Six Inches of Soil

The importance of soil health, and its enormous impacts on the food we eat as well as the surrounding wildlife and the soil’s longevity is becoming ever more obvious. Films certified-teacher-training and books like this have been bringing real-life examples of how regen ag, permaculture, agroecology etc., not only produce nutritious local food and provide local jobs, but also lock in carbon and nurture a diversity of native creatures, above and below the ground.

As an extension of the popular film, we meet three farmers from very different settings: A pasture-fed beef farm in Cornwall; an organic market garden in Cambridgeshire and a regenerative mixed farm in Lincolnshire. They are all fairly early in their regen ag experiences, which offers newbies and budding growers a glimpse into the realities. The three farmers offer great insights into their journeys, with real honesty – one farm is still using nitrates but is working hard to move away from this. I liked the mix of perspectives – sections written by the farmers themselves and then interviews they had with others in a similar, but more established position. This gives a better understanding of the long-term benefits of regen ag, helping to inspire the featured farmers but also the readers. I think more from these established projects would better highlight the surrounding chapters that explore soil science, food security and the many difficulties that farmers face.

This is useful for both growers and consumers – we all need to know where our food is coming from, and we must choose to support local growers who are healing the earth while producing food.

-- Rozie Apps

‘Six Inches of Soil tells the story of how and why agriculture went down the path of soil degradation which has led to losses in biodiversity, carbon, water quality and nutrient density in our foods BUT it then takes you on a captivating journey of regeneration. Highlighting farms on their regenerative journey. Showing us the way and giving us hope. A must read for all society.’ – Gabe Brown, Rancher, Educator, Author (Dirt to Soil) and Student of the Soil 

‘Readable, poetic and illustrative in its production; charming, evocative and educational in its content, Six Inches of Soil: How to Heal Our Soils, Ourselves, and Our Communities Through Regenerative Farming is above all helpful and honest. It’s not just for farmers, but for anyone and everyone.’ – Jenny Jefferies, author of Islands In A Common Sea: Stories of Farming, Fishing and Food Around The World

‘The team behind Six Inches of Soil have pulled off something remarkable. This book has succeeded in capturing the passion and wonder from the film, supplementing that content with scientific, farming and policy depth to produce a work that stands strongly on its own feet. If you are lucky enough to have already watched the film, you will be delighted by the extra detail and discourse within these pages. If you are reading it fresh, the combination of interviews, discussion and reflection will probably change the way you look at soil forever.’ – Ben Raskin, Head of Horticulture and Agroforestry, Soil Association & author of The Woodchip Handbook

‘To feed a growing global population, we will need to produce more food than ever before – but we must do so more sustainably than has been the case in the past seventy years. Six Inches of Soil provides a hopeful vision for sustainable farming, based on careful stewardship of our most precious resource, alongside farming with – rather than in opposition to – our natural environment. A timely work which points the way to a more sustainable approach to food, farming and the environment.’ – Joe Stanely, Head of Sustainable Farming, The Allerton Project & author of Farm to Fork: The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain

‘A fantastic assembly of the trials, tribulations, successes and failures of all those connected to the land that are looking at replacing death with life in the food production system.’ – Ben Taylor-Davies/RegenBen

 

Well produced, well researched, well written, Six Inches of Soil has a vital message for everyone, especially farmers. You don't need to see your soil washed or blown away. You know it is in your hands to stop and repair the damage. – Practical Farm Ideas

The message of this book is that transitioning from the chemical-intensive approach to farming that has come to be called “conventional” to ways of doing things that try to sequester carbon in soil and regenerate the health of the soil, while making a living, can be done and is being done by these people who have this in common: they care. Often it isn’t easy, and the book is full of stories about challenges, some overcome and others ongoing. The authors (and filmmakers) hope the book will be read by non-farmers as well, because those who understand what’s at stake can support these pioneering farmers with their food choices.

Full review available at: 

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2024-07-05/six-inches-of-soil-review/?mc_cid=952401fdd0&mc_eid=207264974b

-- Mary Wildfire

Full text of the letter to Steve Reed, Defra Secretary and Daniel Zeichner, Farming Minister from Julia Cooper Head of Research, Organic Research Centre is available here: 

https://www.organicresearchcentre.com/news-events/news/six-inches-soil-book/?mc_cid=fabf9f18fa&mc_eid=4188ef196b

I may be one of the rare people in the regen ag community who hasn’t seen the film yet, so I read the book “blind”. To be honest, based on the title, I was expecting the usual treatise on the wonders of soil biology and the amazing potential of soils to capture carbon and mitigate climate change. As a well-seasoned soil scientist, I am a bit hesitant to jump on that bandwagon, knowing all the “it depends” and “have you considered” moderating statements that should accompany discussions around soil C sequestration and climate mitigation. So I started off the book armoured with a healthy dose of cynicism. That didn’t last long! To start with, the book is about much more than soil.

The book is mainly the story of three new entrants to farming who are following a regenerative approach to building their businesses and managing their land. One of them is certified organic, which we can think of as the “gold standard” of regenerative farming. ... And their stories make for a captivating read! I couldn’t put this book down because I genuinely wanted to find out how things turned out for them.

Before you get too worried that Six Inches of Soil is all anecdotal feel-good stories, rest assured that there are plenty of hard facts in the six ‘interludes’ interspersed throughout the book. These interludes are written by experts like the amazing Vicki Hird (formerly Head of Sustainable Farming at SUSTAIN and now Strategic Lead on Agriculture at the Wildlife Trust and Trustee of ORC) and provide clear and succinct explainers on important issues like land use, greenwashing, and Brexit!

Read this book, watch the film, and go out and meet the people making a difference on the ground in the regenerative agriculture community. I know their stories will inform and inspire you to make the changes we need.

-- Julia Cooper Head of Research, Organic Research Centre

The stories of the three holdings and their stewards (told in their own words) are the centrepiece of both the book and the film, and rightly so. Between them they cover a wide range of enterprise strands from livestock through arable to horticulture. Adrienne’s story about setting up a market garden and the incredible amount of work involved will surely resonate with many OGA members. They were all making good progress on their respective journeys though not without some bumps in the road often caused by unpredictable weather. The conversations with their respective mentors/advisors were excellent and were clearly very useful and encouraging.

A key feature of the book is the inclusion of a series of Interludes between the chapters. These are excellent especially the ones written by Vicki Hird formerly Head of the Sustainable Farming Campaign for Sustain. The editors are to be commended for including these as they include some reality checks for the regenerative agriculture movement.

This book has some truly excellent content but I do not feel that it has fully addressed the hopes and intentions of the authors. It does however finish with a series of calls to action that could be transformative if everyone responded to them. I would single out the call to go outside more to stop and observe, and the call to touch and smell soil. If more people were moved to tears then there could be a chance of positive progress.

-- Roger Hitchings, Organic Grower, no. 68, Autumn