Finding Common Ground with Regenerative Agriculture
Can we convince farmers to take climate change seriously while also helping them survive?
By Becky Garrison, 22 Oct 2026
It's a core truth of American politics that farmers vote Republican by large margins. They share the stubbornly anti-science orientation of the Republican party, which rejects expert warnings about climate change, resource depletion, or environmental damage as leftist, woke nonsense.
Given this frustrating fact, how can we have a productive conversation that leads to effective action on our environmental crisis?
Filmmakers Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell propose an answer through their documentary trilogy: Kiss the Ground, Common Ground, and Groundswell. In these films, they approach climate and environmental topics through the lens of regenerative agriculture.
Why Regenerative Agriculture?
Rebecca explains her choice of focus:
I come from a legacy farming family in the Midwest, who were devoted religious [people] and talked about how being a farmer was part of their service to God. My dad grew up farming during the Green Revolution with lots of chemicals, which they thought was better than tilling. My whole family suffered because of that, and I care about them deeply. But I found that, in order to help them, I had to avoid terms that would divide us in the conversation—like climate change—because that would just create an argument. But if I talked about the weather, science, and agriculture, these were openings for a conversation.
Building a Bridge with Films
The trilogy builds upon each other:
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Kiss the Ground (2020) introduced the concept of regenerative agriculture, highlighting its potential to stabilize the climate within ten years. The film's release sparked a blacklisting in Hollywood but also brought the idea into the mainstream.
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Common Ground exposed the obstacles holding back the adoption of regenerative agriculture, including whistleblowers from the EPA and USDA revealing the truth about chemical exposures.
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Groundswell documented regenerative practices worldwide, showcasing their effectiveness in various environments.
Key Takeaways
Rebecca emphasizes the importance of:
- Transforming to a regional food system to decrease transportation waste and provide fresher, healthier food.
- Educating farmers and the public about the benefits of regenerative agriculture.
- Taking a global approach to learn from diverse environments and situations.