USDA Launches Regenerative Pilot Program to Rebuild American Soil and Food Quality
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health
Briana Mercola
4.6 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 16 January 2026
⏱️ 9 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
- Industrial farming has weakened soil biology, reduced food quality, and contributed to chronic disease, prompting renewed focus on soil health as a foundation for human health and agricultural resilience
- Regenerative agriculture rebuilds soil without reliance on heavy chemical inputs. This approach improves water retention, nutrient density, and long-term farm productivity
- In December 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched a $700 million Regenerative Pilot Program to support farmers transitioning to soil-building practices
- The program uses existing conservation funds, public-private partnerships, and a unified application process to reduce administrative burden and make regenerative practices more accessible
- You can support regenerative agriculture through your daily food choices by prioritizing food from regenerative farmers, choosing pasture-raised meat and dairy, and avoiding ultraprocessed foods
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Is the food on your plate losing strength because the soil beneath it is losing life? |
| 0:04.2 | Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. |
| 0:07.4 | Stay informed with quick, easy to listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. |
| 0:12.8 | No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. |
| 0:18.0 | Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Today we're looking at |
| 0:22.6 | how rebuilding soil can rebuild your health and why a new federal pilot program is trying to |
| 0:28.3 | change the way American farms work from the ground up. I'm Ethan Foster, and I'll guide the conversation |
| 0:33.6 | so you can see exactly how policy, farming methods, and your daily choices connect. |
| 0:39.1 | I'm Alara Sky, and I'm here to unpack what regenerative agriculture is, |
| 0:43.7 | what the U.S. Department of Agriculture just launched to support it, |
| 0:47.3 | and how you can participate through the food you buy and the farmers you support. |
| 0:52.3 | Industrial, chemical-dependent farming, reshaped modern agriculture beginning in the mid-20th |
| 0:58.0 | century, but it also weakened soil biology, reduced food quality, and contributed to chronic |
| 1:04.0 | disease trends. You feel that shift when food fills your stomach, but fails to nourish you. |
| 1:09.0 | That's why soil health has moved back into public focus |
| 1:11.8 | under the Make America Healthy Again, Strategy released in September, 2025, and it sets the stage |
| 1:19.0 | for a new approach. Regenerative agriculture is a return to land-first principles. You rebuild |
| 1:25.1 | topsoil by keeping ground covered with living plants, rotating crops, |
| 1:30.0 | and integrating animals to stimulate microbial activity. As organic matter rises, erosion slows, |
| 1:37.3 | structure strengthens, and carbon stays in the ground where it supports fertility instead of |
| 1:42.2 | entering the atmosphere. Water is a second pillar. |
| 1:46.0 | Industrial systems both consume and pollute large volumes of fresh water. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 27 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Briana Mercola, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Briana Mercola and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.