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Full Description
Healthy soil isn't an input—it's a living system you can learn to cultivate
Strong harvests begin below the surface. Living Soil: A Grower's Guide shows gardeners and small-scale farmers how to build fertile, resilient soil that supports productive crops year after year—without relying on high-input fixes or extractive practices.
Grounded in The Market Gardener Method, this highly illustrated guide translates soil science into clear, practical decisions you can apply immediately, whether you're improving a backyard garden or managing a diversified market farm. The focus is on understanding how soil functions—and how to work with biology rather than against it.
What this Book Offers
A clear explanation of soil structure, organic matter, minerals, and microbial life
Practical ways to assess soil health, from simple field observations to basic testing
Proven low- and no-till techniques that protect soil structure and biology
Strategies for composting, mulching, crop rotation, and green manures
Long-term approaches to maintaining fertility while reducing labor and inputs
Rather than prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions, this guide helps you make informed choices based on your soil, crops, and climate—building systems that improve over time.
Who this Book is For
Gardeners who want healthier plants and more consistent yields
Market growers seeking durable, regenerative production systems
Farmers reducing tillage and external inputs
Readers of The Market Gardener looking to deepen their soil practice
Anyone interested in working with living ecosystems, not against them
Jean-Martin Fortier is a farmer, educator, and internationally recognized leader in biointensive, human-scale agriculture. Through decades of hands-on growing and teaching, he has helped thousands of growers improve productivity while restoring soil health.
Living Soil is part of the Grower's Guides from the Market Gardener series—practical, visually rich manuals designed to help growers take meaningful steps toward more resilient food systems.
If you want soil that grows stronger—and more productive—every season, this guide shows you where to start.
Contents
Introduction
Preface: Good Soil for Beautiful Vegetables
Chapter 1: What is Living Soil?
What is soil made of?
The mineral composition of soil
Organic matter in soil
Chapter 2: Know Your Soil
Do-it-yourself experiments
Identifying plant needs
Chapter 3: Work and Your Soil
Prepare your soil
Protecting your soil
Nourish and enrich your soil
Acknowledgments
