Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food

by Bob Quinn, Elizabeth Waterton Carlisle

When Bob Quinn was a kid, a stranger at a county fair gave him a few kernels of an unusual grain. Little did he know, that grain would change his life. Years later, after finishing a PhD in plant biochemistry and returning to his family’s farm in Montana, Bob started experimenting with organic wheat. In the beginning, his concern wasn’t health or the environment; he just wanted to make a decent living and some chance encounters led him to organics.

But as demand for organics grew, so too did Bob’s experiments. He discovered that through time-tested practices like cover cropping and crop rotation, he could produce successful yields—without pesticides. Regenerative organic farming allowed him to grow fruits and vegetables in cold, dry Montana, providing a source of local produce to families in his hometown. He even started producing his own renewable energy. And he learned that the grain he first tasted at the fair was actually a type of ancient wheat, one that was proven to lower inflammation rather than worsening it, as modern wheat does.

Ultimately, Bob’s forays with organics turned into a multimillion dollar heirloom grain company, Kamut International. In Grain by Grain, Quinn and cowriter Liz Carlisle, author of Lentil Underground, show how his story can become the story of American agriculture. We don’t have to accept stagnating rural communities, degraded soil, or poor health. By following Bob’s example, we can grow a healthy future, grain by grain.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Food, Agriculture, Audiobook, Politics, Business

288 pages, Hardcover

Published March 5, 2019

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Jami Balmet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cow! I was utterly blown away by this book. I had little expectation for what this book would be (many health related books end up very dry and hard to follow). Not this one! It’s written in a very intriguing way and blends stories, his personal experiences, science, and the history of the modern food system into a very compelling book!

I am not new to this subject but I learned a ton! If you want to know why grains are NOT evil and what’s wrong with our modern food system, this is a terrific place to start! I listened to the audio book and it was excellent!

[Anna Nesbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most important and difficult book I have ever read about human, environmental, and economic health. It’s a daunting yet hopeful book about the follies of “conventional agriculture“ and big money agribusiness, the high cost of our “cheap food” culture. It’s full of lessons about organic farming and eating, about the gluten misunderstanding, and heirloom wheat that could solve many of our health issues. It’s full of stories from a farmer, entrepreneur, scientist, and family man. I couldn’t put this book down, even when I wanted to throw it at the wall because it was too difficult to think about.

[Dylan Simel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Quinn has shaped more lives that most and has done it the ol fashioned way. A beautiful portrait of how our agricultural system has gone off the rails. I was only into buying organic for the health benefit but now I understand that buying organic means a whole lot more. It means jobs, community, and healthier soil.

[Darby · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you live in Montana, or care about high quality food, or want to more about food systems, organic farming, the value of ancient grains, this book is a good introduction. Bob Quinn is a gem and Liz Carlisle adds her own brilliance to this book worth your time.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book fascinating. It is a great look at agriculture in rural America, and organic farming, and the industrial food complex as a whole. Highly recommend.

[Will G · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good that I got 50lbs of flour.

[Loy Maierhauser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a game changer.

[Rachel Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to forget where your food comes from, especially if you're an urban living city dweller like myself. It's easy to dismiss the idea that much of the food in your grocery stores, while cheap, is contributing to a food system that is not only broken but in need of a total revamp.

Bob Quinn's Book, "Grain by Grain" is an amazing read about the broken food system, how food can be medicine, and how the choices we make today can change the system of tomorrow. I never thought I'd say that a book about farming is a page turner, but it's that and so much more! The writing is clear and accessible, but the concepts delivered through Bob and Liz's words speak to the height of any reader's intelligence. It's truly a book you can't put down.

If you eat food, this book is for you. If you've ever wondered where your food comes from, this book is for you. And if you want to be an agent of change for the food for future generations, this book is a must read!

5 stars!

[Chad Nabity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Quinn does a great job of showing how his organic farming has benefitted his farm, his finances, his family, and his community. He had many advantages to start with including access to land and equipment. He was able to step out of the typical industrialize agriculture that is termed conventional and succeed in the organic market. While creating that success he helped many others succeed and has started to repopulate his small town in Montana.

This book is a good primer showing how this kind of food based, placed based economic development can work and how to look at your surroundings with new eyes to see possibilities.

[Roxanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book revolving around agriculture and its systems! Here's actually a book review assignment blurb I did for one of my organic agriculture class:

This story is a wonderful telling in an artful mix of personal experience, historical background, and cited research. What made me really hooked onto Quinn’s narrative was the fact that he lives through eras of crucial agriculture, or more specifically, agribusiness history. You learn later in the story that Bob Quinn had actually been selected to be on the first National Organic Standards Board, consequently giving rise to the USDA Organic certification program, but the story before that reveals a compelling non-organic farming origin story.

I think one of the most important scenes in Grain by Grain’s beginning was when Quinn learns the hard truth about the state of agribusiness when he was just a graduate student. The picture he paints is horrifying: a class trip to a peach farm, where his own professor and the peach farmer were amused by and laughing about a chemical spray to change the color of a peach artificially; in order to appear “ripened” and appealing to the consumer – therefore, good for business. What makes this book engrossing is the use of this parallel Quinn experiences as he goes on this farming journey. He mentions the consequences and cycle of the “Go Big or Go Home” farming crisis, the rise of the chemical and Big fertilizer industry (one he capitalizes is Monsanto), the declining health of the average consumer, and the overall negative economic impacts of globalization – specifically in the Big Farm and supply chain industry.

What’s also special about this book, seemingly another farm start-up story, is the scale at which Quinn develops to. His farm in Montana, inherited by his father, had no prior experience with an organic environment. Before the era of farm consolidation, his father was another chemical-using local farmer – but this transformed into an organic and sustainable practice as Quinn tries to fight against the negative effects of Big Farms and agrochemicals. His main line of business involved organic wheat production (specifically, Kamut khorasan), but evolved into a milling business, an Oil Barn (from safflower, which was one of my favorite segments in the book), and even a wind turbine farm. He even goes international to work with Italian farms and bread artisans.

The beautiful part of this increase in Quinn’s outreach is that he quite never goes down the ugly path that farm consolidation or big business entails. Because of Quinn’s sense of community instilled in him by his father and the isolated, local community that is Big Sandy (his hometown), Quinn always considered the impact that his business choices had on local farms, farms in areas he worked with abroad (e.g., how would introducing Kamut wheat into the Italian market affect its local farmers?), and the consumer themselves. Chapters 13 and 14 of this book are especially important for the consumer, and it was a great addition to the story, as Quinn draws on analytics and research (even those funded by his own company) to prove as to why, for example, ancient wheat (Kamut) proved better health results compared to the conventional wheat-products most consumers eat today.

For someone who is relatively new to this side of the game (having previously only cared about the cheap, ready-to-go meals and luxuries of a fast-moving America), I could not recommend this book to others, farm-involved and not, enough. It was an experience having finished this book, and instead of heading to a Walmart, going to a Whole Foods (which I’m not sure if it’s completely better) and at least seeing the difference in the amount of organic-offered products. And even then, considering: how many of these products are locally produced? Are these eggs pasture-raised, the beef grass-fed (Quinn goes into great detail with these qualities)? Do I see any stone-milled wheat, maybe sorghum, or even Kamut International products? And most importantly: am I comfortable with spending more money than I would usually on produce, considering the devastating history of why wheat has been labeled as a commodity, rather than something worth more?

It would be a stretch to some to say that this book is life-changing, but it makes you consider what has become of our food and business after great industrial changes. I find it hopeful that Quinn, who had lived through the tough time of an extreme loss in farms (the most painful being that change in his local hometown), still finds a positive lining in this movement in organic farm uprisings and bringing value back to food (over what I think is a funny term that he mocks in modern-day industrial foods: “value-added” which, in reality, should be “value-subtracted”). I think any righteous organic farmer can take a great deal away from Quinn’s novel and learn what it means to not only add back to the soil, but back to an interconnected community of one’s own.

[Adrienne Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grain by Grain gives a farmer’s-eye view of the history of the Organics movement in America. A wonderful, refreshing read that's well-paced and engaging, it tells Bob Quinn's story of the popularization of the heirloom grain, Kamut, as well as the halting path by which citizen oversight helped create and enforce a set of USDA Organic standards. It's told in Quinn’s straightforward voice with some real gems of observation, carried forth faithfully by his skillful co-writer, fellow Montanan Liz Carlisle.

Along the way, we track his personal journey to create sustainable business practices that could improve upon the agriculture of monoculture and “quick fixes,” which have wrought devastating effects on Americans' health over the last 50+ years.

When Bob returned to his family's farm in 1978 after completing his PhD in plant biochemistry from UC Davis, he expected to simply raise his kids and carry on the family business of growing wheat. When a major customer asked him in 1984 to locate a supplier of organic wheat, Bob searched all over the state to find one grower who could supply that request.

While making that connection, he observed the difference between the joyless “commodities production” model of industrial farming and the energized creativity of the people who were turning to organics. It shaped him to become an innovator and champion of regenerative organic agriculture. This book shares some of the lessons he has learned from carefully observing his plants and tending to soil health.

Back in his junior year of high school, Bob had been given a handful of an unusual grain by a man at the county fair. He'd called it “King Tut's Wheat.” The kernels were roughly three times the size of the wheat that Bob's father was farming. Now a farmer himself, Bob set up an experimental plot in a corner of the land, to see if the King Tut's wheat would grow. It became the grain eventually known as Kamut. Now, over 10,000 acres of Kamut (a registered trademark for organic, non-hybridized Khorason wheat) are grown, mainly in Montana.

When chemically grown wheat started to cause digestive problems in people, both in the US and in Europe, Kamut wheat and its organic whole-grain profile became embraced by chefs in Italy and France as much or even more so, than in the U.S. As an alternative, it has even shown remarkable health-renewing effects in people with dietary and environmental sensitivities.

“The truth is, cheap stuff really isn't cheap - the bill just comes due somewhere downstream or down the line. Likewise, adding value isn't expensive – it's actually a remarkably efficient way to reduce the soaring costs of health care, poverty and environmental degradation . . . Adding value to our food means we can regenerate land instead of destroying it. We can revitalize rural communities instead of giving up on them. We can heal people instead of making them sick.”

In the book's foreword, Liz Carlisle refers to Bob as an unsung American hero. His lifetime's work has built alliances between divergent groups, empowered over 100 farmers to produce organic Kamut and promoted local renewable energy projects. This is a great way to learn the history of the real-food movement from a pioneer in that field.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Quinn is not your average organic visionary. He is a lifelong conservative Republican and was raised on his father’s traditional farm in Big Sandy, Montana. Bob earned a PhD in plant biochemistry at UC Davis and started a career in his field of study.

But when he returned to his father’s farm, he saw how much of the profit was going to chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. He was also troubled by the lack of quality in traditional food and also by the push to reduce the number of small farms.

He began to experiment with organic farming. He found that like life itself, all things agriculture are related. He began to work for more control of his product – which eventually meant setting up his own mills to grind grain for himself and his neighbors, starting Montana’s first wind farm, and producing high oleic safflower oil. While he first envisioned the oil powering his farm’s diesel engines, he soon realized that it was a better more nutritious type of edible oil, creating contracts to ‘rent’ the oil to food companies such as the University of Montana and then having the used oil return to his farm.

One of his most far-reaching experiments was attempting to grow a sample of ‘King Tut’s Wheat’, a supposedly ancient seed given to him at a county fair in 1964. Over many years, he found it could be grown on his dryland farm (no irrigation), and produced a high protein, high nutrition product that research showed reduced inflammation and was tolerated by many of those suffering from modern day ‘gluten intolerance’. He believes that this intolerance is the product of the unbalanced genetical modifications that make wheat more hearty, greater yield but less nutritious. This wheat is now grown by numerous farms as Kamut wheat. Kamut is a variety of Khorasan wheat, known in some parts of the Middle East as ‘the prophet’s wheat’ – the prophet is not Mohammed but Noah. Kamut is a trademark guaranteeing that the product is organic and not crossed with other varieties.

His guiding principle has become the ‘triple bottom line’: "not just profit but also value to people and planet. This was a revolutionary concept for businesses that had previously externalized costs like environmental damage and health problems for workers exposed to toxins. But even sustainability-oriented businesses still tended to see these three bottom lines as separate goals, and given their overriding obligations to their shareholders, profit frequently trumped people and planet.” P 198

Fascinating book – much ‘food for thought’. In the summary chapters, he gives an easy way to start: on your next trip to the grocery store, add two organic items to your cart and let it grow from there.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Grain by Grain: A Quest to Revive Ancient Wheat, Rural Jobs, and Healthy Food” is an inspiring and insightful book that chronicles Bob Quinn’s remarkable journey from a conventional farmer to a pioneering advocate of organic agriculture. Co-authored with Liz Carlisle, this book is a testament to the power of innovative thinking and a commitment to sustainability.

Bob Quinn’s story begins with a chance encounter with an unusual grain at a county fair, a moment that would ultimately transform his life and the future of his family’s farm in Montana. Armed with a PhD in plant biochemistry, Quinn’s initial foray into organic farming was driven by the simple desire to make a decent living. However, his experiments with organic wheat soon revealed the vast potential of regenerative agriculture.

Through engaging storytelling, “Grain by Grain” highlights Quinn’s discovery of time-tested farming practices like cover cropping and crop rotation, which allowed him to achieve successful yields without relying on harmful pesticides. These methods not only helped him combat weeds and grasshoppers naturally but also revitalized the soil and fostered a thriving local food ecosystem in cold, dry Montana.

One of the most compelling aspects of Quinn’s journey is his encounter with an ancient wheat variety, later identified as Kamut, which boasts numerous health benefits, including lower inflammation. This discovery led to the creation of Kamut International, a multimillion-dollar heirloom grain company that champions organic and sustainable farming practices.

“Grain by Grain” is more than just a personal narrative; it’s a call to action for the entire agricultural sector. Quinn and Carlisle eloquently argue that farmers can break free from the vicious cycle of industrial agriculture, which often traps them in a costly struggle against chemical-resistant pests and degraded soil. Instead, they advocate for a shift towards local processing and distribution, which can breathe new life into rural communities and promote healthier food systems.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture, food security, and rural revitalization. Bob Quinn’s journey is a shining example of how embracing organic farming techniques can lead to economic success, environmental stewardship, and improved public health. “Grain by Grain” is a beacon of hope, proving that with dedication and innovation, we can cultivate a better future, one grain at a time.

Get it at…

📗 - Hard Copy -📗

Your Local Canadian Book Seller

Indigo

Amazon Canada

📱 - Digital - 📱

Kobo

Kindle

🎧 - Audio - 🎧

Audible

Libro.FM

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book! This was a suggestion from my wife, who thought it would help me understand some of the challenges with our food system today in a simple way. It did. You likely have some knowledge about how our tax payer dollars go to support a big agriculture and agri-chemical industry that is poisoning our food, air and soil while stripping our food of nutrients. This book provides an on-the-ground analysis of what it means for our small farmers who are trying to grow healthy crops, regenerate the soil, improve food nutrition, and improve human health.

It's not a book that tries to lecture about the evils of today's big farming. It is about Quinn's journey as a farmer and a scientist to do the things he wanted to do that were good for our world. I was struck by how Quinn simply asked questions and pushed for better answers throughout his career. I have been a slow convert to things like organic food because I thought of it as a luxury item. But that's not accurate. We have a system that systematically advantages the corporate entities who are growing mass produced crops with increasing amounts of pesticides. And as tax payers, we not only subsidize those businesses but we pay for all the negative externalities--the environmental cleanup, the decline in health and increase in disease. It's clear we need to overhaul the system, but until then, those of us who have the means should pay more to get local, organic food. It's critical to our future.

[Giselle Chollett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grain by Grain changed completely my perspective about the food industry. It made me reflect on what got us here, and what are the steps we can take to protect our future, from the economic perspective to the health, and even the environmental standpoint. Grain by Grain touches upon real issues like the fact that we are paying a high cost for “cheap food” with our medical bills, or the deadly consequences of using pesticides in our food. It is also a story about hard work and a great commitment to humanity. Bob Quinn has become an inspiration to me and I really hope his book helps to create a different chapter in our story.

[Sara White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating story that provides an in-depth dive into the truth about our food system. "Grain by Grain" introduces powerful perspectives that challenge modern-day agricultural norms, emphasizing the necessity for farmers to adapt both regenerative and organic practices, and exposing the deadly truth about pesticide-use.

Reading about Bob Quinn’s journeys, discoveries, and impacts will unlock a plethora of wisdom to be passed down for many generations to come. It is through his guidance and expert knowledge that we can begin to reshape the state of America’s broken food system. This book is an absolute must-read, not only for environmentalists and farmers, but for the everyday consumer.

[Jeroen WATTE · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting take on the US food system. A life-time experience of changing the food system, from a local, eco and fair perspective. A journey full of compromises, pragmatic choices, valuable new insights, a visionary grappling with reality but always with a positive and scientific outlook. Especially the rat study that sheds light on how to assess bread beyond the 'bread belly' level. It's more than just (micro)nutrient levels: it's how the body system reacts to comlex whole foods, which are more than just the sum of its compounds. Does ancient wheat variety sourdough bread cause inflammation, or quite the contrary?

[Eric]

Quinn's bio is a one-person guide to the change in consciousness about food, global agro-chemical-finance's monstrous effects on farmers, eaters, and our society; he was converted to organic farming, heritage seeds and strains, and boosting rural and local economies. He's a PhD from UC Davis who was disgusted at how his field of biochemistry was being used in agrobusiness. He's also a third generation Montana wheat farmer who applied his change in consciousness and his education to strengthen his family heritage, his hometown and local economies, and build an international association of small businesses outside the global corporate nexus.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for every farmer and every eater. Bob Quinn covers a tremendous amount of ground as he explains why organic farming is our best hope for improving the environment, the economy, and our health. This is well-researched, but instead of sounding like a textbook, it’s a page turner (largely due to Carlisle’s contribution, perhaps). Rather than focusing exclusively on the problem (agribusiness and multinational corporations’ focus on profit and yield), Quinn offers so much hope for the future. His life‘s work is a beautiful combination of theory and practice. He doesn’t merely “tell”; he shows.

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grain by Grain, by Bob Quinn, was one of the most amazing books I have read in a while. He broke down farming while taking it to a whole new level. This book changed my overall perspective of the food industry and how it needs a change. He covered numerous topics ranging from foods medicinal capabilities to how our daily choices will impact the food system forever. It was interesting to read how these choices have a direct correlation to higher medical bills. This book was truly inspirational and has the potential to change a generation's mindset.

[Charlotte Wanberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This memoir lays out the natural journey of a man who finds his path to Organic farming. Bob Quinn lays out the difference between commodity-based farming that uses the land, and contrasts the practice with regenerative farming practices which give to the land. While Quinn is obviously a mover and a shaker, and a man of great ambition and intellect, his journey seems honest and natural. Sharing his experience may remind us all what is possible, and just how interconnected we are to our soil, our food, and to each other.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book may be even better than Carlisle's first, Lentil Underground. A personal story of farmers taking charge, working with others, to make a new food system that is good for farms, the Earth and all people. All this talk of rural-urban divide.. Let's use our biggest rural assets - land and people - to connect rural And city folks to their food again. I've started eating Kamut wheat. Thank you Bob Quinn for sharing your story.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grain by Grain is the best book that I've read this year! It was a profound, enjoyable, interesting reading experience. The striving to better all of us with healthy food grown using sustainable, regenerative, organic growing methods on dry land farms without irrigation or pesticides or nitrogen from agri-business suppliers was an eye-opening journey. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience!

[Caelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read delving into a little of America’s food system. I wanted to learn more about Kamut, but didn’t realize I’d come away knowing more of regenerative farming, food nutrition, farming careers, and health. Everything I read resonates completely with how I feel food should be grown, processed, and sold. Truly eye opening facts from an experienced farmer who uses science to show that nature really does provide best when let alone to do its thing.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I want to know so much more. I want to meet him and pick his brain, or at least find more people who have similar ideas and want to do that work. I don't think that the problem is grain...or gluten...it is bigger than that. And we can do something about it, if we are intentional and looking at a holistic system instead of shareholder profits and food as commodity.

[John Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a pleasant surprise. Blew a lot of stereotypes of western ranchers that I confess I had. Bob Quinn tells a wonderful story of moving from traditional industrial farming that wasn’t working for his family on many levels to organic farming with ancient grains. Clear and generous values shine through. I thoroughly enjoyed and profited from this book.

[Shirley Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear, comprehensive account of why our current food production model is so broken. Bob Quinn, with the assistance of co-author Liz Carlisle, leads us through the story of his family’s traditional wheat farm in Montana and how he transformed it not only into an organic growing operation, but an economic support to his rural neighbors.

[James Easterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is one book that could address most of our current problems in a very positive way if it’s wisdom caught up with public awareness, it would be this book. It’s not just about wheat. If there is one person who should be exemplified as a valued whole citizen, it is this farmer/scientist. The man know his stuff and the path to take. Awesome book!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! Captivating, educational, encouraging, and thought provoking. This would be a really good book to introduce a traditional farmer to the reasoning behind organic or regenerative farming. A little science, a little politics, a little health and nutrition all wrapped up in Bob Quinn's life story.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uplifting story of community building and mutual respect through the lens of a rural America farmer as he pioneered good quality organic food to push back against the Monsanto/agribusiness "race to the bottom" tactics that have made Americans significantly less healthy. Perhaps there is some hope yet...