Photo by Omar de Kok-Mercado, Mad Agriculture, image courtesy of Iowa State University
MegaFood Joins Mad Agriculture and Whole Foods as a Founding Member of the “Wilding” Program
Who Is Mad Agriculture?
Mad Agriculture is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018 with a bold mission: to create a regenerative revolution in agriculture and build a future where land, sea, and people thrive together.
Their work centers on reimagining our relationship with the land by moving away from extractive models of farming and toward ones that restore biodiversity and balance.
What is Wilding?
The Wilding program is bringing together farmers, brands, conservationists and technical experts to reimagine underutilized farmland as working, connected habitats.
The goal of the program is to build a wild grid of 1,000 acres across the Driftless region of the Midwest. At its heart is the Wild Grid: a 50-year vision to transform 65 million acres of land into thriving, biodiverse and inner-connected corridors that weave together farmland, conservation areas, and private and public lands.
Why This Matters
Modern agriculture has often come at the expense of the ecosystems that sustain it. But the solution doesn’t require choosing between farming and nature, rather it’s about bringing them back together.
By keeping about 20 to 25 percent of farmland as natural habitat, we build biodiversity. This natural diversity enhances soil health, improves crop yields, and strengthens the resilience of entire ecosystems. Without it, we lose crucial benefits nature provides like bees pollinating crops, beneficial insects controlling pests, and plants anchoring soil to prevent erosion.
As the climate changes, animals and plants need connected habitats to migrate and adapt. Unfortunately, our current network of parks and nature reserves is too fragmented. When species can’t reach the next safe refuge, entire ecological systems become disrupted. This impacts not just wildlife, but water quality, soil fertility, and regional climate stability.
Instead of setting aside large, isolated areas for conservation, Wilding works to reconnect habitats by transforming marginal edges of farmland such as, rocky corners, flood-prone areas, or low-yield strips into thriving native ecosystems. These areas act as bridges between larger habitats, weaving together a living tapestry where both nature and agriculture can flourish.
MegaFood’s Role
MegaFood is honored to be a founding member of Wilding, supporting our 1% for the Planet commitment. Our contribution, in collaboration with 20 other pioneering companies, recently helped Mad Agriculture surpass their $1 million fundraising goal to start work on this project
For us, this partnership is deeply aligned with our purpose. We’ve always believed that healthy food starts with healthy soil, and that building a resilient food system means caring for the ecosystems that sustain it.
As part of the Wilding program, we’re collaboratively pioneering a model that restores biodiversity, strengthens communities, and redefines what it means to grow food responsibly.
Looking Ahead
The Wilding Pilot is just the beginning. Over time, the Wild Grid will serve as a living network of regenerative farmland supporting not only farmers, but restoring wildlife corridors, and healing the land acre by acre.
MegaFood is committed to helping create a future where farming works in harmony with nature for the good of people, the planet, and generations to come.