With decades of experience helping farmers regenerate their land in the U.S. and worldwide, Gary Zimmer has become synonymous with being the "father of biological agriculture," having founded and still serving as chief visionary officer of Midwestern BioAg.

Topsoil is geology modified by biology, physical and chemical processes. Without topsoil, our planet would be just rocks and dust with no meaningful life. The thin layer of topsoil covering our earth gives and sustains almost all of the life we know. It is basic knowledge that a handful of soil contains billions of bacteria, protozoa, fungi, nematodes and earthworms to name a few.

According to the Soil Health Institute, healthy soil that is rich in carbon acts like a sponge to soak up rainfall and store it for crops. While farmers have known this for a long time, it has been hard for scientists to predict how much extra water farmers can expect when they use regenerative agriculture practices that improve soil carbon.