Rebel or Just Paying Attention? Farmer Scott Park Questions Everything

What happens when a farmer stops doing things the way they've always been done and starts asking whether there's a better way?

Scott Park began farming in California in 1974 with a degree in political theory, almost no agricultural training, and plenty to learn. More than five decades later, he's built a large-scale farming operation by questioning conventional wisdom, experimenting, paying attention, and learning to work with nature rather than against it.

His new book, Growing Rogue: The Adventures of Changing How I Farm, draws on 53 years of meticulous daily records and a lifetime of trial, error, observation, and discovery.

In this conversation, Scott and Dana explore the tension between maximizing yields and maximizing profits, why healthy soil can be a farmer's greatest ally, and what happens when agricultural advice overlooks the value of firsthand experience. They discuss cover crops, water retention, technology, the economics of changing farming practices, and the importance of thinking beyond a single growing season.

Scott also makes a compelling case for why there is no universal recipe for farming well. What works on his California farm may not work somewhere else, but the underlying principles of observation, experimentation, adaptability, and long-term thinking can travel.

This is a conversation about farming, but it's also about questioning assumptions, embracing imperfect progress, and having the courage to try something different.

Scott's book: Growing Rogue: The Adventures of Changing How I Farm, published by Chelsea Green on September 29.

Get involved: For Farmers Movement connects farmers and eaters through stories, grants, wish lists, and simple ways to support the people who grow our food. Visit forfarmersmovement.com .

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