Matthew Ingram will launch his book The Garden at the Beacon on 5 June.

Book launch to unearth the untold story of the counterculture’s farming revolution

Author Matthew Ingram will be discussing his new book The Garden: Visionary Growers and Farmers of the Counterculture at The Beacon on Thursday 5 June.

Published by Repeater Books, the launch at The Beacon will feature a special introduction from local organic food pioneer Craig Sams.

Digging deep into the roots of today’s sustainable agriculture movement, The Garden: Visionary Growers and Farmers of the Counterculture (2025) is a vivid exploration of the 1970s back-to-the-land movement and the radical farmers who redefined how we grow and eat today.

Ingram, who also runs the cultural farming website SickVeg.com, spent years interviewing first-generation organic pioneers, many of whom had no traditional ties to farming but who were driven by a deep desire to reconnect with nature and work the soil.

The Garden covers:

Countercultural Roots: A compelling chronicle of a generation shaped by psychedelics, Eastern philosophy, and responses to Vietnam, the Oil Crisis, and ecological threats like DDT, leading to a grassroots agricultural awakening.

A Deep Dive into Influence: Insights into movements such as Permaculture, radical ecology, and biodynamic farming, and the teachings of thinkers like Rudolf Steiner that profoundly influenced 1970s communities.

Legacy in Modern Agriculture: Through interviews and historical analysis, the book shows how these outsider growers laid the groundwork for today’s organic and sustainable food systems.

A Message for the 2020s: As climate change and ecological crises intensify, The Garden highlights the relevance of these visionary practices and the continued inspiration they offer for rethinking food, farming, and our relationship to the planet.

The Garden is a must-read for anyone interested in environmental history, organic farming, or the cultural legacy of the 1970s. With captivating storytelling and rigorous research, Ingram gives voice to the legendary growers who, driven by idealism and necessity, sowed the seeds of change—and never stopped.

Matthew Ingram with The Garden. Photo: Repeater Books

Matthew Ingram is a writer and filmmaker. His previous book Retreat was lauded for its insightful look at how the 1960s counterculture helped shape the wellness industry.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says: “The idea of gardening and farming as acts of revolution and dissent may be unfamiliar to many of us, so it’s great to have Matthew Ingram’s brilliantly readable book celebrating the unexpected ways that individuals, communities, and movements have, simply by growing their own food, found green-fingered ways to stick it to the man.”

Book launch: Thursday 5 June, 6–8pm
The Beacon, 67–68 St Mary’s Terrace  TN34 3LS
Free to attend, The Beacon bar and gardens will be open to enjoy before and after the talk

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