The Living Roots: The Promise of Perennial Foods book will launch on March 3rd, 2026. Co-edited by author Liz Carlisle and Aubrey Streit Krug, Director of The Land Institute’s Perennial Cultures Lab, Living Roots makes the case for putting perennial foods at the center of our farms and our plates to add flavor and nutrients to our diets while reducing emissions and making our food system more resilient to climate change and economic uncertainty.

This book features contributions from several Land Institute scientists, perennial grain research partners, and members of the wider perennial agriculture network. It shares insights and perspectives from Indigenous scientists and community leaders working to restore buffalo prairies and the traditions of berry gathering; urban visionaries planting food forests; farmers planting fruit and nut trees between their crops and hedgerows at the edges of their fields; ranchers stewarding healthier grasslands by grazing livestock in patterns that mimic the behavior of native herbivores; and scientists and farmers who are developing perennial grains, including sorghum and silphium. Living Roots is a vital introduction to this burgeoning movement and an invaluable resource for sustainable farming advocates and everyone who cares about the future of food.