“When people are going biological, they are using permaculture. The two things go hand in hand.” 

- Dr. Elaine Ingham 

Learn from Nature and explore regenerative design from diverse perspectives.

Visionary activist, author, and global leader Vandana Shiva joins Evan Buckman, Executive Director of the Soil Food Web Foundation, for a powerful conversation on food sovereignty, climate resilience, seed protection, and the role of living soil in restoring healthy food systems.

Soil Food Web Scientists Dr. Carla Portugal and Dr. Adam Cobb share strategies for building fertile ecosystems through soil biology and permaculture design.

David Holmgren, co-originator of permaculture, offers practical guidance for redesigning suburban landscapes with water harvesting, soil building, gardening, and small animal systems.

Permaculture teachers Kavi Reddy and Delvin Solkinson host this interactive webinar series featuring instructors from the upcoming Soil Food Web Permaculture Design Certificate, a legacy of permaculture elder Graham Bell.

 

This webinar series is in celebration of our launch of an SFW Permaculture Design Certification Course. Check it out here: https://school.soilfoodweb.com/courses/permaculture-design-certification

For more than four decades, Dr. Elaine Ingham’s groundbreaking research has transformed how we understand soil—as a living, self-sustaining ecosystem at the heart of all life on Earth. Her work gave rise to the Soil Food Web, a framework that continues to guide farmers, scientists, and land stewards in restoring soil health, regenerating ecosystems, and growing nutrient-dense food.

The Soil Food Web – A Living Legacy webinar series celebrates Dr. Ingham’s extraordinary contributions and explores how her teachings live on through the work of her students and collaborators. Each session reveals a different facet of this legacy—from the science that started a global movement to the innovative applications shaping the future of ecological regeneration.

Join us for a two-part webinar series featuring Nicolas Netien, world-renowned regenerative agriculturalist and producer of the world’s most most potent Olive Oil. His new health supplement, Oleaphen, will soon be available around the world on a monthly subscription.

Nicolas holds the world record for polyphenol content in olive oil—over 4,800 ppm—and credits part of his success to the composting method developed by Dr. Elaine Ingham.

In this exclusive series, you’ll hear how soil biology, regenerative practices, and cutting-edge nutritional science converge to produce one of the most potent health supplements on the planet.

🎙️ Featuring:

• Nicolas Netien – Knighted by the Republic of France for his agricultural achievements
• Special Guest: Tassos Kyriakides, Yale University Assistant Professor – Expert in the health benefits of polyphenols in olive oil and the Mediterranean diet.

🗓️ What You’ll Learn:

• How Dr Elaine’s composting method contributed to a world-record breaking olive oil
• The science behind polyphenols and their profound health benefits (Heart, Brain, Gut, Bones, Joints….)
• Why buying Olive Oil in a bottle results in the loss of ~40% of the polyphenols the first time you open the bottle (loose half before you finish that bottle), and why Oleaphen is using biodegradable pods made from seaweed, to seal in all the beneficial compounds.
• How soil health directly impacts the quality of human health!
• Whether you’re a health-conscious consumer, regenerative grower, or soil science enthusiast, this is a unique opportunity to learn from pioneers in both agriculture and human health.

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• Wildfires, flooding and other ‘natural’ disasters
• Food security and diminished nutrient density
• Continuous soil erosion and declining fertility
• Pollution of rivers and oceans resulting in decimated fish stocks

As part of our World Soil Day effort, we are inviting people from all over the world and from all walks of life to come together for this interactive Zoom event. 

You’ll get to meet a bunch of Soil Regeneration Professionals, including some of the people who are in our faculty here at the school. Dr Elaine Ingham will be there!

The event will feature a number of Zoom rooms, each with a different theme, where you can join any conversation you like, or just listen to what’s happening.

Our Webinar speakers can help you regenerate land and your livelihoods.

In this information-packed webinar series, you’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the Soil Food Web Consultants and Farmers who have trained with Dr. Elaine and who are out there reaping the benefits of working in harmony with nature. 

We’ll be introducing some new faces including UK farmer Nick Padwick, who has over 40 years experience on large scale operations, and Ib Borup from Denmark, who ran a pig farm for 20 years before he discovered Dr. Elaine’s work. Nick and Ib are both making a big impact in very different ways - scroll down to learn more.

We’ll also be hearing from Consultants Todd Harrington and Renald Flores, who’ll be updating us about their recent and past projects. There are some great success stories to be shared by these two!

You’ll have the opportunity to ask lots of questions about what life is like working with the soil food web, and about our new training programs at the school. If you are interested in starting your regenerative journey, please click here to learn about our October offer.   

Join our dynamic webinar series on soil regeneration, designed to inspire and empower everyone from home gardeners to large-scale farmers AND those looking for a new impactful career in the Soil Regeneration Movement!

If you're a homesteader, a permaculture enthusiast creating a food forest, a land manager, or a farmer working with thousands of acres, this series offers invaluable insights and practical techniques you can apply immediately. You’ll get to meet a panel of Soil Regeneration Professionals and ask them any questions you have about your soil and about launching a new career in this space.

You’ll discover the fascinating role of fungi and the entire soil food web in nurturing plants and enhancing their natural defenses. Learn how to implement permaculture and natural farming methods across various scales and projects. We'll also delve into the vital importance of cover crops in protecting and nourishing the soil microbiome.

This series is packed with valuable techniques and approaches that can be applied to a diversity of projects. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your soil health and boost your agricultural success. Register now and take the first step towards a more sustainable and productive future!

Engaging Communities & Mobilizing Action for Change

 

Discover proven approaches to restoring our planet's natural beauty and securing a brighter future for all life in our webinar series, Restoring Nature: Building a Sustainable Future. This webinar series is all about engaging communities & mobilizing action for change. Before we can sustain our future, we must first restore and regenerate Earth, healing our planet from the ground up. Get ready to be inspired as we unite two leading voices in ecosystem restoration: Andrew Millison and John D. Liu.

 

Andrew Millison will take center stage to illuminate how watershed restoration efforts are unfolding around the world. Nature's land divisions are the ridges, hills and mountains that delineate the drainage basins known as watersheds. For any large scale land restoration project to be successful, it needs to be placed within the context of the water flow and soil distribution of the watershed. Andrew Millison’s presentation will look at examples of successful large scale projects from around the world and how they interact with their watersheds.

 

Join us as John D. Liu reveals the power of community engagement for transforming degraded landscapes. Discover how ordinary people are making extraordinary strides towards a greener future through captivating tales and real-world examples.

You'll also have the opportunity to join the SFWS's first ever, 'Ask Me Anything' with Dr. Elaine Ingham!

A thriving soil microbiome is key to successful regenerative practices. In our new webinar series, we will be focusing on the measurable changes we can achieve when the Soil Food Web Approach is combined with permaculture and agroecology; this collaborative path leads to a more regenerative future in land management, community, and personal well-being! You will learn from world-renowned environmentalist, physicist, and author, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and Syntropic Agriculture founder, Ernst Gotsch; these two dedicated professionals focus on building more resilient, sustainable, and agriculturally productive communities and ecosystems. 

Embrace the future of agriculture and learn to revive your soil using biological soil management techniques! 

Join our FREE webinar series and gain valuable insights on how to nurture a thriving soil food web in your garden or on your farm. Regenerative principles and practices are essential to help address the most pressing challenges facing our species and our planet. Care for your soil, and it will care for you!

Discover a more regenerative tomorrow with our webinar series, Re-greening the Planet: Soil Innovations and Ecosystem Restoration. Dig into the fascinating world of the soil food web and discover the vital role it plays in rejuvenating diverse ecosystems. This series boasts an impressive lineup of ecological experts, trailblazers in regenerative land management, and global thought-leaders who are reshaping human interactions with the biosphere. Sign up today and let's sow the seeds of restoration together!

Join us for the FREE premiere of the Soil Food Web School’s first-ever mini-documentary! Learn about the journey of Roberto Silva-Rodriquez, Executive Director of Agropiura, a table-grape and banana operation in Peru. In 2017, over 300 inches of rain fell within 45 days, leaving Agropiura’s soils flooded and yields jeopardized. After this devastating event, Roberto explored methods to increase the resilience of their farming operation. His search led him to Soil Food Web Consultant, Miles Sorel of Terraforma.

 

Witness this incredible success story and learn how they improved soil health and farming operations, achieving a reported 200% increase in yields over just two growing seasons. Their new management approach involved cover crops, animal husbandry, and other exciting regenerative techniques.

 

In this captivating mini-documentary, we unveil the secrets behind Roberto and Miles’ success, highlighting their innovative approaches and biological soil management practices. Gain insights into their techniques and witness firsthand the incredible impact of soil ecology on agricultural systems.

 

Following the premiere, we invite you to a Q&A session with Roberto Silva-Rodriguez; Miles Sorel; the filmmaker, Ashley Terry; and Dr. Elaine Ingham. They will provide deeper insights into this success story and share their experiences documenting this engaging story.

 

Don't miss this unique opportunity to be inspired by Roberto and Miles’ remarkable achievements, gain knowledge from industry experts, and explore the fascinating intersection of regenerative agriculture, soil health, and farmer success. Secure your spot today and embark on this enlightening journey with us.

 

This webinar, Fungal Diversity in Tropical Ecosystems, will highlight Kennan Mighell’s research on mushroom diversity in some of our planet’s remote rainforests. Kennan will take us on a journey deep into the heart of the South American and the African wilderness, to a landscape bursting with diverse and colorful mushrooms, including many undescribed or long-forgotten species. 

Working closely with local indigenous people, Kennan and a team of researchers and guides are documenting hundreds of fungal types, many known only in these remote and spectacularly unique ecosystems. Kennan will introduce us to a few of the newest Amanita species to be documented by modern science. He will also discuss the dynamics of extended wilderness research expeditions and share stories and insights from his experiences with Earth's most ancient intact ecosystems and stunning cultures.

The webinar will be followed by a Q&A with Kennan, Dr. Elaine, Dr. Cobb, and Laura Campos.

• Meet the Farmers: Watch 2 amazing Case Studies presented by Farmers who are making the transition to regenerative ag.
• Meet the Microbes: Take a look under the microscope at some of the beneficial microorganisms that should be under your feet
• Meet the Soil Health Professionals who are out there supporting Farmers to make a smooth transition to Regenerative Ag.
• Learn what Healthy Soil is, how it functions and how it benefits the whole planet. You may also be inspired to join the movement!

Is your soil suffering? Are you applying more and more fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to maintain yields?

As you probably know, improving the health of your soil is the key to production and profit. Within 1 growing season, you can kickstart the development of better soil.

In this 4-part webinar series, we’ll be taking a deep dive into what soil health really is and how you can take immediate steps to rebuild the microbial community in your soil, so that mother nature can nurture and protect your plants.

We’ll also be looking at some success stories where you’ll be able to see what the transformation looks like once you focus on facilitating a thriving soil biome. You’ll be able to get your questions answered in the live Q&A sessions.

Join us in learning about the Ecosystem Restoration Camp SEKEM Wahat during the August 2022 Soil Food Web School Webinar. Camp SEKEM Wahat is a social innovation project that integrates ecological, economic, cultural, and community life to restore arid land in the Bahariya oasis of the Egyptian Western Desert. Camp SEKEM Wahat is part of The SEKEM Group, the umbrella initiative of a group of sustainability-minded companies and non-governmental organizations. 

 

Kseniia Popova, Sustainable Development Project Manager at The SEKEM Group, will speak during the webinar about how Camp SEKEM Wahat was founded and developed based on the SEKEM initiative’s vision. 

 

Currently, the camp’s restoration activities include:

• Tree planting

• Seed saving

• Compost making

• Regenerative gardening

• Water supply and retention

• Renewable energy

• Waste management

 

Other camp programs include:

• Child/adult education

• Adult vocational skills training

• First aid and integrative medicine

• Community building and governance

• Artistic activities such as photography, videography, and graphic design

 

Ashleigh Brown, Co-Founder and Education Coordinator of Ecosystem Restoration Camps, will also join the webinar panel. She will speak about the new partnership between the global Ecosystem Restoration Camps Foundation & The Soil Food Web School.

 

John D. Liu, creator of the Ecosystem Restoration Camps concept, and Dr. Elaine Ingham, Founder of The Soil Food Web School, will be there to answer your questions with our panelists.

For our June webinar, Dr. Elaine and the Soil Food Web School will welcome John D. Liu, Janel Luke, Bob Wilms, and Jonny Allen from Ecosystem Restoration Camps! Jonny will share the story behind the first urban Ecosystem Restoration Camp in Hollywood, California. Bob will share the story of a new camp being formed in Mendocino County, California, called the Land. Janel represents the Camp Fire Restoration Project in Paradise, California, and will share the story of devastation and regeneration through wildfire. The Ecosystem Restoration Camps (ERC) organization is a global, grassroots movement of people who work to create a more abundant earth. At camps around the globe, people repair broken ecosystems together and, in doing so, provide humanity with hope and a better future.

 

The BirdHouse is a community garden in Hollywood, serving as a hub of exchange for those attracted to caring for the land and people through arts and ecology. Through permaculture, systems thinking, medicinal plants, art, singing, science and storytelling, they aspire to a new story of interdependence, to restore shared wisdom, and to have fun doing it.

 

Bob Wilms is part of a community of city and suburban dwellers that came together to find a property that believed a return to the Land was an important component to the human experience. After 5 years on the property they learned that when you re-wild the land, cultivate your own soil, grow and prepare your own food, you are building your own value and ownership. They aim to aid in restoring the dignity of the marginalized, the cast out, the prison residents and the wild ones. Once reclaimed, people naturally find the desire to contribute their unique gifts to society. 

The Camp Fire Restoration Project is also “Camp Paradise,” the world’s first ecosystem restoration disaster response camp. They are located in Butte County, approximately 70 miles north of the California state capitol of Sacramento.

Speaker Bios:

 

John D. Liu: After 15 years as a Television Producer and Cameraman for CBS News, RAI and ZDF, John began to study ecology in the mid 1990s. John founded the Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP), he helped to create the China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Center (CESDRRC), and he helped create the China HIV/AIDS Information Center (CHAIN). Over the years he has produced, directed, written and presented numerous films. He is currently Ecosystem Ambassador for the Commonland Foundation and Visiting Research Fellow at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences (NIOO/KNAW).

Jonny Allen: “I have had the good fortune to work in many different crafts, from motorcycle mechanics to ceramics, and woodworking to community building, from cell animation to computer animation and 3D stereoscopics, from graphic arts to cinematography and motion control. I’ve directed special effects and documentary films about music and cultural transmission, and in the process I have had a family, played music, traveled, sailed, freight hopped and barged.

 

This is the life of a generalist, a jack of all trades. For better or worse I have never been able to specialize. But I find there is a role for a generalist as one with an overview and sometimes a vision. I am interested in creating the conditions where life can flourish. I am at the service of people and plants (and by extension all living things). I am driven by the idea that people can get along in any place by being aware of the complex network of human and nonhuman cycles. The BirdHouse is a place to hatch for those who flock. A space to hatch ideas and projects. A place to flock as do swarms of starlings, in a fashion that evokes our collective intelligence by working the strong suit of homo sapiens, cooperation and communication.”

 

Bob Wilms is the Executive Director of the Land, a 160-acre retreat center and ecosystem restoration camp in Northern California’s Anderson Valley. He also serves as the Director of The Unconditional Freedom Project’s Earth Program, which recently launched its Prison Botanical Sanctuary Program at Mendocino County Jail.

Janel Luke is Co-Chair of the Camp Fire Restoration Project (CFRP), the non-profit behind Eco-Camp Paradise, whose mission is to promote ecological stewardship through education, community action, and resource sharing. Their current ongoing projects include a community composting program (Paradise Community Compost) and a partnership with Chico TEK. Ms. Luke's professional background involves microbiology, with a focus on soil restoration and composting.

Dr. Elaine 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. Adam Cobb's passion for agriculture emerged during several months of volunteer work on organic farms in New Zealand. His time in graduate school cultivated a broad vision for the restoration of living soils, as well as the power of research and community engagement to address global food production challenges. After completing his PhD at Oklahoma State University, he spent five years as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and University Instructor. During that time, Adam authored / coauthored 20 research publications focused on agroecology and plant-microbial symbioses, particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. He taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses on global food security, restoration ecology, and environmental science. He joined Soil Food Web School in 2021, following his dream to help regenerate soils, improve human nutrition, and heal our planet.

Can a thriving soil food web reduce pathogen outbreaks and improve soil fertility? Yes! Join Dr. Elaine Ingham, Dr. Mary Cole and Graham Lancaster to learn how.

This powerhouse panel brings extensive knowledge and experience in soil biology and soil chemistry. They’ll be answering questions from the live audience. So please come prepared with your questions!

This webinar is an extension of the Soil Regen Summit 2022, so be sure to check out the summit presentations by our panelists here: soilregensummit.com. The speaker presentations will also be released on our YouTube channel over the next weeks. Subscribe to get notified of all our new video content! Watch Dr. Cole's SRS22 presentation here.

Dr. Mary Cole is a well-known academic, plant pathologist, and soil microbiologist. She is the Director & Principal Scientist of www.agpath.com.au.

Graham Lancaster is the founding director of the Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) at Southern Cross University, Lismore, Northern New South Wales, Australia, and now the senior manager of commercial and research services. EAL has been supporting sustainable farming for over 30 years and promoting all forms of soil management using the principles of biological, organic, and regenerative farming.

Dr. Elaine 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 communities back to life.

This webinar has been postponed. We are sorry for any inconvenience, and we will reschedule the webinar as soon as possible. 

Chris Trump of Natural Farming joins the Soil Food Web team to talk about an open-source biocontrol method you can use!

Chris will discuss the efficacy and potential use of wildcrafting predatory fungi for active control and passive suppression of beetle and grasshopper pests. This technique is a broad-spectrum, non-specific tool that can be employed to great effect by any farmer; even those with limited experience and/or resources can use this technique. Chris will talk about the trials his team has run with harvesting predatory indigenous fungi, and the efficacy of cultivating indigenous predatory fungi and applying it on agricultural land.

 

Chris Trump is the first person to use Korean Natural Farming (KNF) techniques on a large-scale farm. He is the creator of the latest version of liquid IMO (indigenous microorganisms) and he has refinded the KNF inputs and solutions so that they are incredibly effective.

Chris will be joined by Dr. Elaine Ingham and Brian Vagg for questions and discussion.

In this exciting 4-part, interactive webinar series we’ll look at the 4 major groups of microorganisms that are critical to a healthy soil ecosystem, how they can be sourced in your local area, multiplied and used to inoculate your soil. We’ll also take a look at some of the many benefits of having a healthy soil biome, which include: increased yields, reduced costs, and resiliency to drought and flooding. 

In webinar 3 we’ll be looking at a case study presented by farmers who’ve used this method to transition their own land (10,000 acres) and who then went on to set-up a second business, helping other farmers in their local area to transition to working with soil biology - the results are amazing. 

You’ll also get to meet a bunch of Soil Food Web Professionals who are out there helping farmers to make the transition. You can ask any questions you have about starting a new career in soil regeneration or how to transition your land, during the live Q&A sessions in each webinar.

Note: Replays of these webinars will be available on this page and on our YouTube channel after each live event.

Mycology experts Peter McCoy of MYCOLOGOS and Dr. Mary Cole of Agpath join the Soil Food Web School’s founder, Dr. Elaine Ingham, and Soil Food Web Mentor and Moderator, Dr. Adrienne Godschalx, to discuss the functions and benefits of fungi in the soil.

 

Peter McCoy - Peter McCoy is an author, researcher, and interdisciplinary educator advancing a variety of applied mycology fields. With nearly 20 years of experience working with fungi, Peter is widely regarded as a pioneer in areas of environmental regeneration utilizing fungi. His book, Radical Mycology, has helped spawn the mycocultural revolution.

 

Dr. Mary Cole - Dr. Mary Cole is a well-known academic, plant pathologist, and soil microbiologist who provides instruction and workshops/courses in biological non-chemical/sustainable agricultural farming practices to farmers, students, and consultants around the world. As an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne she supervises PhD students and her lab, Agpath P/L, provides summer vacation experience in soil microbiology and composting for graduates of Victorian and interstate universities.

Humanity's abuse of water and earth has created the cycles of flood, drought, and fire we are currently experiencing - we can solve these crises, but only if we change our relationship with vegetation, soil, and water.

Join Dr. Elaine Ingham of the Soil Food Web School, Zach Weiss of Elemental Ecosystems, and Ernst Götsch of Syntropic Farming as they discuss this expansive topic that affects so many of our lives.

About our Speakers: 

Ernst Götsch is a Swiss farmer and researcher working mostly in Brazil. He has originated a system of climate and biodiversity-friendly sustainable farming techniques known as Syntropic Farming or dynamic agroforestry.

Zach Weiss is a Watershed Restoration Practitioner. He is the protégé of revolutionary Austrian farmer Sepp Holzer. Zach is the first person to earn Holzer Practitioner certification directly from Sepp - through a rigorous two-year apprenticeship. His business Elemental Ecosystems provides an action-oriented process to improve clients' relationship with their landscape. He currently developing an online platform and community - Water Stories.

Dr. Elaine 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.

Our host, Dr. Adrienne Godschalx, has a deep love for plants, insects, and the chemical interactions between them. She is a Soil Food Web School Mentor and Researcher.

In this educational webinar, Dr. Elaine Ingham, Didi Pershouse, and Dan Kittredge will be discussing how healthy soils nurture and protect crops, ensuring that the food being grown is nutrient dense and able to foster health in humans.

This is an interesting subject that encompasses topics such as: the soil biome and the biome in the human gut, nutrient content, and much more!

We will be taking questions from the audience so please come prepared with your questions!

About our Panelists:

• Didi Pershouse is the founder of the Land and Leadership Initiative, and the author of two books: The Ecology of Care: Medicine, Agriculture, Money, and Quiet Power of Human and Microbial Communities, and Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function.
• Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association, an 11-year-old non-profit educational organization whose mission is to "increase quality in the food supply."
• Dr. Elaine Ingham is a pioneer in soil biology and the founder of the Soil Food Web School. 
• Our Host, Dr. Adrienne Godschalx, has a deep love for plants, insects, and the chemical interactions between them. She is a Soil Food Web School Mentor and Researcher. 

REGISTER NOW FOR THE REPLAY

 

Watch the webinar replay where Dr. Elaine Ingham and the panel discuss some of the challenges being faced by farmers around the world, as weather patterns continue to change.

 

Dr. Mary Cole is an Academic at Charles Sturt University, Monash University, and the University of Melbourne, Australia, and founder of Agpath P/L, working to provide agricultural pathology and biological farming services in Australia.

 

Colin Andrews is the Chair of Tiyeni, a UK-based charity, which has trained thousands of farmers in Africa to use the Deep Bed Farming method. 

 

Dr. Elaine Ingham is a pioneer in soil biology and the founder of the Soil Food Web School. You’ll learn about some of the steps you can take on your farm, to deal with the effects of a rapidly changing world.

 

The webinar is hosted by Dr. Adrienne Godschalx, who is a mentor at the Soil Food Web School.