Whether you’re growing in your backyard raised beds or advising farmers who care for thousand-acre farms, there’s a path for you. Choose from self-paced or group classes, online or in person. Every program is grounded in decades of research and practice and designed to deliver practical skills and insights.
Where it all began
Build your living soil foundational knowledge as we take you through the 4 foundational courses: Foundation Course 1: Introduction to the Soil Food Web Foundation Course 2: BioComplete™ Compost Foundation Course 3: BioComplete™ Liquid Amendments Foundation Course 4: Microscopy
From Curious to Consultant
Begin with all four of the foundation courses to gain the foundational knowledge needed to understand the role and importance of the soil food web, as well as why microscopy is the best analysis method when the goal is efficient identification and population counts for the main beneficial soil microbes in the soil food web. Then move on to gaining practical hands-on skills in all four of our Advanced programs.
Hone your skills
Seeing is believing, and when it comes to the regeneration of living soil, a microscope is your most powerful ally: Become a Soil Food Web Lab Tech, See what your soil really needs before spending time and money to improve it, Measure the real impact of your efforts near instantly, No more sending samples across the country for assessment | Complete on-site assessments yourself
Hone your skills
Learn to produce biologically complete compost that restores soil life, suppresses disease, and transforms what’s possible on your land. Discover how to redirect organic waste into a biologically rich amendment, grow the right microbes to support healthy soil and plants while minimizing the risk of human pathogens and weed seeds, and replace expensive, harmful chemical inputs with the power of biology and organic matter.
12 weeks | 2 piles of BioComplete Compost
The Compost Intensive Course is a hands-on, 10-week online training designed to guide you through the process from beginning to end alongside a global cohort of peers. There are NO prerequisites! And it counts toward your consultant pathway*
Hone your skills
Build on your Soil Food Web Microscopy and BioComplete™ Compost Production skills by learning to purposefully breed, multiply, and extract key microbes for various real world field application needs
Hone your skills
You've learned to see life in a microscope slide. You've built biologically complete compost from the ground up. You've brewed and applied biological liquid amendments. You understand, at a cellular level, what healthy soil looks like and why it matters. Now it's time to prove it in the field.
In person
Build BioComplete™ Compost, create biological liquid amendments, and practice microscopy alongside Dr. Elaine's team of experienced mentors and an international community.
Restore Ecosystems
Developed in Partnership with Ecosystem Restoration Communities Joining this course connects you with the Ecosystem Restoration Communities (ERC) – a vibrant network of individuals and groups dedicated to restoring ecosystems worldwide.
Design systems
Whole-system design: water, plants, structures, community, rooted in living soil.
Mini Course
A 10-lesson mini course into the world of Living Soil and all the ways it can help regenerate the world's living systems. Walk away with a broad view of just how impactful this work can be when applied consistently by educated land stewards and practitioners.
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Washington, USA
I’m learning so much that I never knew before after receiving a degree in Horticulture.
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New Zealand
I have spend the last 5 years or so soaking up every bit of knowledge I could find on healthy soil life.
Read more →Canada
I recently completed my foundation classes through a scholarship and I just wanted to say thank you so much for allowing me to participate in a class that otherwise would have never been accessible to me.
Read more →No. The courses are designed for people with no relevant experience. And for advanced courses, you’ll gain all the knowledge you need here while completing prerequesites which are clearly defined for each path.
We never want insurmountable financial limitations to get in the way of soil regeneration. We are always accepting applications and selections occur on an ongoing basis as we procure funds from donors and other resources. Selection committees place a priority on applicants in under-resourced regions. If you believe you qualify, see the Scholarships page.
Every course carries a 30-day, no-questions-asked money-back guarantee, provided you’ve watched no more than one-third of the lectures or have already attended the live aspects of the program. Live in-person events may also have unique limitations. Please see individual program pages for specific details.
Sometimes you will, but often you won’t. Depending on the program you choose, you may need to procure equipment (ex: For Microscopy you will need access to the right type of microscopy, slides, sampling equipment etc.). Each program page provides information about the equipment requirements.
