• About the various groups of microorganisms that make up a fully-functional soil ecosystem, and how their interactions result in a constant flow of nutrients being made available to plants and trees.
• How plants and trees control the army of microorganisms in their root zones. Plants feed specific groups of microorganisms in order to harvest the particular nutrients required at any given moment. This results in vibrant, healthy plants and in super-nutritious fruits and vegetables.
• That there is an abundance of nutrients locked away in the crystalline structure of the mineral particles that make-up all of the world’s soils – from the desert sands to prairies and forests, there is no soil on earth that is incapable of providing all the nutrients that plants require. The missing-link is the army of soil microorganisms that can access these nutrients and make them available to plants.
• How beneficial soil microorganisms prevent diseases and pests from attacking plants. By occupying infection sites all over the roots and all of the above-ground parts of the plant, beneficial microorganisms make it impossible for the ‘bad-guys’ to get access to the plant. In addition to this, beneficial microorganisms create aerobic conditions in which the ‘bad-guys’ (which are mostly anaerobes) cannot survive.
• That beneficial microorganisms build structure in the soil, thus preventing soil erosion whilst simultaneously improving water holding capacity, infiltration and oxygenation. Having structure in the soil enables roots to go much deeper into the ground, where they can access greater quantities of water and nutrients.
• About the way in which the presence of beneficial fungi results in diminished weed pressure. Have you ever noticed how there are very few weeds to be found in a forest?
• How introducing the Soil Food Web can drastically increase the ability of a soil to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere.
• The history of agriculture and how certain practices have resulted in the destruction of the soil food web in so many of the world’s soils.
• Basic plant physiology and biochemistry. The course covers the basics that are required in order for you to be able to fully understand the processes that are taking place in a living, functional soil.
• About how the soil food web has been reintroduced to over 5 million acres worldwide. You will review a number of case-studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the soil food web and how it can be implemented on projects of any scale, any crop and in any climate.
• How to make and apply BioComplete™ compost and liquids.
• About the different kinds of equipment you can use to make and apply the amendments you make.
• The farming practices that are harmful to soil biology and what farmers can do to avoid them.
• How to quantify the different organism groups in a soil, compost or liquid sample, using the compound microscope. This will enable you to measure results as they happen underground and before they happen above ground.

In Foundation Course 1 you will learn:

• About the damage that modern agriculture has done to soils all over the world.
• How Regenerative Agriculture is the soil-ution and how you can rapidly regenerate your soils with the Soil Food Web Approach.
• How the Soil Food Web Approach can be adopted on any scale and in almost any environment, with a multitude of crops.
• About the 4 major groups of Beneficial Microorganisms that are needed to restore ecosystem functions to your soil.
• How Beneficial Microbes work in harmony with your crops to nourish and protect them.
• How benefits such as increased yields, reduced erosion, reduced pest, disease and weed pressures etc. can be achieved.
• About several projects from around the world that Dr. Elaine Ingham has worked on personally.
• About some of the management practices you can adopt to ensure that the biology in your soils is not compromised.
• How soil structure is created by beneficial microbes, improving water infiltration in clay soils and better water retention in sandy soils. And how good structure enables plants and beneficial microbes to penetrate deep into the soil profile, improving plant health.
• How beneficial microbes access the abundance of nutrients stored in the parent material (think sand and clay particles) and how this is then made available to your plants.
• How plants influence the soil biome, by releasing sugary exudates that feed specific groups of beneficial microbes, in return for nutrients.
• How having a balanced soil biome can result in great benefits, such as Weed Suppression and Increased Carbon or Organic Matter content.

In Foundation Course 2 you will learn:

• About the different definitions of compost and why we consider it as a means of multiplying beneficial microbes instead of just a way of delivering nutrients to the soil.
• How to make your own Biological Compost, using Dr. Elaine’s close-control composting method that enables beneficial microbes to multiply rapidly, while suppressing detrimental microbes.
• Techniques that can be used to balance the biology in your compost, ensuring that the 4 main groups of microbes are present.
• How to apply Biological Compost to your soils so that beneficial microbes can interact with your plants in the root zone, offering nutrition and protection.
• About the various types of methods and equipment that can be used to produce Biological Compost, depending on scale. This includes vermicompost and hot-composting.

In Foundation Course 3 you will learn:

• How to produce Biological Extracts and Teas from your Biological Compost, using different types of equipment depending on the scale you are operating at.
• About the uses and application methods of Biological Extracts and Teas
• How to apply Biological Liquid Amendments to your soils using different equipment, depending on the scale of your project. And how you can use conventional spraying equipment with some minor modifications.

In Foundation Course 4 you will learn:

• How to correctly set-up and use a compound microscope.
• About the biological morphology of the 4 major groups of beneficial soil microorganisms.
• How to identify and quantify the key groups of beneficial microbes that all soils need in order to be fully functional, using the compound microscope. This will enable you to conduct your own soil biology assessments on-farm.
• How to process and interpret data.
• How to recognize microarthropods, algae, pollen and other objects in your soil.

Yes, the Foundation Courses are 100% online, theory-based courses. You will watch a series of lectures and take a short quiz after each one.

Yes, they are. You’ll be able to login at any time, watch a lecture as many times as you like, then prepare for the short multiple-choice quiz that follows each lecture.

You can start as soon as you sign up.

There are 63 lectures total in all four Foundation Courses. To see the full breakdown of the Foundation Courses and the lecture titles, please click here.

The regular price for the 4 courses is $5,000. With the January-February 2024 offer you pay $2,950, and you’ll get the all new Soil Food Web Essentials and the Soil Sponge Workshop for free.

Students typically require about 150 hours in order to complete the FC at a reasonable pace.

We expect that a student can complete the FC in 4 weeks, if studying full-time. The maximum time allowed to complete the FC is 12 months. You can apply for an extension if you need it.

Keisha and Casey Ernst came from backgrounds in Massage Therapy and Permaculture, and they now run a successful compost production business. Click here to watch their testimonial video.

Students wishing to pursue a career as a Soil Food Web Consultant will need to progress from the FC to the Consultant Training Program.

Some become Soil Food Web Consultants who help farmers, ranchers, and growers to transition away from using chemicals to a biological/regenerative farming technique. Others focus on producing great compost, which they then can sell to soil consultants or direct to farmers. And others become Soil Food Web Lab-Technicians who perform biological assessments for farmers and growers, or for Soil Food Web Consultants.

Video presentations, short quizzes, downloadable slide decks, and a student manual that shares many resources, including links to research papers, books, websites, and movies.

Yes, the course is delivered entirely online.

Yes, you can take the course at the best pace for you.

You can start as soon as you sign up.

The Soil Food Web School teaching team, including Dr. Elaine Ingham, Dr. Carla Ribeiro Machado e Portugal, Dr. Adam Cobb, and Loida Vasquez, present essential scientific and practical concepts of living soil. The team travels with you through presentations about the ecology and biology of soil, how to observe and support soil health, how to create and feed living soil, and how to take your understanding of soil life with you during the next steps of your learning journey.

The course includes 31 pre-recorded video presentations with about 6 hours of content.

$199 USD.

Students typically require about 10 hours to complete the SFWE at a reasonable pace.

The course has no official prerequisites; however, English language comprehension and a reliable internet connection will help you get the most out of the course.

The Soil Food Web Essentials course sparks inspiration to learn more about living soils, ecology, and biology, as well as regenerative gardening and farming. Next steps at the Soil Food Web School could include:

• Foundation Courses
• Introduction to Permaculture (IPC, revised and expanded Spring 2024)
• Permaculture Design Course (the IPC is a prerequisite for this course)
• Introduction to Ecosystem Restoration

Whatever your next steps are, we encourage you to go deeper with this uniquely meaningful, practical, and relevant learning journey. 

Didi Pershouse is the author of The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and the Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities and Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function. She teaches participatory workshops both in person and online, helping to show the nested relationships between soil health, human health, water cycles, and climate resiliency. She is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative and the Center for Sustainable Medicine, and a co-founder of the “Can we Rehydrate California?” Initiative. She is an independent trainer and curriculum developer for the UN-FAO Farmer Field School Program and the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming Initiative in India. She was one of five speakers at the United Nations-FAO World Soil Day in 2017.

Healthy soil is the fundamental infrastructure that makes life on land possible, but only when it is alive and functions like a sponge. A living “soil sponge” can soak up rain, store and filter water; and provide health, resilience, and thriving economies for the communities that grow from it.

Farmers and communities that create conditions for a soil sponge to grow experience interrelated benefits such as:

• Healthier crops, animals, and people
• Abundant clean water
• Cooler regional temperatures
• Reduction of wildfire risk
• Resilience to flood and drought
• Reduced erosion, dredging, and road repairs
• Higher farm profitability
• Prevention of algae blooms and dead zones
• Cleaner air
• Increased biodiversity
• Reduced conflicts over resources
• Improved local economies
• Putting atmospheric carbon to work creating landscapes that support all of life

Topics covered:

• Landscapes that Work for All of Life
• Collaborating with the Essential Workforce of Other Species
• Measuring Change for Long Term Success
• Money, Life, and Land
• Choosing Effective Intervention Points

Participants will gain:

• A working knowledge of whole systems landscape function
• An increased ability to evaluate land management decisions, practices, and policies
• Tools to create and lead soil health initiatives in your region
• A community of practice: deep discussions with people working towards similar aims

Participants will also have:

• A clear picture of soil’s central role in addressing current economic, social, and environmental pressures
• A scientific understanding of the living matrix of the soil carbon sponge, and its relationship to carbon, water, and nutrient cycles

What you’ll get with this workshop:

• Interactive peer learning environment
• Network with other students/farmers in the group setting 
• 3 weekly sessions each lasting ~4 hours

Yes.

No. This is a three-part, live online discussion workshop.

• Students can choose between Workshop A and Workshop B, held in March and April 2024, OR wait to be notified of the upcoming sessions, at dates yet to be determined.
• The Workshop A, Weekend Intensive takes place Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 29, 30, 31. Daily sessions will be held from 2 PM to 6 PM Eastern Standard Time (New York, USA).
• The Workshop B, Weekend Intensive takes place Friday, Saturday, Sunday April 12, 13, 14. Daily sessions will be held from 10 AM to 2 PM Eastern Daylight Time. (New York, USA).
• Students can only attend only one Workshop; they cannot attend both Workshop A and Workshop B.
• The workshops will be held on the Zoom platform. You will be sent the relevant link after registration.
• The entire workshop will be recorded so that if you miss a session, you can watch the replay and get caught up.

This is a three-part, live online discussion workshop.

• The workshops are weekend-long events held over three days. Sessions last ~4 hours and will be held daily for three consecutive days.
• Sessions are scheduled for the following dates March 29, 30, 31, and April 12, 13, and 14, 2024
• The sessions will be held on the Zoom platform. You will be sent the relevant link after registration.
• Sessions will be recorded, so if you miss a session, you can get caught-up.

Whether you are a farmer, a policymaker, a journalist, or an investor trying to make a change in the world, after taking this course you will see the potential of simple strategic land-management decisions to create the conditions for land to naturally regenerate its water-absorbing sponge-like structure and function.

There are 3 sessions per Workshop, each 4 hours long.

$300 as a standalone workshop, but it’s free with your purchase of the January-February promotional offer on the Level Up Your Soil Package.

• The workshop is a 3-day event (three daily sessions over a weekend) and is scheduled for the following 2 groups of dates: March 29, 30, 31, and April 12, 13, 14, 2024
• Students can choose between Workshop A and Workshop B, held in March and April 2024, OR wait to be notified of the upcoming sessions, at dates yet to be determined.
• The Workshop A, Weekend Intensive takes place Friday, Saturday, Sunday, March 29, 30, and 31. Daily sessions will be held from 2 PM to 6 PM Eastern Standard Time (New York, USA).
• The Workshop B, Weekend Intensive takes place Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 12, 13, and 14. Daily sessions will be held from 10 AM to 2 PM Eastern Daylight Time. (New York, USA).
• Sessions will be recorded, so if you miss a session you can get caught up.
• The sessions will be held on the Zoom platform. You will be sent the relevant link after registration.

The courses are designed for people with no background in the field.

Whether you are a farmer, a policymaker, a journalist, or an investor trying to make a change in the world, after taking this course you will see the potential of simple strategic land-management decisions to create the conditions for land to naturally regenerate its water-absorbing sponge-like structure and function.