David Montgomery wrote *Dirt* in 2007 to document the civilisation-threatening erosion of the world's topsoil. Then he went back out into the field to see if anyone was doing anything about it — and found, to his surprise, that a quiet revolution was already underway.
The No-Till Revolution
The farms Montgomery visits in Growing a Revolution share three practices: minimal or no tillage, continuous soil cover (either with living plants or crop residues), and diverse crop rotations including deep-rooted perennials and legumes. None of these practices is new; together, they constitute a coherent system that consistently rebuilds soil organic matter, reduces erosion, and eventually eliminates the need for synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.
Montgomery is a geologist — his eye is on the long game, the centuries it takes to build an inch of topsoil. The farms he documents are rebuilding that soil in decades. The mechanism is biological: protecting and feeding the soil microbiome restores the nutrient cycling, water retention, and aggregate structure that conventional tillage destroys.
The Economic Argument
The farms in this book are not making a sacrifice for the environment — they are making money, often more than their conventional neighbours. As synthetic fertiliser and pesticide inputs drop and yields stabilise (or improve), margins widen. Montgomery’s economic analysis is careful and honest about the transition period, but the long-term picture is unambiguous.
Healthy soil is not a resource that can be mined and replenished. It is a living system that can be built or destroyed by how we farm it, and the farming practices that build it are better for farmers than the ones that destroy it.
— David Montgomery, Growing a Revolution
6 Key Ideas From This Book
Plowing disrupts fungal networks, kills earthworms, exposes soil aggregates to weathering, and releases stored carbon. No-till farming protects soil biology and allows it to rebuild — with measurable effects on water infiltration, erosion resistance, and fertility.
Growing plants in fields between cash crops — even species that will never be harvested — protects soil from erosion and rain impact, feeds soil biology through root exudates, and builds organic matter. The cost is minimal; the long-term benefit is enormous.
Different plant species feed different soil organisms through different root exudates. A diverse crop rotation — especially one including deep-rooted perennials and nitrogen-fixing legumes — builds a more diverse and resilient soil community than monoculture rotations.
Incorporating grazing animals into cropping systems accelerates soil organic matter accumulation, closes nutrient cycles, and reduces the need for external inputs. Well-managed rotational grazing is one of the fastest ways to build soil biology.
Farms transitioning from conventional to regenerative systems typically see a difficult period of two to five years during which yields drop and weed pressure increases while soil biology rebuilds. Montgomery is honest about this and shows how successful farms managed the transition.
Rebuilding soil organic matter through regenerative practices sequesters significant quantities of atmospheric carbon. The total sequestration potential of global cropland converted to regenerative practices is not a substitute for emissions reduction, but it is a meaningful contribution.
Any Weaknesses?
The book’s farm case studies are selected to be inspiring, which means Montgomery doesn’t spend much time on the farms that tried regenerative practices and failed, or on the structural barriers — commodity pricing, lease arrangements, equipment costs — that prevent conventional farmers from transitioning.
Some of the soil biology explanations are simplified to the point of occasional inaccuracy. Readers who want more scientific depth should follow up with the primary research Montgomery cites.
Conventional farmers who suspect there is a better way but are not sure the alternatives are economically viable — this book provides detailed real-world examples of farms that have made the transition successfully.
Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown for one farmer's complete first-person account of regenerative transition, and Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels for the soil biology detail that underlies Montgomery's farming argument.
Agricultural lenders and investors. The economic analysis in this book makes the financial case for regenerative transition more rigorously than most advocacy documents.
The book covers wide geographic and crop variety territory. Its prescriptions are general principles rather than specific recipes — readers looking for detailed how-to guidance for their specific context will need additional resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Growing a Revolution worth reading?
Growing a Revolution provides the most accessible and evidence-based overview of regenerative agriculture available in book form. Montgomery writes as a scientist, not an advocate, and the restraint makes the argument more persuasive. Essential reading for anyone involved in food, farming, or land management.
Who should read Growing a Revolution?
Conventional farmers who suspect there is a better way but are not sure the alternatives are economically viable — this book provides detailed real-world examples of farms that have made the transition successfully.
What is Growing a Revolution about in one sentence?
David Montgomery wrote Dirt in 2007 to document the civilisation-threatening erosion of the world's topsoil.
The Verdict
*Growing a Revolution* provides the most accessible and evidence-based overview of regenerative agriculture available in book form. Montgomery writes as a scientist, not an advocate, and the restraint makes the argument more persuasive. Essential reading for anyone involved in food, farming, or land management.
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