It’s spooky season, and while the ghosts of Halloween vanish by November 1, the ghosts of climate change—lifeless soils, barren fields, and abandoned farms—tend to linger. And it all boils down to our fascinating relationship with carbon dioxide (CO₂). A lot of people have a negative view of CO₂ and what exactly it does to our atmosphere. What they may not know, however, is that carbon dioxide plays a key role in climate change, in an important and beneficial way. In fact, it is not inherently harmful—it is absolutely essential for life. CO₂ helps plants produce food through photosynthesis and keeps the Earth warm enough to sustain life by trapping the sun’s heat. However, too much of it in the atmosphere causes global warming which in turn leads to climate change. Contributors to excess carbon dioxide are burning fossil fuels, transportation, and manufacturing — but a large factor is when lands become barren through unhealthy agricultural practices. It is these desolate grounds that can no longer trap CO₂, instead releasing it back into the atmosphere.

This process of fertile land turning into a desert wasteland is called Desertification and it is a growing threat, creating real-world "ghost towns" by robbing ecosystems of life and productivity. This phenomenon affects large parts of the world, where land once capable of supporting communities is becoming arid, endangering livelihoods, ecosystems, and forcing migration. The problem worsens with deforestation as fewer trees and healthy soils are available to absorb excess CO₂. Trees and plants act like natural filters, capturing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. To restore this balance, we need to revive these lands—and that’s where regenerative agriculture comes in to save the day. This is a farming and ranching method that aims to restore the health of the soil while simultaneously improving the climate. In simple terms, regenerative agriculture is the process of restoring depleted soil using a variety of practices such as no-till planting and managed grazing as well as other methods we’ll explore below. By improving soil health and reintroducing greenery, we can pull CO₂ from the atmosphere, fight climate change, and create vibrant ecosystems. It is a true a win-win. So take a coffin break and join us as we work our way out of a grave situation.

But How Did We Get Here and What Is Desertification?

Before we begin our exploration of reviving our beautiful planet through soil, we must first dig up the problem. Agriculture began over 10,000 years ago with small-scale farming focused on local crops and sustainable methods like crop rotation and polycropping (a variety of different crops). With rapid population growth and innovations, farming in North America became mechanized and corporate-driven during the 20th century — prioritizing mass production over ecological health. Practices such as monocropping (focusing on only one type of crop), excessive chemical inputs, and tilling deep into the ground, produced unsustainable methods and biodiversity loss, while natural ecosystems were converted into single-use crops and the factory farming of animals. Currently, livestock farming (livestock farms and crops used to make animal feed) utilizes 80% of the world’s agricultural land. Desertification occurs when soil health deteriorates due to intensive agriculture, overgrazing, deforestation, and climate-induced droughts. The natural balance of the ecosystem is lost, causing the soil to lose its nutrients, water retention abilities, and capacity to support vegetation. Without intervention, these “haunted fields” continue to spread, turning once-thriving landscapes into dry, lifeless spaces—ghost towns of the natural world.

Regenerative Agriculture: Nature’s Spell to Revive the Dead

Luckily, we don’t need magic wands to revive this trend— regenerative agriculture offers proven practices to restore soils and combat desertification. It’s a solution rooted in ancient farming techniques and common sense science, giving farmers the tools to heal the land and sequester carbon. 

Key regenerative techniques include:

Cover Cropping: Planting crops like clover or rye to prevent erosion and add nutrients back into the soil. These can also be profitable as livestock can graze these crops thereby reducing feed costs.

No-Till Farming: Avoiding deep plowing to protect soil structure and prevent carbon release. No-till and low-till farm equipment are already available and in use, just like in the good ole’ days.

Composting: Recycling organic matter into the soil to increase fertility and prevent waste from going to landfills.

Integrated Pest Management: Swapping out soil-killing pesticides with beneficial insects and adding pest-resistant crop varieties.

Managed Grazing: Rotating livestock to prevent overgrazing and allow grasslands to recover. Instead of making livestock, such as cows, be the "bat to the bone" that they’ve been made out to be, harness their natural- um, waste-making abilities to fertilize the soil.

These practices aren’t just "feel-good" efforts—they increase biodiversity, improve water retention by reducing floods and draughts, boost crop yields, and help reverse the damage caused by unsustainable farming. They also provide greater food security by growing sustainable crops ensuring long-term agricultural success with more productive soils. In fact, the nature of regenerative agriculture actually enhances the conditions for rainfall because healthy soils retain much more water, therefore leading to larger amounts of water being evaporated back into the air which will then turn into rain.

Harvest Hope: Your Role in Fighting the Climate Spook

Revitalizing barren lands AND combating climate change all at once sounds like a dream, but what can I do to help? You don’t need to be a farmer to support the revival of haunted fields. Everyone can contribute to the spread of regenerative agriculture and fight desertification by:

Choosing products that are regeneratively grown (ROC) from farms that prioritize soil health and sustainability. Local farmers’ markets are great sources for these important farms.

Minimize food waste to prevent unnecessary agricultural expansion. The less waste we make, the less need for food production.

Compost food scraps to help return vital nutrients to the soil and minimize landfill waste. You can make your own compost, or drop it off at local compost stations. Many communities offer it alongside recycling.

Supporting policies that promote sustainable agriculture and provide incentives for climate-friendly farming. Voting for politicians who make this a priority.

Learning and engaging with community-based agricultural projects or organizations working to combat land degradation, such as Every Acre Counts and CSA subscriptions that connect with local farms that practice sustainable farming. 

Conclusion: Turning Climate Ghosts into Green Futures

Let’s exorcise the ghosts of desertification and breathe life into our landscapes through regenerative agriculture. By supporting farmers who heal the land, we can transform our crops into thriving ecosystems, ensuring a more resilient and sustainable future for us all. Whether it’s in the American Midwest, the Sahel region of Africa, or beyond, every effort to restore soils and ecosystems brings us closer to a world where ghost towns become green pastures once again. Together, we have the power and the tools to build a future where fertile soils and healthy communities flourish—a future where the only ghosts we encounter are on Halloween. Now that’s the RYSIT way!