ReGen Brands Podcast

#117 - Stacy Cushenbery @ Oatly - Driving Regen Impact With Miller Partnerships & Per Acre Payments

On this episode, we sit down with Stacy Cushenbery, Senior Manager for Global Regenerative Agriculture at Oatly, to unpack how one of the world’s most recognizable plant-based brands is tackling regeneration at scale.
We explore why Oatly chose an “equivalent acres” approach instead of chasing identity-preserved sourcing, and how that decision balances procurement flexibility with landscape-level impact. We dive into why mill partners are the hidden backbone of their program — organizing farmers, shaping agronomy plans, and making regen real on the ground.
Stacy shares the nuts and bolts of what practices Oatly is paying farmers to adopt, how much support they receive, and what the company has learned about building trust and iteration into the process. And finally, we go inside the business model — how Oatly calculated program costs down to a cost-per-liter of oat milk and embedded those expenses directly into procurement budgets.
It’s a conversation about pragmatism meeting ambition, about turning lofty sustainability goals into operational reality, and about how brands can work across systems to create genuine impact.
Episode Highlights:
🌍 Working towards system-level change in their regional supply sheds
🌾 Incentivizing regen practices in their two main sourcing regions
💡 Choosing mass balance impact over a segregated sourcing approach
🤝 Partnering with mills as the backbone of farmer engagement
🧑‍🌾 Supporting farmers with flexible, farmer-choice practice menus
🌱 Incentivizing farmers with per-acre payments for practice adoption
📈 Mapping sustainability costs down to cost per liter of oat milk
🛠 Embedding regen incentive costs into the procurement budget
📺 Educating consumers through authentic farmer storytelling
🎯 Calling for recognition of the true cost of food to drive change
Links:
Oatly
RegrowGrain Millers
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#116 - Chris Tolles @ Yard Stick - Making Soil Carbon Measurement Faster, Cheaper, & Easier

On this episode, we're digging deep into why measuring soil carbon is so essential but so difficult, and what it takes to make it faster, cheaper, and easier.
We’re joined by Chris Tolles, Co-Founder and CEO of Yard Stick, a soil carbon measurement company that's helping unlock the data needed to scale regenerative agriculture by affordably and accurately delivering the ground-truth data that proves the ROI of regenerative practices.
Chris walks us through the graph that convinced him soil carbon was the climate solution to bet on — and why most current measurement methods are too expensive, too slow, or too inaccessible to meet the moment. You'll learn how Yard Stick's field-based spectroscopy technology changes the game, and why ground-level measurement will always matter more than watching from space.
We also explore how Yard Stick is working with carbon project developers, land funds, and food brands — why these partners want the data, how they're using it, and what outcomes its helping them achieve.
Plus, Chris tells us what it actually looks like to measure soil carbon on a thousand-acre farm, he gets real about the limitations of consumer demand to spur a regenerative revolution, unpacks the driver behind the underfunding of nature-based climate solutions, and shares his perspective on what the voluntary carbon market might look like in 10 years.
Episode Highlights:
🌍 Improving soil carbon measurement to help reverse climate change
🧲 The one powerful graph that created his soil carbon conviction
💰 Why measuring soil carbon costs so much today
🧪 Replacing costly lab analysis with real-time soil spectroscopy
🤝 How they work with project developers, investors, and brands
💪 Reducing supply chain volatility with soil health insights
📉 Why nature-based solutions are still underfunded
💭 What will the voluntary carbon market look like in 10 years?
👀 Unpacking the bearish case for regenerative consumer demand
🌽 Embracing paradox and finding the “both and”
Links:
Yard Stick
 
Soil Carbon Capacity + Cost Graph Image
Soil Carbon Capacity + Cost Graph Study
Yard Stick Probe In Action Video
Yard Stick Efficacy Scientific Paper
Soil Health Institute’s ECONOMICS of Soil Health Systems on 30 U.S. Farms
NYC Climate Week Soil + Ag People Walk/Run
Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM)
Measurement, Reporting, Verification (MRV)
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Soil Health Institute
Clear Frontier
SLM Partners
General Mills
Organic Valley
Regrow
Perennial
Maui Nui
Sol Simple
Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF)
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
Indigo Ag
Verra (Carbon Registry)
Quantis
Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use (AFOLU)
 
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#115 - Kristina Tucker @ The Republic of Tea - Piloting Regenerative Innovation In Tea & Herbs

On this episode, I’m joined by Kristina Tucker, the longtime Minister of Enlightenment at The Republic of Tea.
 
We explore the brand’s 30-year journey from launching the first certified Organic tea in 2003 to piloting new Regenerative Organic Certified® SKUs today. Kristina shares how the company sources over 400 teas and herbs from more than 80 growing regions, and what it takes to balance innovation, ingredient integrity, and supply chain complexity at scale.
 
We dive into how regenerative fits into their historical sourcing evolution — from organic to biodynamic to ROC™ — and why the brand is taking a thoughtful, "wait and learn" approach to rolling out regenerative products across their massive catalog.
 
You’ll also hear about the product, packaging, and business decisions that have contributed to their success and longevity in the tea category, their super unique fax-based origin story, and their commitment to supporting smallholder farmers across the globe.
 
So pour yourself something to sip on and get ready to learn about this Republic and its Ministers, Ambassadors, Citizens, and Embassies.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
🌿 Launching the first certified Organic tea in 2003
📦 Sourcing 400+ teas and herbs from over 80 growing regions
🌍 Why they have Ministers, Ambassadors, Citizens, and Embassies
🌱 Introducing 3 new Regenerative Organic Certified® SKUs
🧑‍🌾 Supporting smallholder, single-origin herb farmers across the globe
🌾 Navigating volume constraints to responsibly scale regen sourcing
🫖 Delivering 30+ servings per SKU in shelf-efficient steel tins
📊 Offering customizable assortments for retail partners
📈 Launching 10–20 new SKUs annually
👏 Supporting female farmer leadership in Sri Lanka
 
Links:
The Republic of Tea
Ministers, Ambassadors, Citizens, and Embassies
The Republic of Tea Book
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP)
Women of Tea Sri Lanka Program
 
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#114 - Isabel Washington @ Laurel's - The Regenerative A2 Latte Disrupting RTD Coffee

On this episode, we’re talking with Isabel Washington, the founder of Laurel’s, a rapidly growing ready-to-drink coffee brand powered by regenerative A2 dairy.
We dive into Isabel’s personal journey discovering A2 milk, how it transformed her relationship with dairy, and why it became the cornerstone of her brand.
You’ll hear how she spotted a massive gap in the RTD coffee aisle — where 90% of products were non-dairy — and why she designed Laurel’s first three SKUs to reflect what people actually order at real coffee shops.
Isabel also pulls back the curtain on the scrappy, behind-the-scenes grind of building a CPG brand from scratch — from tying up all her money in the first production run to grinding through 40 demos in 50 days at Erewhon.
And we talk about the bigger picture — how content, culture, and motivated moms will determine the future of regenerative food and beverage.
Episode Highlights:
💡 Isabel’s A2 dairy awakening
🥛 Reclaiming dairy for Gen Z and Millennial women
🤔 Why RTD coffee had become 90% non-dairy
🧃 Moving from idea to shelf in just 8 months
🧋 Designing SKUs around what consumers actually drink
🏪 Driving early growth with 40 demos in 50 days at Erewhon
🌱 Prioritizing regen sourcing, even without marketing claims
💵 The complexity and cost of product certifications
📈 How social media content will determine regen awareness
🛍 Why motivated mothers are the most influential shoppers
Links:
Laurel’s Coffee
Alec’s Ice Cream
McKinsey & Company
Erewhon
Grüns
Alexander Family Farm
Painterland Sisters
Jimbo’s
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#113 - Peetachai "Neil" Dejkraisak @ Jasberry - Fighting Farmer Poverty With Regenerative Superfood Rice

On this episode, we’re diving into the incredible origin story of Jasberry with the company’s Co-Founder and CEO, Neil. 
You’ll hear how a life-changing high school friendship, a Google search for the world’s best rice scientist, and two years living in rural Thailand all led to a new superfood rice brand that you can now find on shelves at every Whole Foods nationwide.
We unpack Jasberry’s mission to tackle generational farmer poverty, the science behind their superfood purple rice, and why organic and regenerative rice farming is actually lowering costs and producing higher yields for their farming partners. 
Neil also shares how Jasberry works with 2,500 rice farmers in Thailand who earn 14x more than the national average, why they're focused on expanding into foodservice for their next phase of growth, and how they’re dealing with a new, brutal 19% tariff.
Episode Highlights:
🌾 Superfood rice with 40x more antioxidants than brown rice
🌱 Rooting the mission in farmer poverty and social justice
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Living with farm families for 2 years to earn trust and understanding
📉 Confronting a system where farmers were earning just $0.40 a day
🥇 Fueling the brand with breakthrough genetics from Thailand’s top rice scientist
🌍 Working with 2,500 farming families across Thailand
💥 Increasing farmer incomes by 14x above the national average
💸 Taking 7 years to scale and land national retail distribution
🍽️ Focusing on foodservice and direct-to-consumer for future growth
🚫 Wrestling with a new 19% tariff on Thai imports
Links:
Jasberry
Seub Nakhasathien
Northwestern Kellogg School of Management
Grameen Bank
Holy Basil
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#112 - Keith Bearden @ Alter Eco - Cacao Price Spikes, Tariff Pressure, and Regenerative Progress

On this episode, we sit down with Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco, to unpack one of the most turbulent years in chocolate’s history. 
We dive into why cacao prices have more than tripled over the past two years and how a new 39% Swiss import tariff is disrupting their business in ways we have never seen before.
Keith shares how Alter Eco is helping farmers transition to dynamic agroforestry systems across Latin America, why regenerative certification doesn’t always pencil out, and what needs to happen to unify the movement so consumers truly understand regen’s value. 
Episode Highlights:
🍫 Leading in eco-friendly chocolate for over 20 years
📈 Why cacao prices have skyrocketed the past two years
🌴 Helping cacao farmers transition to dynamic agroforestry systems
💵 Providing direct financial and agronomic support to farmers
🛒 Why Swiss manufacturing is now a core part of brand messaging
🚫 The 39% Swiss import tariff causing major disruption
🤷 Why regen certification doesn’t pencil out right now
🤤 Consumers buy for indulgence, then learn about impact
🗣 The imperative for more harmonized regen certification and communication
🤯 Why we’re headed towards $10 chocolate bars
Links:
Alter Eco
Alter Eco Sustainability Report
Cacao Tariffs & Prices Soar
Kiss the Ground
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Fair for Life
B Corp
Nextworld Evergreen
 
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#111 - Berklee Welsh & Christina Skonberg @ Simple Mills - Why Contribution Matters More Than Attribution

On this episode, we’re joined by Berklee Welsh and Christina Skonberg from Simple Mills — the number one cracker, cookie, and baking mix brand in the natural channel today.
 
We unpack how Simple Mills is focused on contribution over attribution, working with more than 4,000 farmers on 70,000 acres to build a regenerative supply that doesn’t necessarily translate into product-specific claims.
 
We talk about product innovation, how underutilized crops like buckwheat and red beans are making their way into cookies and crackers, and why designing for soil health starts with good product design.
 
You’ll hear how their ingredient-specific regen programs started with a few sunflower growers in the Midwest and have now expanded to almonds, cocoa, and coconut sugar — and how those programs are grounded in listening to farmers, not prescribing to them.
 
Berklee and Christina unpack how Simple Mills’ regenerative programs drive supply resilience, employee morale, product differentiation, and even ingredient quality — making the case for why Simple Mills invests in this work, even without on-pack claims.
 
This one is packed with quality insights from two top-notch sustainability pros.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
📢 Why regen at Simple Mills is about contribution > attribution
🌾 Agriculture makes up over half of Simple Mills’ carbon footprint
🚜 Farmers need brands to help de-risk regenerative transitions
💰 Paying regen bonuses to sunflower farmers in the Midwest
📦 Their regen programs now span 4 ingredients and 70,000+ acres
🔬 Designing regen into product innovation from day one
📲 Leveraging regen efforts in marketing and what is resonating with consumers
💸 The non-consumer-focused business case for regen investments
🤝 Why scaling regen = more meetings
🎯 How all flourishing is mutual
 
Links:
Simple Mills
Future Farmers of America (FFA)
General Mills
Ferrero Rocher
Starbucks
Annie’s
Cascadian Farm Organic
Regenerative Organic Certified®
The Almond Project
National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC)
Robin Wall Kimmerer - “The Serviceberry”
 
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#110 - Michael Farrell @ The Forest Farmers - Forest Farming The Most Regenerative Sweetener On Earth

On this episode, we’re going deep into the forest with Michael Farrell, Co-Founder of The Forest Farmers. 
Michael and his team are managing over 10,000 acres of forest in New York and Vermont to produce what they believe to be the most regenerative sweetener on the planet.
You’ll hear how The Forest Farmers’ keep forests diverse and thriving, why maple syrup is nutritionally and environmentally superior to more popular, cheap sweeteners, and how brands can integrate maple ingredients into everything from beverages to baked goods.
We unpack how maple trees become a full suite of Regenerative Organic Certified® products — from sap to syrup to sugar — and how those ingredients are now powering a new generation of regenerative brands like Recoup, Wild Orchard, and Alec’s Ice Cream. 
Michael also shares why only 1% of U.S. maple trees are tapped today, and how shifting consumer demand can change that.
Episode Highlights:
🍁 Making maple a leading regenerative organic ingredient
🍭 Maple sugar used to be the dominant sweetener in early American diets
🔍 Today’s mainstream syrups are often entirely artificial with no maple at all
🌳 Regeneratively managing over 10,000 acres of diverse forests
🛠️ Vacuum pumps, tubing grids, & gravity — how tree sap flows at scale
🇯🇲 The skilled Jamaican H2A team farming the forest
🎯 The nutritional and environmental advantage of maple-based ingredients
🧪 Process to taste — neutral sweetness or a bold maple profile for CPGs
💼 Supplying brands like Recoup, Wild Orchard, & Alec’s Ice Cream
🌲 The monster maple opportunity in both supply and demand
Links:
The Forest Farmers
Cornell Maple Research Center
Regenerative Organic Certified®
Wild Orchard Tea 
Recoup Beverages
Alec’s Ice Cream
International Maple Syrup Institute
USDA Maple Syrup Guidelines
Burlap & Barrel Spices
IFT Show 
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#109 - Jason Haas @ Tablas Creek Vineyard - The Regenerative Organic Vineyard Pioneering Rhône-Style Wine

On this episode of the ReGen Brands Podcast, we’re joined by Jason Haas – Partner and General Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard. Tablas Creek is located in Paso Robles, California, is one of the pioneering wineries in the U.S. for regenerative organic farming, and was the first vineyard to become Regenerative Organic Certified®.
 
Jason shares the incredible origin story of Tablas Creek, born from a partnership between his father and the Perrin family of France. We explore how they brought Rhône varietals to California and why they started a grapevine nursery to supply their own vineyard and the broader wine community here in the US.
 
We dive into the challenges and opportunities of regenerative viticulture – from managing tillage, to animal integration, to water retention. Jason also unpacks the complexity of managing 270 acres while bottling 29 different wines. Plus, he shares insights on the economics of DTC versus wholesale channels, and how they're balancing high regenerative and organic standards with industry-wide transition support.
 
If you're curious about how regenerative farming shows up in your favorite glass of vino – and what it takes to make that possible – this episode is for you.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
🌱 Pioneering Rhône grape varieties here in the US
🍇 Becoming the first Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyard
🧪 Launching a nursery to grow better vines and accelerate domestic adoption
🌿 How organic and biodynamic laid the groundwork for regenerative
🐑 Grazing sheep to boost soil fertility and water retention
🍷 Bottling 29 different wines a year, the way nature intended
🥂 Growing their “Wine Club” to 11,000 members
📦 How DTC makes up 50% of their volume, but 80% of revenue
💡 Using “neighborhood” blends to help other growers transition to organic
🌍 Collective strategies to scale consumer demand for regen-certified wine
 
Links:
Tablas Creek Vineyard
Château de Beaucastel
Demeter Biodynamic Certification
Regenerative Organic Certified®
UC Davis Foundation Plant Services
One Block Challenge™
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#108 - We Have No Idea How Regen Products Are Selling (Kyle Returns!)

On this episode of the ReGen Brands podcast, a voice you know and love is back. Kyle returns after his brief two-episode hiatus, but this time as the guest. 
 
We’re diving deep into a foundational issue facing regenerative CPG: we still have no unified way of tracking how regenerative products are performing at retail. 
 
From disjointed data systems and third-party paywalls to the chaos of unstandardized claims, this episode breaks down why brands, retailers, and certifiers are flying blind when it comes to understanding regen product performance.We explore how syndicated data platforms like SPINS and Nielsen work, why regenerative claims often aren’t tracked, and what that means for brand strategy, buyer decisions, and movement-wide progress. 
 
Kyle also shares why even the best sales data means nothing if you can’t translate it into value. Plus, we break down our two-pronged solution to ensure that regenerative products can be tracked just like organic, keto, or gluten-free items are today. And we detail the coordination effort it will require between certifiers, retailers, data companies, and brands.
 
Episode Highlights:
 
📉 Why we don’t actually know how regen products are selling
💸 Retail sales data is paywalled, fragmented, and hard to access
🧩 Each data provider has its own rules for product attribution
🔍 No unified system exists to track regen-specific product claims
📊 Retail buyers rely on data to greenlight trends (regen’s nearly invisible)
🤝 A unified attribute across platforms could unlock new retail wins
🧪 More regen data = better decisions, faster learning, less greenwashing
🔐 Data providers are open to change, but need an ROI to justify it
🛠️ We need industry consensus on regen claim and data governance
🏆 The holy grail = data that unlocks point of sale causation
 
Links:
SPINS
NielsenIQ
Circana
Whole Foods Market
Kettle & Fire
Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC™)
Land to Market (EOV)
Regenified
A Greener World
Slingshot CPG
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