Why Regenerative?


Regenerative agriculture has the power to restore biodiversity, sequester carbon, and nourish farm ecosystems - eliminating many of the harmful inputs we’ve relied on for the last century. We must unite farmers, investors, and consumers to show them why regenerative agriculture is crucial.

It’s no silver bullet solution, and it will not be easy, but we must start to replenish our farmlands, our planet, and the value of our food. This is why regenerative agriculture matters.

We must look closely at our food systems. These systems have externalized costs we can no longer afford to ignore. Agriculture is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and erosion. Our soil health is declining at unprecedented rates. Our crops are coated in synthetics and are losing the nutritional value necessary for us to live healthy and happy lives.

Why RegenerativeNYC?


In the year beforehand, we had over 200 conversations with folks in regenerative agriculture, including founders, farmers, and funders. It was constantly brought up that regenerative agriculture needs capital and community. As you might know, New York City has no shortage of either.

We brought this rural conversation to an urban space, fostering discussions around resilient, regenerative food systems. The transition of the food system will require intense collaboration between farmers, investors, policymakers, consumers, scientists, and all stakeholders to flourish. We are here to facilitate these conversations, amplify the voices of key leaders in regenerative agriculture, and help scientific evidence inform our approach to agriculture.

WHY US?


At first glance, their differences are clear—Jackson, dynamic and spirited, unwittingly ignited the journey in to regen ag by founding a beef jerky company. He brings the energy, and always challenges the status quo. On the other hand, Cortlandt brings a calm, steady hand to the partnership. Raised by ecologists, he’s focused on enabling environmental stewardship through agriculture and advancing the approaches necessary to create measured change. His methodical approach balances well with Jackson's vigor. Together, they elevated Jackson’s high school jerky brand to STEER, winning NYU’s Stern Venture Fellowship. They put that company on pause after extensive conversations in the regenerative agriculture (RA) community. This past Earth Day (April 22nd) they hosted RegenerativeNYC, the first culmination of their community building efforts. And now, they bring you the State of Regenerative Agriculture (SORA) this September during NYC Climate Week.

Want to learn more about our work?