Bob Quinn comes from a long line of farmers. He grew up believing his family’s 2,400-acre wheat and cattle ranch in Big Sandy, Montana, embodied successful American agriculture. But after four decades in the field—and a decade of scientific training before that—he says he now sees the nation’s farming systems differently.
“Almost all the agriculture that we have, the industrial agriculture, is going in a way that puts us on the road to destruction,” says Quinn. “It’s destroying our farms. It’s destroying our small communities. It’s destroying our environment. And most of all, it’s destroying our health.”
Quinn didn’t always feel this way. When he returned to the family farm in 1978 after studying plant biochemistry at the University of California, Davis, he says he didn’t plan to change anything. But the farm wasn’t profitable enough to support two families, so Quinn started selling wheat directly to whole-grain bakers in California to help make ends meet.
One day, Quinn’s largest buyer called to tell him that they loved his wheat, and they wanted some Certified Organic wheat of the same quality. Quinn agreed instantly, but he had little idea where to find such a crop.
“I thought what did I just promise? I didn’t even know any organic farmers, and I didn’t even believe in this stuff,” says Quinn. “But I didn’t want my prejudice to stand in the way of giving the customer what they wanted. I went looking for organic wheat, and I found some. But what I didn’t expect was that I found a whole new group of friends.”
Quinn was intrigued by what he learned about the Organic farmers’ work. He decided to experiment with Organic practices on his own farm. He grew alfalfa to fix nitrogen in his soil, rather than using artificial fertilizers, and he started crop rotations to boost soil health and resilience, reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides. The results were surprisingly successful: Quinn says his farm expenses decreased while his crop value increased.
“I could feel the soil under my feet growing softer as I walked over it…as the soil came back to life,” says Quinn.
He also began to understand how his crops impact not only soil health but also human health.
Quinn was working to introduce an ancient wheat variety, later known as Kamut, to the health food market. He gave a pasta sample to a family friend who typically couldn’t eat wheat. The next day, the friend told Quinn that she was able to eat it with no issues; it made her feel better. And her sister, who was highly sensitive to wheat and many other foods, later reported that after about four weeks of eating Quinn’s foods, she was able to eat other foods that she had previously been unable to.
“The grain was healing her body,” says Quinn. “And I was amazed…the research part of me jumped to life and said, ‘we got to figure out what’s going on.’”
Since then, Quinn’s team has supported 15 years of clinical trials involving people with chronic diseases, examining the health impact of modern versus ancient wheat varieties. They published 37 peer-reviewed journal articles and a book on the topic, finding that ancient wheat varieties present a range of health benefits including a “very high anti-inflammatory effect,” says Quinn. “It’s healing people.”
The evidence helped to solidify Quinn’s belief that agriculture should be centered on health.
“Food should be our medicine. And regenerative organic, minimally processed food is the best medicine,” says Quinn. “Farmers should be paid like pharmacists…when they can grow food that heals, they should be paid for that.”
Quinn recently donated 600 acres from the center of his farm to establish the Quinn Institute, a nonprofit center for regenerative organic research, education, and health. His mission is to heal the Earth by growing food as medicine, and he urges consumers to be part of the shift.
“When you go to the store, make good decisions. Buy Organic…avoid ultra-processed stuff,” says Quinn. “And support your local farmers.”
This article is part of Food Tank’s ongoing Farmer Friday series, produced in partnership with Niman Ranch, a champion for independent U.S. family farmers. The series highlights the stories of farmers working toward a more sustainable, equitable food system. Niman Ranch partners with over 500 small-scale U.S. family farmers and is committed to preserving rural agricultural communities and their way of life. Food Tank was proud to collaborate with Niman Ranch in lifting up family farmer stories, including Quinn’s, at Climate Week NYC: A Night of Storytelling Honoring Our Farmers. Watch his story and others on Food Tank’s YouTube channel.
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Photo courtesy of Bob Quinn
