Pollan Michael - Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey through Carbon Country

PRAISE FOR Grass, Soil, Hope

A great practical book that I hope will be read by many people in all walks of life, even those who still doubt human-induced climate change. No technology even imaginable can restore natures past healthy functioning over the Earths greatest land areasits vast grasslands. The solutions Courtney illustrates can and will do what is required, and he tells the story well.

ALLAN SAVORY , president and founder of the Savory Institute

As anyone paying attention now knows, we will be facing numerous new challenges in our agriculture and food system in the near future. The most important journey we all need to make in preparing for that future is, as Courtney White points out, to restore the biological health of our soil. The hopefulness in Courtneys journey comes from his demonstration of the practical ways in which we can accomplish this task. Anyone interested in the future of food should read this remarkable, heartwarming book.

FREDERICK KIRSCHENMANN , author, Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher

Grass, Soil, Hope takes us on a journey from one fascinating topicand one inspirational, hardworking individualto another. The exciting concept of carbon farming, which Courtney White clearly articulates, both in theory and with practical examples, could revolutionize our entire approach to environmental restoration. If widely applied, these techniques would reverse climate change, and reestablish health to the land, to ourselves, and to our communities. This is an important book that is filled with hope.

LARRY KORN , translator and editor of Masanobu Fukuokas The One-Straw Revolution and Sowing Seeds in the Desert

Courtney Whites book offers refreshing insights on climate-smart agriculture. In an era when farmers and ranchers are often vilified for environmental disruptions, this analysis gives an optimistic contrast: Its a well-grounded practical outlook of the win-win outcomes of management practices by ranchers who are good stewards of soil carbon.

L. ANN THRUPP , PhD, executive director, Berkeley Food Institute, University of California, Berkeley

Courtney Whites journey was sparked by a question: What if we looked at carbon not just as a pollutant, but from the standpoint of its role as the building block of life? What he found across the country and abroad were farmers, ranchers, and scientists who are working with the carbon cycle to build soil, restore ecosystems, and bolster productivityin short, embracing life to generate more life. At once plain-spoken and radical, this book promises to stir up hope even among those made cynical by relentless bad news. White has made the case for hope. Whether this is turned to action is up to us.

JUDITH D. SCHWARTZ , author, Cows Save the Planet

Courtney White employs a masterful blend of storytelling and science to communicate a most hopeful message: that building healthy soilsin some surprising and creative wayscan help solve our food, water, and climate challenges all at the same time. The carbon-capturing farmers, ranchers, and conservationists whose work White so elegantly describes form the vanguard of a new movement of regenerative production that deserves societys attention and support. Inspiring, thought-provoking, energizing, andat bottomfull of hope.

SANDRA POSTEL , freshwater fellow, National Geographic Society

This delightful diamond of a book is a tour-de-force that covers the story of carbon from the Big Bang to your backyard. At a time when environmental narratives have become gloomy, this book is a breath of optimism exhaled with practical recommendations for moving carbon from the air back into the soil, for the health of the planet and every creature on it.

FRED PROVENZA , professor emeritus, Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University

Grass, Soil, Hope is a wonderfully accessible account of the promise of soil and agriculture for a better climate and better future.

THOMAS E. LOVEJOY , professor of environmental science and policy, George Mason University, and senior fellow, United Nations Foundation

Grass, Soil, Hope takes the reader back to earths beginnings to help illustrate the vital role of carbon in sustaining life and then gives real-life, real-time examples of agricultural practitioners who are using creativity and common sense to grow food, restore watersheds and wildlife habitat, and, yes, sequester lots of carbon.

WILLIAM MCDONALD , fifth-generation cattle rancher; founder and director of the Malpai Borderlands Group

Grass, soil, hope: Three simple words with the power to tackle societys most challenging problems. A ray of sunshine, converted by grass into carbon and stored in the soil, represents the possibility of a brighter future. An empowering and uplifting read!

GABE BROWN , owner, Browns Ranch, Bismarck, North Dakota

This is a book to read for many reasons: to learn about the Earths carbon cycle; to glimpse ways conservation is evolving, especially in the semi-arid West; and to understand the future of ranching and sustainable agriculture. Its also a book to read if you want to be infused with hope and inspired to play a broader role in the face of climate change. For many of us who think about ways to create a more resilient world for future generations, it pays to think more about carbon. This book will get you started.

JONATHAN OVERPECK , co-director, Institute of the Environment; professor of geosciences and atmospheric sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson

Grass , Soi l , Hope

ALSO BY COURTNEY WHITE

Revolution on the Range: The Rise of a New Ranch in the American West

Knowing Pecos: A Small History of a Big Place

The Indelible West: Photographs 19881998

Grass , Soi l , Hope

A Journey through Carbon Country

Courtney White

FOREWORD BY

MICHAEL POLLAN

Chelsea Green Publishing
White River Junction, Vermont

Copyright 2014 by Courtney White.

All rights reserved.

Cover and page xii illustration copyright 2010 by Quivira.

No part of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.

Project Manager: Hillary Gregory

Project Editor: Benjamin Watson

Copy Editor: Eric Raetz

Proofreader: Nancy Ringer

Indexer: Lee Lawton

Designer: Melissa Jacobson

Printed in the United States of America.

First printing June, 2014.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 14 15 16 17 18

Our Commitment to Green Publishing

Chelsea Green sees publishing as a tool for cultural change and ecological stewardship. We strive to align our book manufacturing practices with our editorial mission and to reduce the impact of our business enterprise in the environment. We print our books and catalogs on chlorine-free recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks whenever possible. This book may cost slightly more because it was printed on paper that contains recycled fiber, and we hope youll agree that its worth it. Chelsea Green is a member of the Green Press Initiative (www.greenpressinitiative.org), a nonprofit coalition of publishers, manufacturers, and authors working to protect the worlds endangered forests and conserve natural resources. Grass, Soil, Hope was printed on FSC- certified paper supplied by Thomson-Shore that contains at least 30% postconsumer recycled fiber.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

White, Joseph Courtney, 1960

Grass, soil, hope : a journey through carbon country / Courtney White.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60358-545-3 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-60358-546-0 (ebook)

1. Soil conservationCase studies. 2. Sustainable agricultureCase studies. I. Title.

S623.W47 2014

631.4'5dc23