Webinar Recap:
1. Soil Foodweb Science- Elaine made important distinctions between what constitutes "dirt" which only has minerals, to "soil", which has aerobic organisms and organic matter necessary to rebuild life. If we are to rebuild our degraded soils, then we must repair the soil food web.
2. How to Monitor Soil Health- Elaine gave a case study of a property that was able to keep it's grass lush and green without water, while the surrounding neighbors lawns were dying from drought. This was accomplished by monitoring and adjusting the soil biology in the compost.
3. Dramatic Examples of Large Scale Soil Restoration- Elaine gave several brilliant examples of large ranches that were able to turn severely degraded paddocks into highly productive, optimal grasslands. She also gave examples of a Dairy that was able to turn its mounting waste problem into a compost
goldmine. Farmers that once were at the brink of losing it all were able to save their livelihoods by restoring their soil biology.
4. Ideal Composting Methods that Builds Soil and Overcomes Weeds- Some of the eye-opening examples of what compost can do were shown in two case studies of a grass-fed cattle ranch, and a converted conventional to organic farm in Australia. Severely degraded grass was turned around into healthy, nitrogen fixing paddocks that could be grazed several times in a month. In the organic farm's case, a compost tea treatment was made that suppressed weeds across the
board.
This was only a fraction of what Dr. Ingham talked about in the presentation, so I encourage you all to watch the replay while it's still available. It will be time well spent.
