How ‘Belief’ Empowers Regenerative Success.
By Clayton Handy, UA Consultant, Farmer
What Rabbits, Placebos, and Regenerative Farming All Have in Common
In the late 1970s, a team of scientists conducting a study on heart disease in rabbits made a startling discovery. They fed all the rabbits a high-fat diet to induce arterial plaque, expecting uniform results across test groups. Yet one group exhibited significantly better health. What was different? A single researcher had been handling those rabbits with extra care—stroking them, speaking kindly, and treating them gently. The rabbits thrived not because of medicine or diet, but because of love. This became known as the “Rabbit Effect,” and it reminds us of an often-overlooked truth: belief, care, and intention matter.
The Rabbit Effect isn’t just a touching tale. It is a scientifically validated case of how kindness, presence, and belief can influence biological outcomes. And perhaps, this lesson has a broader application—especially in regenerative agriculture.
What if, before implementing any practice or principle, the most important input in a regenerative system is not a cover crop or minimal disturbance, but belief itself?
Faith has many names, depending on the perspective:
- Christians call it faith.
- Scientists call it the placebo effect.
- Spiritualists call it manifestation.
- Atheists call it psychology.
- Quantum physicists call it intention.
- Witches call it spells.
Everyone describes it differently, but at the core is a shared understanding that belief—when applied with sincerity—has the power to influence reality. This is not mystical thinking alone; it’s backed by a growing body of research. And just as in medicine or psychology, belief plays a foundational role in the adoption and success of regenerative practices. In regenerative agriculture, belief manifests in the faith that soil is living, that biological relationships matter, and that nature, if given the right conditions, can heal and thrive. But belief is not passive. It leads to different decisions, behaviors, and long-term commitments. Without that foundational mindset, regenerative practices often remain superficial or unsustained.
The Rabbit Effect and Organizational Buy-In
The Rabbit Effect teaches us that the presence or absence of care makes a measurable difference in many aspects of life. In farming, this correlates to whether an organization or family unit is truly bought in to the regenerative journey.
When only one person on the farm believes in the principles of regeneration—but the rest of the team doesn’t—the system struggles. When leadership pushes for change, but the field crew doesn’t understand or value it, the outcomes fall short. Belief must permeate both top-down and bottom-up. It must live in boardrooms and barnyards.
I once worked for a large operation managing 5,000 acres. The CEO asked, “How can we incorporate regenerative agriculture into the land we’re managing, and what will be the biggest challenges in making it a success?” My answer was clear: “Buy-in from the bottom up.” Although we tried very hard to get that buy-in, in the end, the team was divided between conventional and regenerative ideologies. A true regenerative success story never materialized, though some changes were made—proving that belief and faith really are the first steps in this movement.
A few years ago, I did a trial with a fairly large tomato operation. We were trying to incorporate different practices and principles into a very conventional system. The owner was committed, yet the manager was not in the slightest. In the end, the trial ended up being a bit of a disaster. The trial was not a priority and execution was poor, and that experience taught me that if I’m going to spend any time doing trial work or working with an organization, there needs to be buy-in across the board.
At my own farm, Handy Farms, I faced many challenges trying to implement regenerative agriculture principles in an orchard setting. I think I came into it with more pride than faith. I learned a great deal through trial and error—often the hard way. On top of that, a series of unfortunate events seemed to compound each year. I remember the constant internal dialogue I carried: “What else could go wrong?” I asked God that question more times than I can count. And sure enough, it often felt like more did go wrong every year. Looking back, I believe that was my strongest intention. I’m grateful for that difficult journey. It taught me that true faith, gratitude, and intentional thinking are essential on the regenerative path. When we begin with belief and a grateful heart, I believe God meets us where we are—and helps us help ourselves. Running a regenerative farm has been humbling. It brought me to my knees over and over, but it also became a pivotal chapter in my personal growth. I learned to let go, to find joy in the journey, and to be deeply grateful. To focus on what is most important—my family, love and my connection to God. Now, I see the power of intention, and sincere belief—and today, my little farm has found success in more ways than one.
The following examples further underscore how belief and successful outcomes are intertwined, or at the very least adjacent to one another.
Hope in the Water: The Curt Richter Rat Experiment
Another telling example comes from Dr. Curt Richter’s experiments in the 1950s. He placed rats in jars of water to observe how long they would swim before drowning. On average, they lasted about 15 minutes. But when the rats were momentarily rescued and then returned to the water, they swam for hours. Why? Because they had experienced rescue. They believed survival was possible.
This experiment offers a compelling lesson: hope extends endurance. In regenerative farming, once someone sees even a small success—a yield improvement, a boost in microbial life, a reduced need for synthetic inputs—that experience can transform their outlook. They now swim with purpose.
The Soil Feels What You Feed It
Beyond animal studies, there is evidence in the plant world that intention matters. For example, studies in biodynamic agriculture—while controversial—suggest that rituals, rhythms, and even words spoken over compost influence plant vitality. Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto showed that water exposed to loving words formed beautiful ice crystals, while harsh words led to disordered ones. While debated, these ideas point toward a poetic truth: our relationship with nature is not one-way. It responds to external forces.
There are also peer-reviewed studies showing that plants can respond to sound and vibration. Classical music, for instance, has been shown to improve plant growth in some greenhouse settings (Gagliano et al., 2012).
Whether or not all of these effects are fully measurable, they challenge us to consider: If life is so interconnected, might the energy, emotion, and belief we bring into our farming systems influence outcomes just as much as our agronomic choices?
The Regenerative Mindset
As regenerative farmers, consultants, or advocates, we must ask, “Do we truly believe in the living intelligence of nature? Are we caring for our systems as though they are alive, responsive, and in relationship with us?”
The first step to regeneration isn’t a cover crop or adaptive grazing. It’s belief. You can call it faith, placebo, hope, manifestation, or intention but without it, practices lack power. With it, even flawed strategies can work wonders.
Just like the rabbits who thrived under loving care, or the rats who swam because they had known rescue, our land systems respond to the energy we bring. Regeneration begins not in the soil, but in the soul.
References
- Harding, Kelli. The Rabbit Effect: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness. Atria Books, 2019.
- Richter, Curt P. “On the phenomenon of sudden death in animals and man.” Psychosomatic Medicine 19.3 (1957): 191–198.
- Gagliano, Monica, et al. “Towards understanding plant bioacoustics.” Trends in Plant Science 17.6 (2012): 323–325.
- Emoto, Masaru. The Hidden Messages in Water. Atria Books, 2004.