He Quit Big Oil for His Passion Project - Now He's Taught 10,000 People to Regenerate Land | Rob Avis | Episode 67

At 8 years old, Rob Avis wrote a letter to his prime minister, begging him to stop the destruction of the Brazilian rainforest. Two decades later, Rob found himself on the other side of that same fight as the oil and gas engineer clearing Canada's boreal forest to lay pipelines. The contradiction broke something open in him.

So he quit. He walked away from a six-figure oil and gas career, converted his van to run on used deep-fryer oil, and drove across Canada, the U.S., and Mexico learning how to grow food from scratch. That leap led him to co-found Verge Permaculture, where he's since taught over 10,000 students how to design self-sufficient land and today he runs 5th World, using data and engineering to help people build food forests, resilient water systems, and homes that regenerate the land instead of draining it.

In this episode, we cover:

The real difference between "sustainable" and "regenerative" (and why the distinction matters more than you think)

Why your perfectly manicured lawn might be working against you

What fungi has to do with the health of your tomatoes

The lesson Rob learned building two companies that he wishes he'd known from day one

Small, practical changes anyone, homeowner or founder, can start making this week

Whether you're a founder weighing a leap of your own or just want your backyard to actually feed you, this conversation will change how you see both.

🔗 Connect with Rob & 5th World

LinkedIn: Rob Avis LinkedIn

Instagram: Rob on Instagram