What Regenerative Farming Taught Jason DeSalvo About Food, Health and Grains | NHA Today

In their mid-fifties, Jason and Deborah DeSalvo left suburban life behind, bought a 43-acre farm in New Jersey, and started growing their own food. They also went completely WFPB SOS-free. Neither of them had ever farmed before.

In this episode of NHA Today, Dr. Stephan Esser sits down with Jason DeSalvo, co-owner of Cold Brook Farm - a regenerative certified organic farm in Western New Jersey whose grains have been selected by culinary luminary Dan Barber and served at Michelin-starred restaurants. Jason shares what six years of regenerative farming has taught him about soil, food, health, and the surprising truth about grains.

Jason and Deborah will be presenting Whole Grains: Myths vs. Reality at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026 - a full hour deep dive into the science and the story behind the grain they grow.

In this conversation you will learn:

• What regenerative farming actually means and how Jason took dead soil to 11% organic material in six years
• Why healthy soil produces more nutritious food and why you can taste the difference
• The truth about grains: why ancient and heirloom varieties are nothing like modern wheat
• Why hulless oats from a small farm taste completely different from what is in the store
• How grains at 13 to 14% protein challenge the where-do-you-get-your-protein question
• How Jason and Deb went WFPB SOS-free in their mid-fifties -- and what changed
• 3 to 4 tips for growing your own food even if you only have an apartment balcony
• Why nature is the seventh pillar of lifestyle medicine

────────────────────────────────────────

ABOUT JASON DESALVO

────────────────────────────────────────

Jason DeSalvo and his wife Deborah run Cold Brook Farm, a regenerative certified organic farm in Western New Jersey. Their grains have been selected by Dan Barber and served at Michelin starred restaurants. They converted to a WFPB SOS-free lifestyle in 2022 under the care of Dr. Ron Weiss of Ethos Primary Care and now manage nearly 120 acres of organically grown grains. They will be speaking on Whole Grains: Myths vs. Reality at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026.

────────────────────────────────────────

LINKS AND RESOURCES

────────────────────────────────────────

Full episode and show notes:

NHA Today on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgXfvjZj34HbsD3-47eEC2kjBWeIvNhHl

Subscribe: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/

NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28, 2026): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference

Cold Brook Farm website: https://www.coldbrookfarmnj.com

Cold Brook Farm on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldbrookfarm/

Follow Dr. Esser on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/