From Business to Farming: Building a Circular Food System from Scratch Part 2

Send us Fan MailCan a regenerative farm actually turn a profit, and how long does it take to get there?In part two of this Harvesting Wisdom conversation, host Mike McMahon continues talking with Niels, a Danish entrepreneur who built a 650-hectare regenerative farm in Lithuania called Farmer Circle. This half of the conversation goes deeper into the numbers, the setbacks, and the bigger systems needed to make regenerative farming work long-term.Niels traces the decline of his father's farm in Denmark back to the shift toward industrial monoculture in the 1970s, and compares it to how his own farm is slowly rebuilding carbon and soil structure through grazing and rotation. He also talks about launching a trading company to help neighboring farms reach the market, and running a shared slaughterhouse that benefits smaller producers nearby.The conversation covers where technology fits into regenerative farming, from satellite and drone monitoring to virtual fencing, along with the regulatory hurdles that come with using new tools on an organic-certified farm. Niels is direct about the financial reality too, including a costly herd management mistake and the multi-year path from losses toward profitability.The discussion widens further into food policy, population growth, farm subsidies, and the connection between processed food and long-term health, tying the farm-level story back to bigger questions about how food systems are built.👉 Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom for more conversations on agriculture, sustainability, and the people building resilient food systems.Why Listen?This half of the conversation is especially valuable for anyone wondering whether regenerative farming actually pencils out financially. Niels walks through real losses, a costly mistake with the herd, and a genuine path toward profitability, without glossing over the difficulty. He also raises thoughtful points about technology, farm subsidies, and food policy that go beyond the farm gate. It's a strong watch for farmers weighing the transition to regenerative practices, agribusiness owners, or anyone interested in how food policy and soil health connect to long-term public health.00:00 – Comparing childhood soil in Denmark to the Lithuanian farm 01:23 – How industrial monoculture degraded his father's farm 03:14 – Building carbon back into the soil through grazing 04:39 – Building "Farmers and Company" to help neighboring farms reach market 06:47 – Running a shared slaughterhouse for local farmers 08:32 – Considering new technology, including virtual fencing 09:00 – Satellite and drone monitoring for precision fertilizer use 10:56 – Regenerative ranching and its effects on livestock and land 12:28 – Regulatory conflicts around new grazing technology 15:25 – Comparing grazing pressures in Central Asia and Mongolia 18:26 – The real economics: losses, mistakes, and a path to profit 21:35 – Farm subsidies, food pricing, and consolidation of farmland 23:18 – Agriculture's role in addressing climate change 27:33 – A costly mistake with the herd and lessons learned 29:41 – Population growth, food demand, and women's education 33:47 – Long-term soil regeneration and historical warnings ignored 38:14 – Processed food, chemical exposure, and long-term health 39:47 – EU organic farming targets and pesticide reduction goals 44:05 – Closing thoughts