Erickson (The Great Healing) tells the pressing story of regenerative agriculture, which is also, simply, the story of soil. Arguing that we need healthy soil not just to cultivate a healthy ecosystem, but also to grow nutritious food and quickly draw down carbon to avoid climate catastrophe, Erickson explores the benefits of this regenerative agriculture, defining it with care and precision, and identifies industrial agriculture as its opposite. Erickson lays bare the violence of industrial agriculture, from pesticides and herbicides to worker exploitation. As always, he’s clear-eyed—even alarming—about the dangers humanity has created for itself, but also never hopeless, instead showcasing how we can foster regenerative agriculture, from taking to the land ourselves to advocating for policy change.

Through gorgeous photos, illuminating research, lots of engaging individual stories, and even some cleverly anthropomorphized animals (including Lucinda the Monarch Butterfly and Pat the Pooper), Erickson illustrates how a healthy ecosystem works for nature and for humans. Erickson takes care to include stories of urban farms, such as Green Leaf Learning Farm in South Memphis, and to spell out how consumer choice can drive demand for regenerative agriculture, crucial steps in starting to bring change when “chemical fertilizer-intensive, input-intensive farming” takes up 99 percent of American cropland.

Although his urgency is clear, the primary note that Erickson strikes throughout the book is one of hope. The tools and techniques of regenerative agriculture may feel new (though they are deeply traditional) but they work, and work better than industrial agriculture. He makes a persuasive case that, in the long run, regenerative agriculture can even be more profitable than conventional agriculture. Erickson argues that what we need now is the courage and the hope to take bold steps for the health of humanity and the planet. Anyone interested in new directions for agriculture, as a consumer or farmer, will benefit from this well researched, carefully written and beautifully illustrated exploration.

Takeaway: This endorsement of regenerative agriculture will fascinate readers invested in the future of farming.

Great for fans of: John Kempf’s Quality Agriculture, Gabe Brown’s Dirt to Soil.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B