November 10th - 12th, 2026
Center of Regenerative Agriculture at Union Grove Farm
3501 Dairyland Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Nexus is the heart of Regenerative Agriculture
A Nexus is a point of connection—a place where separate paths meet and something new becomes possible—and that's the idea behind this event. We bring the producers leading the push on regenerative agriculture into one room and let them talk, teach, inspire, and encourage each other as they work through the challenges of regenerative farming. There's no trade show floor, and no one is selling you anything, just real conversations, farmer panels, and time in the field to see regenerative agriculture up close and personal. You'll leave with a contact list, so the conversations keep going after the event ends.The principles behind regenerative agriculture apply whether you're running cattle, growing row crops, or managing a vineyard, and that's what this event is really about. You'll come home with ideas you can put to work on your own operation, and with relationships built alongside people who are wrestling with the same questions you are. Those connections tend to outlast the event itself, and they're often the most valuable part of the whole thing.
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About Union Grove Farms
Union Grove Farm is a regenerative vineyard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, founded by fifth-generation farmer Greg Bohlen. What started as a small pick-your-own orchard struggled against arid, worked-over soil — a challenge that led Bohlen to regenerative agriculture instead of giving up on the ground. Today, Union Grove Farm is 160 planted acres of seedless Muscadine table grapes focused on regenerative practices, becoming the first Tier 5 certified Regenified vineyard, the verification standard led by Gabe Brown and Dr. Allen Williams. The farm sits on the site of the historic Maple View Farm, a dairy operation dating back to 1963, and its iconic silo — now repainted with a mural by local artist Michael Brown — still marks the property. Beyond the vineyard, Union Grove hosts farm tours, sheep herding experiences, and regenerative agriculture education at its own Center for Regenerative Agriculture.
Real Hospitality
When you attend a Regenerative Nexus event it really feels like an intimate get-together with family and friends. We share meals together, learn alongside each other, and dive into the most impactful topics that are on the minds and hearts of farmers, ranchers and land stewards. At an event like this you don't just learn information, you forge lifelong relationships and friendships.
Share Local, Regenerative, Nourishing Meals
A truly regenerative event isn't complete without local, regenerative food. We're not just talking about growing nutrient dense food that's good for the soil, we're eating it! By incorporating nutrient dense proteins, veggies, grains, and fruits the meals served are healthful, delicious and truly regenerative.
Featured proteins include pork from Chad and Dawn Christianson of Back to Nature Farms in Fremont, Nebraska and beef from Jessica Swanson of Walnut Range Farms in Alma, Nebraska. Many of the fruits, veggies, grains and dairy products are also sourced from regenerative and local farmers as well. We like to say you'll never leave a Green Cover event hungry, and if you do it's your own fault!
Past Nexus attendees say...
"I've never been to a show or event where no one seemed to have any 'walls.' Everyone seemed to expect to greet and converse, everyone makes eye contact and exchanges cordialities when passing by."
2026 Regenerative Nexus Attendee
"Often at these events, everyone is trying to push a product, but the Nexus event felt more like everyone was interested in working together to problem-solve.
2026 Regenerative Nexus Attendee
"It was very personal and inspiring. The smaller size and fact that all the speakers were also part of the crowd the whole time made me feel that we really are all on this journey together."
2025 Regenerative Nexus Attendee
An On-Farm, Immersive Experience
Observing the diversity of life in cover crop mix, evaluating soil cores, and monitoring cattle graze is second nature to many farmers and ranchers. But getting to do this on someone else's farm, alongside equally enthusiastic peers, learning from top experts in the field, isn't a chance you get every day. This event offers the opportunity to take the practices you're already implementing on your operation, turn it up a notch and watch the positive results soar.
Regenerative Nexus Chapel Hill Agenda
Day One
- 1:00 PM[OPTIONAL] In-Field Workshop – Dr. Laura Kavanaugh
- 5:00 PMWelcome Dinner
Day Two
- 8:00 AMBreakfast
- 8:30 AMWelcome & Opening Remarks – Greg Bohlen
- 8:45 AMKeynote – Keith Berns
- 9:30 AMFarmer Panel 1
- 10:45 AMNetworking Break
- 11:30 AMRegenerative Farmer Story – Jack Middleton, Fat Mountain Farms
- 12:15 PMFarm to Table Lunch
- 1:30 PMField Session Group 1: Adaptive Livestock Management – Dane Jensen
- 2:30 PMTransition
- 2:45 PMField Session Group 2: Vermicompost, Compost & Compost Tea – Patrick Kavanaugh
- 3:45 PMTransition
- 4:00 PMField Session Group 3: Cover Crops for Specialty Crops – Green Cover
- 5:15 PMSocial Hour and Regenerative Farm Dinner
Day Three
- 7:30 AMBreakfast
- 8:00 AMFarmer Panel 2
- 9:30 AMNetworking Break
- 10:00 AMSmall Group Roundtable
- 11:00 AMEconomics of Regeneration
- 12:00 PMLunch
- 1:00 PMFarmer Panel 3
- 2:30 PMInnovation and the Future of Regenerative Ag
- 3:30 PMClosing Thoughts
Optional Workshop Details
Seeing Regenerative Agriculture in Action: Learning to Work with Soil Biology
Regenerative agriculture is often described as farming by observation—getting into the field, paying attention to what the soil and plants are telling you, and using that information to guide management decisions. But what should farmers actually be looking for?
In this hands-on workshop, Laura Kavanaugh, PhD, founder of GenTrek Labs and former Chief Science Officer of Advancing Eco Agriculture, will introduce the theory and practice of regenerative agriculture with a particular focus on one of a farmer’s greatest assets: the vast biological community living in the soil. This natural system provides an extraordinary range of services to crops and, when properly supported, can be remarkably resilient.
Participants will move beyond theory and into the field to examine soil pits and observe soil biology in action, looking at the physical and biological characteristics farmers can use to assess what is happening below ground. We will also use microscopy to see some of the microorganisms that make up this largely unseen community.
Laura will share examples from soil and compost DNA sequencing to demonstrate how farming practices can reshape microbial communities—and how those organisms, in turn, contribute to nutrient cycling, residue decomposition, soil structure, plant health, and crop quality.
Throughout the afternoon, we will connect these observations to practical management: what damages soil life, what helps it thrive, and how farmers can put biology to work to reduce unnecessary inputs, build resilience, improve crop quality, and strengthen the economics of the farm. We will also explore the emerging connection between soil health and the nutritional quality of food, and how producing differentiated, high-quality crops may create new opportunities to differentiate products in the marketplace and connect with consumers. Ultimately, regenerative agriculture is not only about improving the soil today, but about building productive, resilient farms that can remain economically viable and worth passing on to the next generation. Participants will leave with a better understanding of what to look for in their own fields, why those observations matter, and how management decisions can help natural systems do more of the work.
This workshop is part of the Green Cover Regenerative Nexus and is included as part of the conference registration. The workshop will run from 1:00 - 4:30 on Tuesday Nov 10th, prior to the Nexus Conference welcome dinner and all activities will take place at the Union Grove Farm Education Center.
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