Bringing our Community’s Soils Back to Life: The Soil Food Web with Dr. Elaine Ingham

Join us for an engaging discussion featuring  Dr. Elaine Ingham, a renowned soil microbiologist and founder of Soil Food Web.  Dr. Ingham will share her insights about the fascinating world beneath our feet and the community of healthy soil ecosystems. She will discuss the vital role that microorganisms play in maintaining soil health and how they can dramatically impact plant growth, nutrient cycles, and overall ecosystem resilience.

Dr. Ingham's extensive experience and pioneering research make her an expert in understanding how we can collaborate with the power of the soil food web to improve soil health and promote regenerative practices. Whether you're a gardener, farmer, or simply a Nature enthusiast, this discussion will provide practical insights into how you can support soil health in your own backyard or community. Topics will include composting, natural soil amendments, and methods to enhance microbial diversity for a thriving garden or farm.

This interview is an inspiring and educational experience for everyone interested in nurturing the life beneath our feet.

Dr. Elaine Ingham serves as the Soil Food Web School's Founder, Principal Ambassador, and Science and Research Advisor. 

Dr. Ingham has advanced our knowledge about the soil food web for over 4 decades. Widely recognized as the world’s foremost soil biologist, she’s passionate about empowering ordinary people to bring the soils in their community back to life.

Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web Approach has been used to successfully restore the ecological functions of soils on six continents. The courses offered by Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web School have been designed for people with no relevant experience – making them accessible to individuals who wish to retrain and to begin a meaningful and impactful career in an area that will help to secure the survival of humans and other species.

Dr. Ingham began her college career at St. Olaf College, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts. She earned her Master of Science in Marine Biology from Texas A&M and her Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from Colorado State in 1981. From there, she completed her post-doc at the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology before serving as an Instructor and later an Associate Professor for many years at Oregon State University. During her travels, she served as the first President of the Soil Ecology Society, the Program Director for the Ecological Society of America, and a member of the American Society of Microbiology.

In 2019 she teamed up with Luke Louka and created The Soil Food Web School (SFWS). While she was satisfied with an LMS-based instructional approach to begin with, she has been an advocate for being in contact with students. Even though the school has grown to over 3,000 students in three short years, Dr. Ingham still responds personally to email requests, student forum questions, and course content creation. Using technology to its fullest, Dr. Ingham hosts global webinars and conferences with some of the world's premier experts in soil science and does so for free both for students and the general global audience to help bring awareness of the gifts possible through farming without the use of pesticides and inorganic chemicals. 

Dr. Ingham also opened Soil Foodweb Incorporated in 2020 to serve as her research and consultation company, where people can reach out to hire Dr. Elaine and her research team directly. To reach out, visit soilfoodwebinc.com or email [e-mail]

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