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Product Description Regenerative practices for the farm, garden, orchard, forest, and landscape Mycorrhizal fungi have been waiting a long time for people to recognize just how important they are to the making of dynamic soils. These microscopic organisms partner with the root systems of approximately 95 percent of the plants on Earth, and they sequester carbon in much more meaningful ways than human “carbon offsets” will ever achieve. Pick up a handful of old-growth forest soil and you are holding 26 miles of threadlike fungal mycelia, if it could be stretched it out in a straight line. Most of these soil fungi are mycorrhizal, supporting plant health in elegant and sophisticated ways. The boost to green immune function in plants and community-wide networking turns out to be the true basis of ecosystem resiliency. A profound intelligence exists in the underground nutrient exchange between fungi and plant roots, which in turn determines the nutrient density of the foods we grow and eat. Exploring the science of symbiotic fungi in layman’s terms, holistic farmer Michael Phillips (author of The Holistic Orchard and The Apple Grower) sets the stage for practical applications across the landscape. The real impetus behind no-till farming, gardening with mulches, cover cropping, digging with broadforks, shallow cultivation, forest-edge orcharding, and everything related to permaculture is to help the plants and fungi to prosper . . . which means we prosper as well. Building soil structure and fertility that lasts for ages results only once we comprehend the nondisturbance principle. As the author says, “What a grower understands, a grower will do.” Mycorrhizal Planet abounds with insights into “fungal consciousness” and offers practical, regenerative techniques that are pertinent to gardeners, landscapers, orchardists, foresters, and farmers. Michael’s fungal acumen will resonate with everyone who is fascinated with the unseen workings of nature and concerned about maintaining and restoring the health of our soils, our climate, and the quality of life on Earth for generations to come. Review Publishers Weekly- "Phillips, the inimitable author of The Apple Grower (2005) and The Holistic Orchard (2011), once again charms and instructs with an in-depth philosophical and practical exploration of fungi. Branching off from Paul Stamets’s Mycelium Running, Phillips focuses on fungi’s intimate relations with the plant community, revealing their essential roles in botanical and soil health and how we can nurture them for our benefit and that of the entire biosphere. The book includes extensive and specific information about the science of fungi and their symbiosis with plants; nurturing and propagating fungal networks and functions; minimizing soil disturbance in gardens, forests, farms, and orchards to build soil, capture carbon, and assist mycelial integrity and relationships; and gathering and growing edible mushrooms. In refreshing contrast to the pared-down utilitarianism of many books in the genre, Phillips’s poetic, conversational, rambling, humorous writing encourages readers to settle in for a thoughtful read. Organic, biodynamic, and permaculture practitioners will value this book, but Phillips writes for a general readership too.” “Mycorrhizal Planet isn’t just a book about wild-running fungi. It covers in great detail all the benefits, scientific research, and technical information known about mycorrhizae. It also outlines methods of how to manage soils with the use of organic fertilizers, crops grown, and proper tillage to get the biology to flourish―including mycorrhizae. Because if a grower knows why, he or she will teach themselves how.”--Gary Zimmer, founder, Midwestern BioAg; author of The Biological Farmer “The world desperately needs the information in Mycorrhizal Planet! I am so glad Michael Phillips wrote this book. His approach is creative, inspired, and down-to-earth. A worthy effort with many useful practi