I am fortunate to spend the week of February 5^th
through the 11^th taking classes at the Sustainable Studies Institute
with Dr. Elaine Ingham. The institute is based in the heart of Oregon’s agricultural research center Corvallis, Oregon. Dr. Ingham is a global pioneer in the field
of soil biology and her research has lead to possibly the most advanced studies
and understanding of compost and compost tea in the world. Dr. Ingham has been
involved in chemistry and biological research for many years and brings a
wealth of experience and knowledge to bear on topics related to the
interactions of the soil biology with trees and plants, compost and compost
tea, the recuperation of marginal lands through an understanding of the soil
biology, and the suppression of pests and diseases though the use of activated
compost tea.

In this 6 day workshop there will be a three day discussion
to the soil food web, a day on composting, a day on compost tea technology, and
a day of microscope methods. I look forward to gaining the ability to begin to
make assessments of the biology of soil and compost with the use of my new
microscope. This will help me decided which organisms may need to be selected
for as we prepare a particular plot of land as I consult with groups and community
members in hopes of gaining a better understanding of the needs of the land.

I hope to come from the class with a deeper understanding of
the interactions within the soil and to find a way of maintaining the
consistent reliable production of food that does not rely on the petrochemical
industry’s inorganic fertilizers. In a limited petroleum and natural gas
situation the use of these fertilizers will be cost prohibitive, not to mention
inherently destructive of the environment. I believe that the ability to make
quality compost and provide information about compost teas will be invaluable
in a post-petroleum context. Finally, I expect to be able to understand better
the tea that I learned about in Ecuador
and demonstrated at the Energy Farm in Vancouver
BC in the month of October.

Check out the Sustainable Studies Institute and Soil Foodweb
Inc. here to learn more:

http://soilfoodweb.com/

http://www.sustainablestudies.org/