Webinar Recap:
1. How a Healthy Soil Foodweb Functions-
Elaine went into the science of how your soil biology truly functions. How the organisms in the soil interact to unlock nutrients, and provide it to your plants. She revealed that there are no
deficiencies of minerals in the soil, but what is missing is the right soil organisms that can access these minerals, and make them plant available. She also showed how biology helps succession in your soil, moving your landscape from bare ground to a rich biome.
2. How Conventional Agriculture Has Led to Our Most Extreme Soil Problems-
Elaine went into the story of Agriculture, starting from the very beginning of
Civilization. She showed that the tilling practices that started in the Fertile Crescent degraded the soil over hundreds of years. The fertilizers that were applied over generations created salt buildups that further degraded the land. Plowing also compacted the soil, stunting plant roots near the ground surface. These problems were exacerbated exponentially with the advent of mechanized tractors, synthetic fertilizers....and the global spread of herbicides
and pesticides during the Green Revolution.
3. The Solutions to Common and Extreme Soil Problems-
Compaction, weeds, pests, pesticide contamination,
plant diseases, low plant quality. Even though these problems are pervasive, it's possible to reverse these problems by restoring soil biology with compost and compost teas. Elaine went one by one, showing how each of these problems could be fixed with the right soil biology treatments.
4. New Case Studies For Biological Land Restoration-
Elaine shared 3 amazing new case studies for extreme land restoration, ranging from a backyard flower garden to a 5,000 hectare tomato farm. She showed how
optimized biology was able to actually eliminate the need for crop rotation, and increase the yields and frequency of growing without soil degradation or chemicals. The true centerpiece was the case study by Elaine's student Todd Harrington, who restored a 147 acre, bare concrete park in New York Harbor into a thriving, mixed biome park...in under 2 years.
Definitely check this presentation out, because it will inspire you to get out there, make compost, and restore your land.
