they forced us to not be afraid of failure, and to work with nature instead of against her.” In the two decades since that revelation, Brown, who co-wrote the book with Quivira Coalition founder Courtney White, has gone on to become one of the most trusted voices in the regenerative agriculture community.

Dirt to Soil tells the detailed story of the Browns’ trials and errors as they built a diverse, resilient, no-till farming operation that operates completely without synthetic fertilizer, herbicides, or fungicides. The book provides an in-depth look at what it takes to build soil health and provides an intriguing window into the no-till regenerative world. The book also includes a half a dozen profiles of other farmers who have transitioned to a regenerative model in a diverseprison-industrial complex, labor movements, and immigration. Conversely, Sbicca sees food justice as a universal cause that can unite and inspire broader social change, and his book provides a blueprint for activists who agree. “Can an expansive notion and practice of food justice create a diverse political platform that inspires new social struggles?” he asks.

–Lisa Held

The Food Explorer

By Daniel Stone

Author Daniel Stone reminds us that local food can be a misleading term. Sure, your broccoli might have been grown by the farmer up the road, but did you know that it was actually introduced to the United States from Italy in the late 1800s? Stone’s book follows the travels of the young botanist David Fairchild as he travels the world in search of new fruits and vegetables that could