For decades, agricultural research has shown a startling trend: the nutritional content of the fruits and vegetables we grow in the US has been declining. Vitamins, proteins, and minerals have dropped—in some crops by approximately 50 percent since the 1950s.

This points to how we grow and cultivate fruits and vegetables today. Industrialized farming is extractive and harmful. These methods prioritize higher yields, fueling the use of toxic chemicals and other harmful practices. The consequences of this are great suffering. The Earth’s soil is becoming increasingly depleted (resulting in higher carbon dioxide levels in the air). Our fruits and vegetables are lacking nutrients. And humanity’s health is suffering.

Farmer Lee Jones sees—and lives—part of the solution. As head farmer at The Chef’s Garden, his family farm in Ohio, Farmer (as he’s called) practices regenerative agriculture, a method that honors the Earth, rebuilds soil and biodiversity, and reverses the harms of climate change. Rather than solely extracting from the land, regenerative farming is about “rebuilding, regrowth, and rebirth,” as Farmer puts it, so it honors all stakeholders—people, animals, and planet. It focuses on “healthy soil, healthy vegetables, healthy people, healthy environment,” he says.

But again, this is only part of the solution. The other (arguably just as critical) part focuses on us: Consumers need to create the demand for regenerative farming and the produce it yields. The following points should jolt us into supporting better practices.

3 Reasons to Support Regenerative Agriculture

1. This method can rebuild the nutrients in our fruits and vegetables. Farmers’ work at The Chef’s Garden is proof. “What we’re seeing is nutrient levels of 300 to 500 times higher than the USDA average,” he says of his and his family’s yields.

2. Our health depends on it. “We produce food cheaper than any other country in the world yet we have the highest healthcare [costs],” says farmer. By continuing to support industrialized farming methods, we deprive ourselves of clean, nutrient-dense food, which puts our immunity and health at risk.

3. The flavor and taste of our food will improve. Research shows that over the last 50-plus years, consumers’ satisfaction from fruits and vegetables have plummeted because of a decline in taste and texture. Regenerative methods will not only bolster nutrient content; it will bring the sweetness and snap back to fresh peas and the juiciness to just-picked tomatoes.

As Farmer says, “We didn’t get into this mess overnight and we’re not going to fix it overnight. What we can do is educate ourselves, share our knowledge, and “get out to the farmers markets” and support the farmers and efforts that are working in the right direction.

Let’s all create the demand.

WATCH Farmer + Nichole in Conversation