• About the various groups of microorganisms that make up a fullyfunctional 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 supernutritious fruits and vegetables.
• That there is an abundance of nutrients locked-away in the crystalline structure of the mineral particles that makeup 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 June, 2024 offer you pay $3,950 and you get lots more 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.

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

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.

Students typically need to make at least 6 compost piles before they can achieve the required standards for passing the compost practicum. If you have the resources, you can make multiple piles, with varying recipes, simultaneously, to save time. Each pile will require up to 28 days to complete, once built. A reasonable time-frame for the compost practicum is 3-12 months. Some students may take longer.

The amount of time required depends on your other commitments. Students are expected to complete the Consultant Training Program within 2 years. The maximum allowable time for completion is 3 years after which your enrollment will expire. This policy is designed to help students to remain focused and motivated. You can of course apply for an extension if there are extenuating circumstances. Below is a breakdown of the time needed to complete each stage of the Consultant Training Program:

Consultant Training Program Stage 1 – The BioCompleteTM Compost Practicum

Students typically need to make at least 6 compost piles before they can achieve the required standards for passing the compost practicum. If you have the resources, you can make multiple piles, with varying recipes, simultaneously, to save time. Each pile will require up to 28 days to complete, once built. A reasonable time-frame for the compost practicum is 3-12 months. Some students may take longer.

Consultant Training Program Stage 2 – The BioCompleteTM Liquid Practicum

Students can expect to complete Stage 2 within 3 months, or less if they are well prepared and focused.

Consultant Training Program Stage 3 – The Final Project

The duration of the Final Project should be around one growing season +/-1 month. You should allow some time prior to the growing season for preparation; several hours per month, during the growing season, for data collection; and several days of work at the end of the growing season for data analysis and the write-up of your project.

To become a Certified Soil Food Web Consultant, you must first successfully complete the Foundation Courses with at least a 90% average (if you score less than 90% then you may still be considered for entry, but entry is not guaranteed) and then successfully complete all 3 stages of the Consultant Training Program (CTP).

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

You will need to purchase several pieces of equipment in order to complete each stage. The precise budget will depend on the size of your final project. Your mentor will be able to advise you on equipment selection. The minimum requirements are likely to cost around $1,000.

There are several possibilities: you may be offered employment by one of the organizations that is associated with Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web School; you may decide to offer your services to farmers in the area where you live, establishing your own business; the Soil Food Web School is often approached by farmers looking for a referral to a consultant and we refer these farmers to the Consultants Page on our website, where certified Soil Food Web Consultants are listed.

This is not currently possible, but we do hold 2-week intensive workshops designed to help you get a head-start on all the practical aspects of this training. 

Yes it is. Consultant Training Program students are required to complete the Certified Lab-Tech Program in Stage 1 of the Consultant Training Program. Click here for more info.

No. To become a Consultant, you will need to enroll in and successfully complete Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the Consultant Training Program as well. You will become a Certified Lab-Tech after completing Stage 1 of the Consultant Training Program, provided you pass all portions of the Microscope Proficiency Assessment. You will also be qualified to make biologically active compost after successful completion of Stage 1.

The term BioComplete^TM is used to refer to compost and liquid amendments that meet the minimum biological requirements defined by Dr Elaine Ingham as being required in order for the amendment to be effective in restoring the soil biome, when correctly applied. You will be trained how to make these amendments in the Consultant Training Program.

As this is a trademarked term, protected under copyright law, it can only be used with written permission of the Soil Food Web School.

The late Graham Bell was an internationally respected teacher, author and lecturer in Permaculture and other aligned disciplines over the last thirty years. He was the first person in Britain to be awarded the Diploma in Permaculture by Bill Mollison personally, in 1990. His home in the Scottish Borders with his wife Nancy boasts the longest-standing intentional food forest garden in Britain. Over a thousand visitors a year (in previous times) attest to the amazing productivity of this space.
Course Themes

• What is Permaculture?
• 12 Principles of Permaculture
• Three ethics: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Shares
• Importance of Observation
• Design Sequences
• Why do trees matter and how do they work?
• The Answer Lies in the Soil
• Cycles of Intervention
• Zones, Sectors and Throughputs

What’s Included

• 18 Lectures and Quizzes
• Downloadable Course Materials
• Certificate of Completion

Yes, the course includes 18 pre-recorded lectures and quizzes delivered entirely online. You can login any time you like, watch the lectures as many times as you wish and then take the short, multiple-choice quiz. 

Yes, you can access and view the lectures and take the quizzes at your own pace. Students typically require about 40 hours in order to complete the IPC at a reasonable pace. We expect that a student can complete the IPC in 1 week, if studying full-time. You will have access to the IPC content for as long as we maintain the program.

You can start as soon as you sign up.

• In this program, you’ll learn about some of the principles of permaculture and how they can be applied to the land, to water management and to most aspects of life. Course themes include:
  • What is Permaculture?
  • 12 Principles of Permaculture
  • Three ethics: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Shares
  • Importance of Observation
  • Design Sequences
  • Why do trees matter and how do they work?
  • The Answer Lies in the Soil
  • Cycles of Intervention
  • Zones, Sectors, and Throughputs

There are 18 lectures. Each lesson is a lecture delivered by Graham Bell with a PowerPoint presentation, with interspersed contributions from other Permaculturalists from various parts of the world. The PowerPoints will be available to download as PDFs. Each lesson is followed by a short quiz to help you track your comprehension.

No. Sadly Graham Bell passed away in 2023. Other instructors will address your questions in the dedicated forum.

$299 as a free-standing course, but it’s free with the June 2024 promotional bundle. 

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

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.
• 5 weekly sessions each lasting 2.5 hours.

Yes.

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. Click here to download a full class description.

There are 5 sessions, each 2.5 hours long.

$300 as a standalone workshop, but it’s free with the June 2024 promotional bundle. 

• The workshop is a 5-week event (once per week for 5 weeks) and is scheduled for the following 5 dates: July 22, 29, August 5, 12, and 19, 2024.
• There will be 2 sessions per day, to suit people in different time zones. The morning session will run from 10:00-12:30 and the afternoon session will run from 17:00-19:30 Eastern time. Students can only attend one session per day.
• 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.