The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower's Guide to Ecological Market Gardening Paperback – July 8, 2021

First, one should understand a few terms to understand if this book is right for you.No-till farmingRegenerative agricultureSustainable agricultureOrganic farmingFirst, the thing I REALLY like about the author is the understanding that dogma can lead to bad outcomes. In other words don't be SO stuck on a concept you learned that you say "It HAS to work this way", because it might not.For the author of this book, no-till means minimal disturbance of the soil and it does not mean STRICTLY no-tlll. For instance you may have to do some heavy work with your soil if you want excellent outcomes. There have been multiple people that do soil analysis that have dug deep down into soil, like 2 - 4 feet and they explain what happens if you try to grow crops on that soil. It may be OK for pasture with minimal disturbance, mostly continually dumping organic material on top and allowing nature and animals to work together to make that pasture healthy. But growing crops is very different. The kind of crops you grow may root very deep and if you're soil has some heavy barrier 6 inches down and your crops send roots 1 - 2 down into the soil, that's never going to work well. So a heavy tilling in the beginning and adding a lot of organic material, letting it sit, and then starting to grow crops 6 months later might be what's needed.So, this is insight into who the author is. He runs a successful, organic certified farm using regenerative and no-till techniques and is full of advice of how to do this, from beginning to the point of having very healthy soil where you can practice no-till farming. He covers many topics with this book and it's not just about growing crops. It's also about being a small farmer and running a successful businessIt may not have every answer for you personally because farming is something that's incredibly variable based on your environment and what you're trying to do, but there is excellent information that will help people in most environments deal with no-till, regenerative farming. This person also does minimal work with animals. This is almost completely about using plants to grow very healthy soil and produce very healthy crops.

This book by farmer Jesse Frost, is all about creating the ideal soil conditions for growing food and flowers. Frost explains that he learned from his own trial and error, but then started asking other growers for tips, eventually starting his “No-Till Market Garden Podcast”. He explains concepts in language that is easy to understand, preferring simple explanations to scientific terminology. The book is divided into three parts, with a total of nine chapters.Part 1: Disturb as Little as Possible, first covers basic information about soil and photosynthesis. Frost then defines tillage, and outlines how to set up a no-till garden.Part 2: Keep It Covered as Much as Possible, discusses different types of compost and mulch, and creating pathways.Part 3: Keep It Planted as Much as Possible, talks about using cover crops and interplanting strategies; and gives step-by-step guides for seven specific crops.There are also many beautiful pictures in this book, and seeing examples of what the author is describing can be very helpful. I also found the specific crop guides to be particularly useful. Overall a good reference book for growers.

This is a great book full of practical, actionable information. The author doesn't pretend to have all the answers, presenting instead things to keep in mind as your skill grows and you try new veggie/spacing/mulches etc. This is way past the usual advice in backyard veggie gardening book. This is about maximum produce from limited ground yet still have a personal life.

I am so impressed with this book that I had to give a 5-star review! Truly amazing source of knowledge that goes surprisingly in-depth. Beautiful pictures and text layout are a plus

So much useful info for market gardeners or home growers! Helped us dial in some finer points to organic/minimal till growing that have really increased our yield and improve our soil. Thanks for a great book!

…and highly educational and informative to mewith my very limited gardening background. The quality of the paper and the photographs is fantastic. And Jesse knows how to write and keep the reader engrossed. It is hard to find a book on this subject and be this hard to put down. The only (petty) negative was the supreme irritation that resulted from reading the ghastly, white-guilt, virtue-signaling "shtick" in the introduction. Jesse, your book speaks for itself, and will do just fine without that nauseating pandering.

This is probably the most informative of the gardening books I’ve purchased over the years. I’ve been following farmer Jesse on YouTube for a while now and his book is as good as his videos. I’ve come to understand through books like this and other market gardeners on YouTube that healthy soil is key to success. Most book will help you grow plants, this book helps you grow soil. I’ve changed my point of view about growing, I don’t look at soil as beings a medium to grow plants. I now see plants as a way to feed and sustain healthy soil. My plants are healthier, produce more, and I have less weed and pest pressures. I definitely recommend this book.

Jesse Frost's motto is: "As little as Possible" when it comes to "No Till." Also, because much of the veggies are annuals, it is the soil health that needs to be sustainable, and not so much the crop. He has discovered how intercropping helps improve plants use of the living microbial interplay available. He's almost aboard the Regenerative Ag. attitude, but and provides a road map for those who care about the health of the soil as it affects human and animal health. It's a good, fun read! Jesse doesn't get bogged down in scientific jargon.