My Mission
Most of the information that I blog about can be found primarily in scientific literature. If you have ever read a biology research paper, then you know they are pretty dense. My mission is to translate the concepts the scientists are reporting into something anyone can understand and arm you with the knowledge and processes to put them into practice in your yard or garden. If you ask almost any expert how you can get the biology back into your soil they will almost always respond with "It depends." I want to change the conversation to something more helpful and that truly requires you to have a bit of background knowledge.
All About Me
My background is rooted firmly between biology and technology. I have always had a passion for figuring out how things work and I have been fascinated by the natural world ever since playing in the creek next to my house growing up and catching snakes to show to my mom (much to her um... delight?). I found the logical rule-based world of computer programming in college and found it very attractive since breaking a problem into simple logical steps was right up my alley. My communication style was developed primarily while working as a kayak tour guide through college, and breaking complex ecological topics down into simple stories really helped my clients understand and appreciate the natural world they were paddling through.
After finishing my Marine Biology degree, I found there was not nearly as much opportunity in biology (unless I wanted to get my PhD) as there was in technology. Most of my professional experience has been in some computer-related job, but I missed the outdoors. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a house, and once I did I knew I wanted to put in a garden and grow my own food. That started my journey into soil science and how plants and the soil actually work.
I found my way to the Soil Food Web School through YouTube and ended up taking their online courses to become a soil consultant. It has taught me a lot, but I found it a bit confusing once I finished. I learned all this cool information on the science of soil, but how do I use it? How can I get my garden established with good biology, how can I help others do the same? The answers most experts gave were a bit frustrating, they would always say "It depends" and then give a huge variety of information often ending it by saying you need to have an expert look at it and advise you. Honestly, they are right, it does depend on a lot of different factors, but I found the answer is vague mostly because there is not really enough experience available to make blanket statements on what works. Most of the experts are master experimenters and they treat each new situation as a new experiment. This is why they can't answer with concrete steps, they need to try something and see if it works, if not try something else until they figure out the puzzle. This process works great for individual clients, but it can be expensive, the consultant has to make money after all.
There is clearly a need for something more general and that requires more people trying more things and talking about their experiences. That is why I am writing this blog, I want to put my communication skills to use and bring in my passion for biology and simple logic systems to help this agriculture revolution take shape. I hope you are also interested, every garden is different so every garden matters. Please lend your voice to this mission and we can help restore our soils and grow healthier plants everywhere, for everybody.
