Kiss the Ground: A Decade of Empowering the Regenerative Movement to Welcome Wave II
In the heart of the regenerative movement, Kiss the Ground has been a guiding force, shaping narratives and educating both brands and consumers since 2013. As the organization marks its remarkable decade, it stands at a historical juncture, ushering in Wave II of the Regenerative Movement.
The growth of regenerative agriculture has been nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, according to How Good, an independent research company, there has been a staggering 130% increase in companies adopting regenerative agriculture practices from 2019 to 2022. With the advent of Wave II, further growth in understanding the impact of regeneration is anticipated among both brands and consumers.
Steven Hoffman, principal of Compass Natural – a leading media and marketing firm in the natural product arena – shares his excitement about the next wave: "Kiss the Ground has united regenerative pioneers, business and thought leaders, celebrities, media, and influencers to deliver this crucial message to the public. We, in the regenerative agriculture products space, are thrilled to be part of Wave II – to see the impacts made."
As an audience-supported nonprofit, Kiss the Ground has played a pivotal role in elevating awareness about the social, commercial, and environmental benefits of regenerative food and agriculture. Regenerative agriculture, offering a viable solution to wellness, water, and climate crises, is now poised to become a top leader in the next phase of consumer awareness.
"Together, we've created a meaningful groundswell for the Regenerative Movement. To get to the tipping point, we will expand awareness, deepen engagement, and look to brands to help amplify the message with consumers. Kiss The Ground is here to help, no matter where you are on your regenerative journey," comments Evan Harrison, CEO of Kiss the Ground
Connect with Kiss the Ground: Reach out to create a customized plan aligned with your team's goals and values. Discover how they can meaningfully guide your company on the path to regeneration.
Immerse your team: Curate a learning experience tailored to your needs. Ranging from film screenings and customized engaging workshops to speaking sessions.
Bite-sized and in-depth learning: Empower your team by bringing them into this movement through on-demand access to acclaimed courses and resources.
Amplify your voice: Share your commitment to regeneration through storytelling partnerships. Sponsor media or campaigns that align with shared values.
Become a supporter: Gain high-impact exposure through Supporter Partner Spotlights across Kiss the Ground's platforms.
Engage consumers: Partner with Kiss the Ground as your featured nonprofit and empower customers to support regenerative initiatives through their purchases.
“Discovering the profound message of Kiss the Ground ignited a passion within me, prompting me to enroll in their education program – an immensely rewarding decision. Whenever I share my knowledge and train others on soil health, inquiries about further learning opportunities inevitably arise. I consistently recommend starting with the “Kiss the Ground” documentary and encouraging action through becoming a soil advocate, fostering hope, and igniting passion in others along the way.”
- Brian Hall, CEO of True Grace Health
Get Involved with Kiss the Ground at Expo West
Don't miss the screening of "Common Ground," the highly anticipated follow-up film to “Kiss the Ground,” at Natural Products Expo West on Friday, March 15. The film explores the shared connection Americans have with the soil beneath their feet.
Join the post-screening panel discussion with award-winning filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, producer John Roulac, farmer and cast member Gabe Brown, and additional guests who will delve into the film and the regenerative agriculture movement. Details here.
Connect with Kiss the Ground at Expo West 2024: Evan Harrison (CEO), Nathan Rice (Storytelling), Jackie Peller (Partnerships). Email partnerships@kisstheground.com.
Two Films, One Message: The Solution to Human and Environmental Health Is Right Under Our Feet
This article first appeared in Presence Marketing’s October 2023 newsletter.
By Steven Hoffman
Two new feature-length documentary films, Organic Rising and Common Ground, released in October, demonstrate clearly that the time is now for industry, government and the public to fully embrace the potential of organic and regenerative agriculture.
Through interviews with thought leaders, farmers, scientists, celebrities and industry experts, plus animation to help convey complex concepts, both films convey a powerful message that the way we produce our food and treat our nation’s soil directly impacts climate change and our health.
Organic Rising, sponsored in part by Presence Marketing, documents the history of organic food and farming and the growth of the organic products market, from the early influences of J.I. Rodale, Sir Albert Howard and Rachel Carson to the back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s to today’s $60-billion organic food marketplace.
Ten years in the making and directed by Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning National Geographic photojournalist Anthony Suau, Organic Rising also contrasts the history or organic against a backdrop of the widespread usage of toxic pesticides over the past 80 years. Narrated by organic industry advocate Elizabeth Kucinich and actor Simon Harrison, the film also documents how glyphosate has become the most widely used pesticide in history, along with its adverse impacts on human, animal and environmental health.
According to former executive director of the Rodale Institute Mark Smallwood, interviewed in Organic Rising, organic crops can produce higher margins than conventional, so price outweighs any difference in yield, he asserts. In fact, organic can be more profitable than conventional, especially in seasons of drought and flood, where organic farming can actually outperform conventional agriculture. “Conventional uses chemistry; organic farmers build soil,” Smallwood said.
In addition to interviews showcasing pioneering organic farmers, entrepreneurs, chefs including Dan Barber, and indigenous leaders including Winona LaDuke, Organic Rising also features interviews with internationally renowned agro-ecology expert and author Vandana Shiva, and the late Ronnie Cummins, co-founder of the Organic Consumers Association, Regeneration International and Vía Organica.
The film Common Ground is the sequel to Kiss the Ground, which, when released in 2020, was the one of the first full-length documentaries to explore how regenerative organic agriculture can sequester enough carbon from the atmosphere to reverse climate change. Featuring an all-star cast of narrators including Woody Harrelson, Rosario Dawson, Donald Glover, Jason Momoa, Ian Somerhalder and Laura Dern, Common Ground was directed by husband and wife team Rebecca and Josh Tickell, who also directed the first Kiss the Ground film.
Common Ground chronicles the struggles and triumphs of a politically and culturally diverse group of farmers, ranchers, scientists, and advocates who all share one thing in common: they believe in a way of ecological farming that builds soil. By using a combination of traditional knowledge and wisdom and modern technology, the farmers and ranchers in the regenerative movement make more money and grow more nutrient-dense food than their “conventional” farming counterparts, assert the film’s directors. The “regenerative pioneers” featured in the film claim that to save humanity from future environmental catastrophes, we must first save our soil. “Common Ground shows that soil is quite possibly the most valuable substance on our planet, because if our soil dies, we also die,” they cautioned.
“Coming from a legacy farming family myself, I’ve witnessed and experienced in my family the very real health impacts of our current food system. In fact, the old farmer you see in the film buying grain and taking out a loan is my dad. Josh and I have a long history of making and distributing advocacy docs, but all of them have led us to Common Ground. We need to turn this movie into a movement,” said Rebecca Tickell.
Speaking to the potential of regenerative agriculture to heal the planet, former conventional and now regenerative farmer Gabe Brown shared the following: “I often get asked, ‘what makes you think this can occur in the world,’ and I answer, ‘because it’s nature.’ Nature is always self organizing, self healing, self regulating. If we can cover the earth in a biodiverse array of plants and animals and insects we wouldn’t hear about climate change anymore. We wouldn’t have this human health crisis. We would have food that is truly nutrient dense,” he said.
Woody Harrelson ends the film with a final thought, “So remember this, next time you look up at that night sky, think about where you are. You’re on the only planet we know of that’s filled with life. The one thing that’s keeping us all alive, is that soil you’re standing on.”
Watch the films here or see them in select theaters now:
Organic Rising — https://www.organicrisingfilm.com
Common Ground — https://commongroundfilm.org
Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing public relations, brand marketing, social media and strategic business development services to natural, organic and sustainable products businesses. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.