I've been farming 40 acres in Iowa for over two decades, and the push for regenerative agriculture feels like a luxury we can't afford. Between equipment costs, seed prices, and unpredictable weather, adding cover crops and rotational grazing would slash my income for years before any long-term payoff. My neighbor tried it and went bankrupt within three seasons, while I've managed to stay afloat by sticking with conventional methods. Are we really supposed to sacrifice our livelihoods for an unproven promise of sustainability? I see the soil eroding and the chemicals leaching, but the bank doesn't care about future benefits when my loan is due in October. Maybe regenerative farming only works for those who have land they own outright and a cushion to absorb losses—most of us rent and live quarter to quarter. So is it fair to demand small farmers adopt these practices when the market still prices food based on volume, not soil health?