Simply planting or farming more will not save our planet, and at worst, it might even speed up its destruction. That’s where regenerative agriculture comes in. Tom Newmark is the Co-Founder of The Carbon Underground, a 501(c)3 organization focused on solutions to drawdown carbon into our soil through regenerative agriculture, and the owner of Finca Luna Nueva Lodge, a wholly organic and regenerative farm in Costa Rica. In this episode, he joins Corinna Bellizzi to explain why regenerative farming is the solution that will save our planet. Keep your ears glued to this insightful discussion and learn more about how farming impacts our future and the role you can play in saving it.

Tom Newmark is a fellow natural products industry veteran who moved on from his role as the CEO of New Chapter back in 2012 to focus his passion on a new purpose, creating regenerative farming ecosystems that could draw down atmospheric carbon and reverse global warming. He owns a regenerative farm and sustainable rainforest ecolodge, Finca Luna Nueva in Costa Rica and is the co-founder and chair of a not-for-profit: The Carbon Underground. 

The Carbon Underground: https://thecarbonunderground.org/

Finca Luna Nueva Lodge + Regenerative Farm: https://fincalunanuevalodge.com/ 

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Time Stamps: 

00:00 Introduction

03:30 Happy Coincidences and The Birth of Finca Luna Nueva Lodge; Exploring the Roots of New Chapter

09:07 The Rodale Institute: Beginning a Regenerative Farming Journey with Dr. Tim LaSalle

11:30 Mind Blowing Moment: We Can Draw Down Legacy CO2 (Carbon Dioxide)

13:30 Discovering That Biodynamic Farming and Crop Rotation Was Not Enough

17:50 Finding A Better Way To Farm - Regeneratively 
(no bare earth, mimicking mother nature, planting fields of 20-30 crops growing tightly together, not disturbing soil / no plough is used)

20:00 Soil Testing To Confirm Carbon Sequestration

23:10 Basic Principles of Regenerative Agriculture: Not Bound By An "Orthodoxy of Practice"

24:10 Technology And The Problem of Inventions, Joseph Campbell and The Plough 

25:30 Jarrod Diamond, Author of Guns, Germs & Steel, Believes Our Greatest Mistake Is The Invention of The Plough

27:30 The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Paradigm of Destruction 

32:40 We Have An Existential Crisis - And A Solution "Photosynthesis and Regenerative Agriculture"

33:30 The Runway To Reverse Global Warming and the Problem of Climate Lag

37:45 Why Net Zero Is "Laughable"

40:20 David Johnson & Hui Chun Su Johnson - Sequestering 9-10 tons of carbon per hectare per year

44:20 Gamifying Climate Solutions and Creating The Soil Carbon Initiative (Soil Carbon Index)

49:42 How Far Are We From A 3rd Party Ratified Regenerative Farming Standard?

53:00 Corporations Called To Manage Carbon Outputs / Carbon Balance Sheets and "Carbon Markets"

56:00 Closing Thoughts - "There Is No Drop Of Love That Is Ever Wasted"


Additional References:
The Rodale Institute: https://rodaleinstitute.org/ 

Joseph Campbell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Campbell

Jarrod Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel: http://www.jareddiamond.org/Jared_Diamond/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel.html

The Epic of Gilgamesh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh

David Johnson & Hui Chun Su Johnson
https://www.nmhealthysoil.org/2021/04/18/johnson-su-bioreactor-2/

The Center for Regenerative Agriculture & Resilient Systems: https://www.csuchico.edu/regenerativeagriculture/about-us/about.shtml

Green America: https://www.greenamerica.org/restore-it

Soil Carbon Initiative: https://www.soilcarboninitiative.org/

Other Episodes on Regeneration:
Introduction to Regeneration: One Billion Climate Activists
Strong: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/one-billion-climate-activists-strong/

Regeneration Interview with Paul Hawken: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-ending-the-climate-crisis-in-one-generation/

Regeneration Part 1 Oceans: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-1-oceans/

Regeneration Part 2 Forests: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-2-forests/

Regeneration Part 3 Wilding: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-3-wilding/

Regeneration Part 4 Nexus: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-4-nexus-climate-activism-tool/

Regeneration Part 5 Regenerative Agriculture: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-5-land-regenerative-agriculture-and-soil-restoration-to-reverse-global-warming/

Regeneration Part 6 People: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part-6-people-indigeneity-and-our-role-in-reversing-global-warming/

Regeneration Part 7 Cities: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part7-cities-green-architecture-living-building-challenge/

Regeneration Part 8 Food: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/regeneration-part8-food-localization-and-decommodification-to-end-the-climate-crisis/