Growing Life: Regenerating Farming and Ranching

" André Leu’s new book is essential reading for farmers, gardeners, and proponents of regenerative and organic food and farming."

As modern farming and ranching evolve away from mass consolidation and industrialization, a new strategy is rapidly emerging: regenerative agriculture. These new systems being implemented across the globe require a shift in the mindset of the land manager and operator, away from being primarily reliant on external inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, and toward dependence on knowledge, measurement and management. In this first-of-its-kind book, André Leu invites everyone to start moving a positive, regenerative direction where our actions support growing abundant life.

Inside this book, the first in a series, explore the fundamentals of regenerative agriculture, including specific, proven steps designed to grow healthy food, while protecting our natural resources like clean water, soil and air.

Readers will also learn:

• the role of photosynthesis in a farming system;
• successful tactics for ground cover and weed management;
• soil health and nutrition principles;
• ways to build functional biodiversity; and
• implementation and execution tactics.

This includes a helpful appendix on vetted, natural inputs. Plus, enjoy inspiring pieces inside by Gary Zimmer, author of The Biological Farmer, and Vandana Shiva, global author and advocate for natural, family farming.

Copyright 2021, softcover, 248 pages.

Advanced Praise:

Regeneration is the essential next stage of organic and agro-ecological agriculture. André Leu’s new book is essential reading for farmers, gardeners, and proponents of regenerative and organic food and farming. When future generations look back on how we managed to reverse global warming and climate change, and avoid climate catastrophe, they will thank organic farmers like André Leu for teaching a new generation of farmers how to maximize soil health and photosynthesis, restore ecosystems, produce healthy nutrient-dense food, and sequester excess atmospheric CO2. — Ronnie Cummins International Director of Organic Consumers Association

In his powerful and well written new book, Growing Life, André Leu introduces us all to the concepts of regenerative organic agriculture, asks provocative questions, then shares answers only decades of experience could possibly hope to inspire, and then finally invites us on a journey to, as André says, “become your own researcher”. Every farmer needs to read, discover, and realign their priorities to focus on the power of basic biological principles to feed us all while regenerating the soil resources we need to survive as a species. André has captured the very essence of the word regenerative by clearly and simply explaining the basic building blocks of healthy soil, showcasing how the science of biology dictates that we can improve the resource we need while using it to grow food. The science of regenerative organic agriculture uncovers how the systems are complex, but the implementation isn’t complicate — Jeff Moyer, Rodale Institute, CEO, author of Roller/Crimper No-Till

I believe it’s a must read. It’s a study and guide book on the road to regeneration of soils and farms so they can have resilience and be sustainable. — Gary Zimmer, farmer, author of The Biological Farmer

André Leu brings the earth’s living processes, farmers’ knowledge and ecological sciences of living systems back to the heart of growing food.— Dr. Vandana Shiva Advocate, researcher, author of Food, Farming & Health

Growing Life is a handbook to save the planet. André Leu offers practical steps and brilliant insights derived from nature herself. Its science-based foundational principles can antidote the widespread damage that our earth has suffered. Thank you André. — Jeffrey Smith, bestselling author, filmmaker, and Executive Director at the Institute for Responsible Technology­­

About André Leu

André Leu is a practicing farmer and the international director of Regeneration International, an organization that promotes food, farming and land-use systems that regenerate and stabilize climate systems, the health of the planet and people. Regeneration International has more than 370 partners in 70 countries and works with numerous agricultural systems such as agroecology, organic, permaculture, ecological agriculture, holistic grazing, biological agriculture, organic agriculture and agroforestry. Besides his two other books titled Poisoning our Children (2018) and The Myths of Safe Pesticides (2014), his work shows up in television, magazines universities, institutions, NGOs and workshops around the world, including the United Nations. André and his wife, Julia, own and manage an organic tropical fruit farm in Daintree, in Australia.

Watch the New Release Discussion

In October of 2021, to celebrate the release of Growing Life, André Leu discussed his motivations behind and process of writing his third book. He was joined in this discussion by scientist and agriculture activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, and author/activist Ronnie Cummins, co-founder and International Director of the Organic Consumers Association.