When Pott Farms first started, hemp was a newly legalized crop after being banned for over 80 years. There was no one around with the knowledge or experience to teach us how to grow it and we had to figure out it on our own. We wanted to use the best methods for the environment and for our plants, and discovered permaculture design and regenerative farming methods. At the end of our first season, we discovered Dr. Elaine Ingham and her Soil Food Web School where they teach how to cultivate living soil while explaining in detail how it all works.

Pott Farms has practiced her methods since our 2020 season and Robbin Pott spent the last three years completing the school’s consultant training program so she could teach these methods to others.

In addition to our supportive training program in regenerative farming for youth, Robbin offers Living Soil Services to provide soil biology testing, consulting, education, and biologically-active compost amendments.

Living Soil Services

  • Get your soil biology evaluated

    Discover what microbial life is in your soil. A soil biology test involves evaluating samples using a microscope. You will learn what microbes are present and in what amounts, if they are beneficial or harmful, and if they are in the right balance for the specific plants you are trying to grow.

    Go to testing info 

  • Get advice and support

    Want to better understand the soil food web and how to cultivate living soil? Need to tackle a problem area? Want to transition to a biological approach to growing but don't know how? Schedule time to talk about your goals and how we can help.

    Go to consulting info 

  • Get biologically active amendments

    Inoculate your soil with diverse microbial life. We make small batch compost and compost extracts and teas using the Soil Food Web School methods that are assessed and guaranteed to be full of beneficial life that your soil needs. A little goes a long way.

    Go to soil amendment info 

Cultivate resilience when you cultivate the life in your soil

  • Water & Nutrient Retention

    Soil biology builds soil structure which creates spaces that capture water and nutrients and holds them place rather than running off or leaching.

  • Nutrient Cycling

    Soil is living when the life in it is capturing, metabolizing and releasing nutrients in a cycle similar to cows on a pasture. The life ensures the plants have what they need.

  • Protection from Pest & Disease

    Plants are vulnerable to harmful organisms when they are unhealthy. Living soil has everything the plant needs to fend them off.

  • Weed Suppression

    Weeds are nature's tool to begin repairing damaged soil and appear in disturbed areas. They do not thrive in soils with diverse microbiology present.

  • Carbon Capture & Storage

    Plants pull CO2 from the air and convert it to sugars through photosynthesis and that carbon is used to build the plant and to feed the life in the soil where it stays.

  • Increased Profits

    Living soil reduces or eliminates the need for costly inputs, excessive irrigation, and labor associated with managing weeds and pests, leading to an increase to your bottom line.
Dr. Elaine Ingham's soil food web school logo

Certified Consultant

Robbin Pott is a certified soil biology consultant by Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web School. The training included 150 hours of online course work, certification as a lab tech able to do full soil biology assessments using a microscope, a season practicing making biologically active compost and liquid compost amendments, and a season conducting a final research project using compost amendments to improve the life in the soil and measuring the benefits. The project results clearly demonstrate the benefits of cultivating living soil.

See project results