153. Dr. Elaine Ingham on Maintaining the Life Within our Soils

Do you know all the ins and outs when it comes to keeping your farm’s foundation primed to thrive? Today, we are delighted to host Dr. Elaine Ingham on the Thriving Farmer Podcast. Dr. Ingham is an American microbiologist and soil biology researcher. She’s also the Founder of Soil Foodweb Inc. The mission of Soil Foodweb Inc is to empower individuals and organizations to regenerate the soils in their communities. 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. If you feel your farm’s soil has room for improvement, this episode is absolutely crucial!   You’ll hear: What made Dr. Elaine passionate about soil 1:49 How farmers have handled smaller crops using Dr. Elaine’s systems 9:55 What Dr. Elaine has found to be the optimal method for applying compost 14:51 What Dr. Elaine recommends to newer farmers beginning with their compost 23:06 If Dr. Elaine recommends inoculating the new compost pile with the previous one 36:43 The difference between compost tea and compost extract 38:1 Dr. Elaine’s source for nematodes 43:03 About the long term impacts on a farm when proper care is given to the soil 46:23 How Dr. Elaine delineates the differences between soil grown and hydroponic food 1.04:03 Dr. Elaine’s stance on the efficacy of soil repair 1.09:24 What Dr. Elaine’s educational courses offer and who the target audience is 1.12:52   About the Guest:Dr. Ingham uncovered the Soil Food Web nearly 4 decades ago and has been pioneering research about Soil Food Web ever since. Widely recognized as the world’s foremost soil biologist, she’s passionate about empowering ordinary people to bring the soils in their communities back to life. Dr Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web Approach has been used to successfully restore the ecological functions of soils on more than five million acres of farmland all over the world. Resources: Website - https://www.soilfoodweb.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OfficialpageSFWcourses/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dr.elaines.soil.foodweb.school/