Stefan Gernert
Stefan Gernert
Main Expertise
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Transition management: Scaling regenerative practices on large arable farms
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Nutrient management, in-season testing
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Integrated crop–livestock systems
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Biological input systems and composting
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Practical system design for regenerative agriculture
Affiliated Organisation(s)
CropVise
Language(s)
- English
- German
Based in
Estonia
Contact
My journey of becoming a regenerative agronomist
Went to high school, then joined the military
Afterwards, Stefan ran a restaurant — but after a few years, hit a wall. Something was missing.
In 2013, he left the restaurant and went to Australia in search of something real:
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He ended up on a grass-based dairy farm, working with animals and land in a system that prioritized biological function over just applying inputs.
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That experience reshaped his understanding of life and purpose.
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It was there that farming — real farming — started to make sense.
He studied agribusiness management after returning and continued learning through:
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Books
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Podcasts and online courses
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Practical work on farms in Australia, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and Estonia over the past 12 years
Currently 3 main areas of work:
- Managing integrated crop–livestock systems: bringing cattle back onto arable land (in cooperation with a 1,200 ha farm in Estonia, backed by a €100k grant)
- Transition manager on a 4,500 ha cropping operation: leading a biological transition from the ground up
- Co-founder of CropVise:
- Scaling sap-based nutrient management and regenerative agronomy
- Currently piloting on 5,300 ha, with participating farms representing over 25,000 ha of production land across Estonia
Main Challenges for farmers transitioning
Many farmers want to change but are overwhelmed by complexity and don’t know where to start. I’ve seen farms collect sap data for years without ever reacting to it — not because they didn’t care, but because they lacked support, clarity, or a concrete plan. Humility is essential in this process: understanding why a system is the way it is, and why certain practices still exist, is often the first real step. Translating small-scale regenerative principles into large-scale production isn’t straightforward — not everything scales, and machinery, labor, or cash flow limitations are very real. That’s why transition support must be context-specific, practical, and rooted in the reality of farming — not ideology.
Success stories
This spring in Estonia, most farms rushed to spread nitrogen as soon as the first warm spell hit — just like every year. But the operations I work with paused. We ran sap tests on winter wheat, barley, and canola to see what the plants actually needed. Nitrogen levels were fine. What we found instead were shortages in key trace elements: zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, magnesium. So we held off on nitrogen and applied a foliar mix with targeted trace minerals, magnesium sulfate, and a biological blend to support plant function. The results were immediate — sugar levels rose, root growth picked up, and crops gained resilience before the cold returned. Now, at –5°C, those fields are stronger and better prepared for tillering. It’s not just the results — it’s the visibility. Over 2400 hectares were treated differently, and neighbors are watching. When your sprayers are out while theirs are parked, people start asking questions. That’s how change begins.
One principle you wish more people understood
Three million years ago, this planet was just molten rock. Today, it’s alive — covered in soil, plants, and ecosystems. That didn’t happen by accident. It happened through biological processes that build life, layer by layer. Regenerative agriculture is about respecting and working with those processes. Every action you take on a farm either strengthens or weakens them. If you make it worse, nutrient cycling collapses. If you make it better, your plants thrive. But “better” doesn’t come from guessing. You have to measure, then adapt. Over and over. That’s where the leverage is — in small, positive interactions that move biology forward and unlock the system’s potential. Regeneration isn’t a fixed practice. It’s a feedback loop.
“Regenerative Agriculture is just better agronomy – it is just better farming.”
— What regenerative agriculture means to me
Learn Directly from the Experts
Meet this agronomist in our Regenerative Agronomy Training.
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