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Brooks focuses on farmland protection, land access, heirs’ property, and related issues. He works on various scales — from national to local — and puts special emphasis on efforts in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. He earned his master’s degree at Yale School of the Environment, where his research focused on understanding small and midsized farmers’ environmental stewardship in the face of adversity.

Brooks is the author of Love for the Land: Lessons from Farmers Who Persist in Place (Yale Univ. Press, 2023). The book explores farmers’ commitments and connections to place through in-depth interviews, historical context, and other methods. Brooks also wrote Overton Park: A People’s History (Univ. of Tennessee Press, 2019), which tells the story of Memphis’s most beloved public space. He continues to publish essays, articles, and op-eds as well, particularly on topics related to agriculture, environmentalism, and community.

Brooks grew up on a small farm in rural Tennessee. His family and the farm have helped him cultivate a strong work ethic, an understanding of hope, and a commitment to community.