Opening a closed economy to trade can lead to greater trade and the emergence of a market economy. Sowing Market Reforms examines the assumptions of liberal economic theory and assesses the impact that increased trade has had on the Russian agrarian sector. Crumley argues that Russian agricultural producers are not simply homo economicus responding to price signals, but rather they are economic actors influenced by institutional, financial, and legal obstacles as well as political culture. By examining a sector of the economy that was exposed to increased imports more than four decades ago, Crumley illuminates the economic pressures, resistance, and reform that help to shape Russia's agrarian sector today.