, boasting a renowned garden, an apiary (bee keeping!), farm-to-table dining, a winery, and offers accommodations, spa services, and various workshops. My husband and I took a magical tour of the farm when we visited South Africa last year for a friend’s wedding. 

🥕 How to get involved:

“The garden comprises 15 clusters spanning vegetable areas, stone and pome fruits, nuts, citrus, berries, bees, herbs, ducks and chickens, a prickly pear maze, and more. Gravity feeds water from a stream by rills into the garden, flowing through ponds planted with edible lotus, nymphaea lilies and waterblommetjies. Every one of the more than 300 varieties of plants in the garden is edible or has medicinal value.” From “Method in the magic,” Babylonstoren blog 

6. White Oak Pastures, Bluffton, Georgia

This is the one farm on the list I have not yet visited, but I have been so fortunate to get to know the Harris family through my work and can’t wait to visit one day. White Oak Pastures is a sixth-generation, 3,200-acre farm in Bluffton, Georgia, run by Will Harris and his family, including his amazing daughter Jenni. The farm practices regenerative agriculture, producing grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and organic vegetables, and offers on-site lodging and tours. What is especially astonishing is Will’s story: transitioning his multi-generation family farm from one focused on industrialized beef production to a farm that focuses on sustainability, animal welfare, and humane agricultural and environmental stewardship. In doing so, he also radically improved the economy and welfare of Bluffton, Georgia. 

🥕 How to get involved:

“There’s about a hundred thousand beating hearts on this farm on any given day, that, while may not be enough to feed the world, are certainly enough to nourish the community. In rebuilding the soil, we are rebuilding a farmer middle class.” - Will Harris

7. Primal Pastures, Murrieta, California

Primal Pastures is a family-owned farm in Murrieta, California. This is the same family behind one of my favorite skin care brands, Primally Pure, which utilizes ingredients from the farm in their products!  Specializing in pasture-raised chicken, beef, lamb, and pork, the farm goes way beyond organic, integrating regenerative practices like biodynamic farming, renewable energy, and holistic animal grazing to create a thriving ecosystem. With 200+ fruit and nut trees, a 12,000 sq. ft. garden, and a 2-acre natural playground, it’s a model of sustainability and community-driven agriculture. In an effort to truly change the way we live in the modern world, they also have created a Farm Membership… tell me you wouldn’t want to be a part of this?! 👉

“A Farm membership is your exclusive access pass to make The Farm your home away from home, your refuge, your very own private park, and an extension of your garden. Your membership includes all you can eat fruit while you’re on property, and first access to farm grown produce like our famous pastured eggs, pastured pork, and grass fed, grass finished beef shares.” YES PLEASE! This is the future of community!

🥕 How to get involved:

8. Restoration Farm, Old Bethpage, New York

Founded in 2007, Restoration Farm operates on 7 acres in Long Island, just outside of New York City. It offers a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program with organically grown vegetables, herbs, berries, and flowers, along with a farm stand, educational programs, and seasonal events for visitors. I got to visit here with my best friend Fiona, my 2 year old goddaughter, and my husband and the farm happened to be giving away free potatoes, which we took home and planted at home in California and they grew like mad and were delicious!!! So fun!

9. Thorne Family Farm, Malibu, California

Thorne Family Farm, located in Malibu, California, produces a variety of organic fruits, vegetables, flowers, and specialty products and operates a farm stand that takes place weekly on Saturday morning. Larry and Laurel Thorne are some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet and their farm is pure California magic. My husband and I love to meet friends there for the farm stand, bring out of town guests there, and get our produce for the week!

🥕 How to get involved:

  • If you live in LA, make your Saturday morning special by going to the Thorne Family Farmstand, then continue down the road to hike at Zuma Canyon Trailhead. 

10. Jalama Ranch, Lompoc, California

One of my favorite places in the world! Jalama Canyon Ranch is situated near Lompoc, California, with the mission of being “a living laboratory devoted to the rapid and broad adoption of regenerative agriculture locally, regionally and globally.” Jalama Canyon Ranch is part of the White Buffalo Land Trust, a 501(c)(3) non-profit  tirelessly engaging in direct land stewardship (like at Jalama Canyon Ranch!), education and training programs for community members, civic leaders, and other farmers, advanced ecological monitoring and research, and other business partnerships to uplevel industry.

I have been so fortunate to get to know Ana and Jesse Smith a little bit, the dynamic husband and wife duo who lead the farm, and they are truly changing the world. Jesse teaches visitors of the farm how through advanced research techniques, they can scientifically show how their regenerative methods increase soil biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and water capture – which is the type of “proof” that is needed to make change at the policy and systemic level. The ranch’s orbit also includes the food brand, Figure Ate, which utilizes products from the farm to create biodynamic, sustainable packaged goods. White Buffalo Land Trust also partners with consumer brands like Coyuchi to bring regenerative materials - like organic cotton - to the clothing industry. 

🥕 How to get involved:

11. Love Hazelnuts, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Love Hazelnuts is based on a 22-acre farm in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, specializing in growing hazelnuts using regenerative farming techniques. They are committed to sustainable nut production and land stewardship. I got to take a tour and do a Hazelnut tasting here and was blown away by how nutritional powerful organic hazelnuts are, and was blown away by the passion and knowledge of the founder, Sue! Hazelnuts are better for humans, bees, and the planet than most nuts: They are extremely high antioxidant polyphenols (2.5x more than almonds!) and have good protein (4-5 grams per ounce). They are great for bees, because their flowers bloom in the cold of winter (!), providing bees  a much needed source of pollen and nectar!! Astonishingly, these Hazelnuts are dry farmed (!!) meaning they use ZERO irrigation water– the rainy season in Oregon gives the trees most of the water they need for the entire year, compared to almonds which require 1.1 gallons for a single almond, according to the Love Hazelnut website!!! 

🥕 How to get involved:

“We love our Mother Earth and make sure she knows it. We don't think that being sustainable is good enough. We need to be beyond sustainable and think of the soil to the sky and how we can cultivate, regenerate and cherish our bountiful Earth. Mother Earth needs more ladies! We need more mothers of the Earth to care and steward the land and grow food. It’s something that’s very inherent in women and we’re just good at it! It’s good for us too. It’s the perfect reciprocal activity. You get so much back!” - Sue Chen, serial entrepreneur and founder of Love Hazelnuts 

👩‍🌾 Next farms on my dream list to visit

🤯 Fun, hopeful fact relating to the LA fires: The magic milieu of compost can detoxify our planet after a natural disaster. Compost can literally break down many environmental toxins and pollutants, including petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, herbicides, and some heavy metals through microbial activity. So cool.

Sending you good energy this week! Go get your hands in the soil!

🤗 , Dr. Casey

 

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Sponsors ensure this newsletter remains freely accessible to everyone. All sponsors are brands I already use daily and absolutely love!

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  • 🥗 Sprinkle – I add them to salads, smoothies, oatmeal—everything!

  • 🍹 Hydrate – Stir into water or any drink for a fiber boost in every sip, like my favorite tropical mocktail.

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To say I use Zen Basil seeds regularly is an understatement! These are a staple in my everyday life and I mention them in Good Energy 10 times!! I use them to sprinkle around my plates on savory dishes, make basil seed pudding, make crackers, top my smoothies, and make yogurt parfaits!

 
 

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Casey Means
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Newsletter #47: 🫘 The unsung hero of detoxification (FIBER!!!💩) , plus a fire update