Overcoming barriers to entry in regenerative agriculture

a conversation with Chuck Lewis of Sheraton Park Farms

Chuck and Saundra Lewis operate Sheraton Park Farms – a 70-acre regenerative farming operation nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountain of Wilkes County, NC.

Starting from a single chicken tractor with 25 broiler chickens in 2018, Chuck and Saundra have grown their operation to raising meat birds, egg layers, turkeys, pigs, and cows – and earning a respectable income.

In this fast-paced conversation, Josh and Chuck discuss economic, practical, and psychological barriers to getting more people involved in diverse, decentralized, small-scale regenerative ag, along with tools, tips, tricks, and ideas for overcoming those barriers. They talk about Chuck’s philosophy for utilizing social media and YouTube to promote an authentic experience for Sheraton Park’s customer to know their food and their farmers. They highlight challenges, weaknesses, pitfalls, and lessons learned for bootstrapping a small farm operation and cultivating a customer base willing to pay a premium for healthy, local, clean meat from ethically raised animals.