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  • Dirt to Soil

  • One Family’s Journey into Regenerative Agriculture
  • By: Gabe Brown
  • Narrated by: Gabe Brown
  • Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (229 ratings)

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Dirt to Soil

By: Gabe Brown
Narrated by: Gabe Brown
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Summary

Gabe Brown didn’t set out to change the world when he first started working alongside his father-in-law on the family farm in North Dakota. But as a series of weather-related crop disasters put Brown and his wife, Shelly, in desperate financial straits, they started making bold changes to their farm.

Brown - in an effort to simply survive - began experimenting with new practices he’d learned about from reading and talking with innovative researchers and ranchers. As he and his family struggled to keep the farm viable, they found themselves on an amazing journey into a new type of farming: regenerative agriculture. Brown dropped the use of most of the herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers that are a standard part of conventional agriculture. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes, and changed his grazing practices. In doing so, Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life - starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time.

In Dirt to Soil, Gabe Brown tells the story of that amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to our most pressing and complex contemporary agricultural challenge - restoring the soil. The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over 20 years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil.

Using regenerative agricultural principles, Brown’s 5,000-acre ranch has grown several inches of new topsoil in only 20 years! The key is how we think, Brown says. In the industrial agricultural model, all thoughts are focused on killing things. But that mind-set was also killing diversity, soil, and profit, Brown realized. Now, he channels his creative thinking toward how he can get more life on the land - more plants, animals, and beneficial insects.

“The greatest roadblock to solving a problem,” Brown says, “is the human mind."

©2018 Gabe Brown (P)2018 Chelsea Green Publishing
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What listeners say about Dirt to Soil

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic book

5 stars well deserved for the passion, Inspiration to the world and clear dialogue. Not too complex but plenty of information. I've listened twice and will listen again. Gave you have another firm fan!!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

outstanding

A wonderful audio book, that could help to save the Earth and our species, truly nspirational and illuminating

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A survival ESSENTIAL!

Gabe with his fresh eyes, fresh insight & razor sharp intellect & observations, shows the way not simply to “food” production, but way more important, nutrition production.
In doing so Gabe gives us back our sustainable world & balance of nature. This man & his family are modern day agricultural heroes. A must read & “digest” kinda book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Must Read for all Farmers

This book is a MUST READ / LISTEN, not an option for any and all farmers, current and aspiring to be. It clearly explains how and why our current agricultural production model is not fit for purpose and in fact destructive to us right now and getting even more so each day we remain in this model which will ultimately destroy us all.

MOST IMPORTANTLY though is Gabe explains how a farmer can change to a regenerative farming system and the multiple benefits that come with it, not only a healthy, profitable and very resilient farming business but a healthy regenerating earth along with very healthy life including humans!!! AND IT CAN GO ON!!!

For any farmer who would choose to not do what Gabe Brown has done after becoming aware of regenerative agriculture in my mind could be considered as dereliction of duty to the earth and the life that lives on it! I know that for many it is not easy because of many internal and external forces that keep them in the rut, however IT MUST BE DONE AND DONE NOW!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Must Read Book for ALL farmers

Even if your not interested in regenerative agriculture this book will make you think about your current farming system

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

such a great listen

all farmers need to give it a chance. will listen again lots of information. I can't wait to start trying new ideas

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hopeful. Tangible solutions to repair our broken farming systems.

Gabe Brown doesn't deal in unsubstantiated theories. He farms in profitable realities. This book is the most comprehensive, accessible and persuasive overview I've read making the case for truly regenerative agriculture that puts care of the soil and land at the centre of the profitable farming model. Gabe's open-minded approach has allowed him to create a blueprint that any farmer interested in remaining economically viable in the 21st century should follow. Full of facts backed up by actual working examples, give this book a listen if you're stuck in the spiral of rising input costs and lower returns.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Inspiring

if more farmers nd consumers read this. The world would be a better place.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Do something.

If you do one thing positive today listen or read this book. dirt to soil.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding!

Everyone must read this book as it will open your eyes to how we have totally lost sight of how corporations and consequentially governments have evolved to make people and our environment more unhealthy.

This may not have been the initial intention, but now our leaders are armed with the evidence (mostly common sense) from Gabe and many others. This should now be something at the very top of the agenda.

Anything less is immoral and has to been seen as a total failure to our ecosystem and human health.

If our leading politicians had just 10% of Gabe’s work and moral fortitude, this would be set us on the right path.

Hats off to you and your family Gabe!

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