I’ve spent about 30 years working in regenerative agriculture, and I see one obstacle come up repeatedly as more farmers explore a different way of managing land.

We have made the entry point harder than it needs to be.

Regenerative agriculture means different things across farms, regions and production systems. One producer may be learning how to improve grazing management while another has spent decades rebuilding soil biology and reducing purchased inputs.

Problems arise when experienced practitioners begin treating their own level of progress as the standard someone else must meet before joining the conversation.

I have talked with farmers who worry they cannot consider their work regenerative because their cattle are not grass-finished, they still rely on certain inputs, or they have not adopted every practice someone else considers essential.

That pressure can discourage conventional and conventional-curious producers before they have learned enough to make a useful first change.

My Journey Started With Grazing

I was conventionally trained in agriculture.

While I was in college, I met a gentleman practicing what we called intensive grazing at the time. He moved cattle daily or every other day through smaller fenced areas.

Watching him manage livestock that way sent me searching for more information.

That search eventually led to holistic management, soil health, teaching and consulting. Over time, I developed a deeper understanding of how grazing, soil biology and other biological processes interact across an agricultural system.

Thirty years also gave me plenty of opportunities to make mistakes.

When I work with producers today, part of my job is helping them shorten that learning curve. They should be able to benefit from lessons that took people like me years to learn.

Context Should Guide the First Decision

One of the six principles of soil health I frequently return to is context.

From there, we can look at the producer’s goals and determine whether the plan fits the operation.Every operation functions within a different set of conditions. Climate, geography, finances, labor, family goals and management experience all influence which decisions make sense.

A producer farming full time has options that may not fit someone whose off-farm job helps support the operation. Available equipment, debt, rainfall and existing infrastructure can change what is practical as well.

That is why I spend time understanding the operation before recommending a direction.

A grazing practice that performs well on one ranch may need significant adjustment somewhere else. A producer who is prepared to reduce an input may be in a different position from someone who first needs to improve soil function.

Regenerative principles become more useful when farmers learn how to apply them within their own circumstances.

Education Comes Before a Major Change

When a producer asks where to begin, I want to know what they already understand.

Have they attended a soil health school or grazing workshop? Have they studied soil biology? Do they understand the fundamentals behind grazing management?

A video can spark curiosity, but managing land requires enough knowledge to respond when conditions change.

Sometimes that conversation means reducing the scale of an idea. Enthusiasm can move faster than preparation, especially after someone sees another farmer succeeding with a new practice.

I often tell producers that slower can be faster.

A deliberate first change gives them a chance to understand what happened before committing more acres, animals or money.

Let the Land Show You Where to Begin

When I work on soil health, I use the six principles as a framework and look for the weakest part of the system.

Livestock operations often struggle with excessive grazing pressure. Row-crop farms may depend heavily on fertilizer and chemical inputs.

Those conditions help identify a starting point.

I want producers to understand the biological processes taking place beneath their feet and recognize how management influences them. Once they begin looking at soil that way, decisions involving grazing, crop diversity, disturbance and inputs become easier to evaluate.

The same perspective applies across a broader landscape. I have written about how land management can restore biological function and improve wildlife habitat. Ground cover, plant diversity, water movement and grazing pressure all influence what a farm or ranch can support.

Improvement develops through observation and management over time.

Test a Change Before Expanding It

One of the most practical recommendations I give farmers is to experiment on a manageable portion of the operation.

If you have 100 acres, try a new approach on 10.

A cattle producer could change grazing management within one section of pasture, then watch how the plants, livestock and soil respond before expanding the practice.

A crop farmer might select a field where a new approach can be evaluated without placing the entire operation behind an unfamiliar decision.

Small trials generate information specific to that farm. Producers learn how their soils respond, how local weather affects the outcome and how much management a new practice requires.

Those observations should influence the next decision.

Labels Can Push Farmers Away

People who have spent years in regenerative agriculture need to be thoughtful about how we speak to farmers who are beginning to explore it.

Strong commitment to particular practices can gradually turn into a list of qualifications. The farmer on the receiving end starts wondering whether he belongs in the regenerative community instead of focusing on what he could improve.

We lose people that way.

Many producers want healthier soil, better grazing, lower input costs and stronger farms. Their ability to change will vary with their circumstances and their current level of knowledge.

Experienced practitioners can help by sharing what they have learned and helping producers avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Give Yourself a Place to Begin

No farmer has to transform an entire operation on the first day.

Learn the principles, understand your circumstances and identify a change that fits the land you are managing.

For one producer, the first move may involve grazing. Someone working with row crops may begin by examining soil biology or testing a practice on a limited number of acres.

Watch the response closely and use what you learn to guide the next decision.

After 30 years, I still approach regenerative agriculture as an ongoing process of observation, learning and adjustment. The producers coming behind us have an advantage because they can build on decades of accumulated experience.

Give yourself permission to begin where you are. Make one well-considered change, study the response and continue from there.