From Vegan Chef to Regenerative Rancher: Mollie Engelhart Challenges Food, Politics & Belief

Mollie Engelhart’s journey from vegan chef and Los Angeles restaurateur to regenerative farmer in California and Texas is anything but ordinary. In her new book, Debunked by Nature, Mollie shares how motherhood, land stewardship, and firsthand farming experience dismantled long-held beliefs about veganism, soil health, and politics. In this candid conversation, we explore her personal and political transformation, the realities of running Sovereignty Ranch, and how she navigates both the ecological and ideological divides in today’s regenerative agriculture movement. From raw milk revelations to the necessity of animals in building healthy soil, Mollie challenges assumptions on all sides of the aisle. We also discuss the complexity of immigration reform, the pitfalls of partisanship in environmental issues, and her vision for a more sovereign, resilient future. Whether you agree with her or not, this dialogue will make you think about food, farming, and freedom in new ways. COMPLETE BLOG & TRANSCRIPT https://caremorebebetter.com/a-conservative-regenerative-farmers-journey-with-mollie-engelhart In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Mollie left veganism after becoming a farmer How regenerative farming confronts both environmental and political narratives The importance of coalition-building across ideological divides Realities of animal care and death on a regenerative farm Mollie’s approach to immigration reform and labor in agriculture Her vision for Sovereignty Ranch as a model of self-reliance About Guest: Mollie Engelhart is the executive chef and founder of Sage Regenerative Kitchen in Los Angeles alongside her husband Elias as well as a leader in the Regenerative Agriculture movement with 200 acres at Sovereignty Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Her mission is to produce healthy food from healthy soil for her communities. Mollie is the mother of five, a film producer, poet, and thought leader examining the connections of humanity, family, soil, food, and culture, constantly questioning “Where do we go from here?” She is passionate about health freedom, natural birth, breastfeeding, regenerative agriculture, community, and humanity’s place in partnership with nature and God. As a self-proclaimed lifelong liberal, Mollie became confronted with the bureaucracy that destroyed her once thriving restaurants in Los Angeles during the pandemic. Mollie came to the conclusion that the democratic party did not center around family, God or freedom and now sees herself as a “radical centrist”. Since her revelations, Mollie has done many speaking events, giving testimony to how she became pro-life, the challenges of doing business in California, regenerative agriculture and the connection between soil and health. She regularly gets standing ovations and brings people to tears with her inspiring conversations. Mollie has been featured on podcasts, news outlets, public speaking engagements and more including; Texas State University, Epoch Times, Turning Point USA, Fox News, Bon Appetit, ABC News, NPR, Luke Storey, Max Lavine, Confluence and the Exit & Build Summit. Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollie-engelhart-497385366/ Guest Website: https://www.sovereigntyranch.com/ Guest Social: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmollie https://www.instagram.com/talktomollie/ https://www.facebook.com/mollie.engelhart BUILD A GREENER FUTURE with CARE MORE BE BETTER Together, we’ve planted 35,755 trees in 2025 through our partnership with ForestPlanet. Follow, subscribe, and join our newsletter to help us keep growing! 1: Subscribe to our newsletter, and we’ll plant a tree in your honor! 2: Subscribe and rate us wherever you listen, and we’ll plant another tree Newsletter: https://caremorebebetter.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better CONNECT & SUPPORT CARE MORE BE BETTERSubstack: https://caremorebebetter.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetterTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetterFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-betterCAUSE PARTNER: If you value open dialogue, sustainability, and social equity, I invite you to support our new cause partner —Prescott College. To learn more about this effort and to support the show, visit: https://caremorebebetter.com/support/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.