150: The Marketer and The Mennonite Farm: A Story of Regenerative Branding with Sam Ingersoll

[Get the Full show notes and blog posts by visiting the Seeds of Tao podcast here] 

Description:

How does a small, community-owned organic dairy, rooted in the slow-paced traditions of Amish and Mennonite farmers, compete against slick, billion-dollar brands? The answer lies in authenticity, a deep understanding of customer values, and a story that truly resonates. In this episode, Joshua sits down with Sam Ingersoll, a passionate advocate and marketing leader in the regenerative food space.

Sam shares his incredible "full circle" journey—from growing up on a farm and hating it, to an Ivy League education and the high-stakes world of tech marketing, and finally back to his roots, promoting the very principles he once fled. This conversation is a masterclass in regenerative marketing, exploring how to build a resilient brand, why listening is your most powerful tool, and how the connection between soil health and our own gut health may be the most important story we can tell.

Show Notes:

• (8:46) Welcome to Kalona, Iowa: Sam describes the unique "ecological oasis" where he works, home to one of the largest concentrations of Amish and organic dairy farms in the U.S.
• (11:14) What Gets You Out of Bed? Sam shares his passion for being a consumer advocate and how marketing regenerative products is a way to have a tangible impact on human health and the planet.
• (15:13) Building a Resilient Business: The fascinating story of how Kalona Supernatural was founded by Amish farmers and protected itself through diversification and vertical integration.
• (22:23) A 'Regenpreneur's' Journey: Sam details his personal story, from a farm in Washington to Yale, to a spam-marketing office in Pakistan, and his eventual decision to reject the conventional corporate path for more meaningful work.
• (29:25) Coming Full Circle: Sam talks about joining the board of Hungry World Farm, the very nonprofit that took over the farm he grew up on.
• (38:37) From Ivy League to Farmer's Logic: How Sam's educational journey taught him the power of asking "why" and how that same principle of observation and adjustment is critical in regenerative agriculture.
• (48:08) The Art of Regenerative Marketing: Sam reveals his strategy of slowing down, having one-on-one conversations, and building genuine, long-term relationships with customers and influencers.
• (1:08:29) The Tipping Point for the Movement: Sam’s key insight—that the regenerative movement will truly take off when consumers, particularly women, connect the dots between soil health and their family's gut health.
• (1:19:55) You're Not Selling a Carrot, You're Selling an Experience: Sam’s final advice for entrepreneurs on the importance of becoming educators and storytellers to differentiate their products and build a loyal following.

Resource Links:

• Kalona Supernatural: kalonasupernatural.com
• Hungry World Farm: hungryworldfarm.com
• Savory Institute (Land to Market Verification): savory.global
• The Arbinger Institute (Author of The Outward Mindset): arbinger.com
• Bionutrient Food Association: bionutrient.org
• Book Recommendation - What Your Food Ate by David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklé: Find it at your local bookstore or online.

In our conversation, Sam Ingersoll detailed his incredible learning journey—from hands-on farm work to an Ivy League education to deep-diving into the principles of holistic management. He learned what he needed to learn, when he needed to learn it, to move his mission forward.

Your regenerative enterprise is also a journey of constant learning. But you don't have to figure it all out alone. 

The regenBEE United Learning Lab is your space to grow alongside your peers. It's not a one-size-fits-all curriculum. It's a living, breathing ecosystem of resources, mentorship, and peer-to-peer support tailored to the real-world challenges you face. Whether you need to master financial modeling, develop a marketing strategy, or design a governance structure, the Learning Lab connects you with the people and knowledge to take your next step.

[Let’s learn and grow together. Explore the regenBEE United Learning Lab today.]