Living Soil: A Grower's Guide

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.