Growing Rogue
One Farmer’s Search for an Agriculture the World Can Live With
The inspiring story of one trailblazing California farmer that has proven—with over fifty years of hard-won experience—that large-scale farming of high-value crops can be done in a way that’s positive for the planet and the community—while still making a profit.
From a first-generation farmer with no agricultural background to a steward of over 1,700 acres growing 20 different crops across 27 fields in the Sacramento Valley of California, award-winning conservationist Scott Park shares his spectacular story in Growing Rogue.
When Scott broke ground on his farm in 1974, the use of harsh agricultural chemicals was rampant. After years of witnessing large-scale farms degrade and pollute their land, Scott decided on a different path: Through trial and error, tragedy and triumph, he would develop a holistic farm system—one that benefited the environment while still turning a profit.
After more than fifty years of honing his craft, Scott shares his methods for growing organic, high-value crops in this accessible, inspiring, and wryly humorous book. Far from shying away from the current farming crisis, Growing Rogue confronts it head on, arguing for a better world and offering a practical roadmap for how to get there.
Growing Rogue reminds us that farmers are environmental stewards with ethical and ecological responsibilities—and when the land is thriving, so, too, is the farm.
Reviews & Praise
“Hard to put down, and seeping into my dreams until I finished it, this book takes you on Scott Park’s pioneering journey of change from a highly risky, sterile farm to a profitable one teeming with life. Along the way, he teaches us how right and rewarding it is to work alongside nature, smoothing out the bumps and supporting the interconnections that provide for us all. Everyone—farmers, gardeners, and foodies—should read this book.”—Jo Ann Baumgartner, executive director, Wild Farm Alliance
“Growing Rogue is the well-told story of Scott Park’s discovery of a food production system that is beneficial for the land, the environment, the farm community, and the lucky consumer for whom the product is grown. It is challenging to figure out how to farm without the technologies that linear science has sold to us as being ‘better than nature’ for the last eighty years. There are only a few of us who have done it, and we all share a strong sense of conviction. I am grateful to Scott for accepting this challenge and for sharing his story with the world.”—Will Harris, White Oak Pastures, Bluffton, Georgia
“The first time I met Scott Park, it was not over polished talking points, but over a challenging conversation that led me to his farm fields. By day’s end, I understood what Growing Rogue makes unforgettable: Scott’s life is a master class in stubborn humility, hard-earned wisdom, and farming without excuses. This story follows a first-generation farmer who questioned and critiqued the chemical and mechanical mindset of modern, industrial farming. But Scott didn’t stop there. He and his family and a fiercely loyal crew went Buckminster Fuller–style and built a better model in its place. Funny, bruising, and deeply moving, Growing Rogue is both a memoir and a roadmap for an agriculture in service of life.”—Elizabeth Whitlow, regenerative organic advisor, Farmhand Foundation; founding executive director, Regenerative Organic Alliance
“When none of your farming neighbors, universities, or food companies can help you repair the damage done to your soils through conventional farming systems, you must go rogue, if you care to repair what is damaging to humanity’s future. Scott Park showed the courage—as well as the observational and critical thinking skills—to challenge our food production system, and at times, he risked everything to see it through. Growing Rogue is a must-read for all who eat to live.”—Tim LaSalle, cofounder, Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems
“I love this book. As a farmer, I am riveted. My farm is very different from Scott and Ulla Park’s 1,400 acres. But the lessons and challenges they share are familiar to every farmer. I am both educated and inspired by Growing Rogue. They have shared their ‘hero’s journey,’ charting their
lonely quest to create an organic farm in the face of dismissive hostility from the chemical farming system. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about where their food comes from. Scott Park gives us a guided tour through his blood, sweat, and tears journey, as he discovers what deep Organic really means.”—Dave Chapman, founder and codirector, Real Organic Project
“Growing Rogue is a gripping, unvarnished look at the grueling reality of modern agriculture. Scott Park masterfully captures the high-stakes gamble of farming, illustrating the emotional rollercoaster of battling Mother Nature’s unpredictable whims. But beyond the grit and sweat, it is an inspiring philosophical wake-up call that challenges us to stop accepting the status quo just because ‘that’s how it’s always been done.’ By showing how an open mind can revive dead soil and build an excuse-free farm, this book serves as a powerful, hopeful blueprint for the future of our relationship with the land.”—Hans R. Herren, founder and president, Biovision Foundation; board chair, Millennium Institute
“Scott is a rare kind of trailblazer—one whose vision is rooted in soil, community, and care. He shows that farming can produce food, heal ecosystems, and build resilience in ways that are both deeply practical and transformative. Through courage, humility, and deep attention to the land, Scott inspires hope through action.”—Amélie Gaudin, PhD, associate professor / Endowed Chair in Agroecology, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis