Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life

Growing a Revolution draws on visits to farms in the industrialized world and developing world to show that a new combination of farming practices can deliver innovative, cost-effective solutions to problems farmers face today. Montgomery explores why practices based on the principles of conservation agriculture help restore soil health and fertility. In addition, he discusses how these practices translate into farms that use less water, generate less pollution, and lower carbon emissions. Combining ancient wisdom with modern science, Growing a Revolution lays out a solid case for an inspiring vision where agriculture becomes the solution to environmental problems.

This book is the story of my journey to meet these farmers and learn how they build fertile soil as an integral part of how they farm. But there’s more to this new breed of regenerative farmer. The secret to their success is that they are also maintaining or increasing their yields and increasing their profits. The extra money in their pockets comes from spending less on fossil fuels and agrochemicals. They replace these costly inputs with practices that cultivate diverse communities of soil life that efficiently deliver nutrients, minerals, and other compounds that crops need to grow while fending off pests and pathogens.