Healthy Foodwebs, Healthy Soils – a workshop with Dr. Elaine Ingham
Our friends at the Center for Sustainability at Cal Poly are hosting a one-of-a-kind workshop on Friday, April 21 from 9-5 at the Inn at Morro Bay featuring Dr. Elaine Ingham, the world’s most renowned investigator of soil foodweb dynamics. The soil foodweb is comprised of an incredible array of organisms that range in size from tiny one-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa, to more complex nematodes and micro-arthropods, to the visible earthworms, insects, small vertebrates and plants. As these organisms eat, grow and move through the soil, they help clean water and air, and release nutrients for healthy plants. Understanding who they are and how they work together enables farmers and gardeners alike to harness their power for more environmentally-sound and economical management of a wide range of agro-ecosystems.
Workshop topics will include soil foodweb principles, soil organism identification, how to make aerobic compost/humus to enhance soil life, making and applying biological extracts and teas, and case studies in improving soil ecosystems. Participants will gain a fundamental understanding of the way soil biology drives plant nutrition and promotes agricultural health.
Dr. Elaine Ingham is currently Founder and President and Director of Research for Soil Foodweb Inc., a business that grew out of her Oregon State University research program in soil ecology. Since 2014, Dr. Ingham has been the Managing Scientist at Environment Celebration Institute in Berry Creek, California, a non-profit research facility focusing on scientific experiments assessing the impact of soil biology on plant production.
Early bird price for the full-day workshop is: $65 and includes lunch. Early bird registration ends March 31 (workshop cost is $95 starting April 1). Click here for more information and to register.