An Introduction to the Soil Food Web

Healthy soil is far more than a growing medium—it is a living ecosystem. This practical and theory-based course provides an understanding of how healthy soil functions through the soil food web. We will explore the diverse community of organisms and how their interactions with each other and with plants drive nutrient cycling, soil structure, water retention, carbon sequestration and ecosystem resilience.

Join Kelly Moss, soil food web technician, Irongate farm composter and foraging expert, for this interactive one day course. Using working examples from the farm, we will examine a variety of composting systems, looking at their set-up and the practices that best support cultivating beneficial biology. The course will also cover the principles and methods of producing and applying microbial brews and extracts, many of which can be made using organic materials and indigenous microorganisms collected from your own land to support healthy growing systems.

This course is aimed at anyone who wants to learn more about healthy soils and how to cultivate them. 

You will also enjoy a farm-to-fork lunch, freshly prepared by our GroundSchool chef.

Please note that this course is likely to take place outside or in a covered space without heating. We are awaiting the opening of our new learning centre in 2027.