Feed The Soil; It Feeds You

Enrich the soil where food grows and you feed yourself. "Soil and Nutrition: An Education and Coalition-Building Conference" will be held Thursday, Feb. 9 to Saturday, Feb. 11, First Churches, 129 Main St., Northampton, Mass. Topics on enhancing soil fertility as a basis for the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of farming, the environment, and society. More information at www.nofamass.org/seminars/winterseminar.php.

Hidden Life Abounds; Microscopic Foray

Everywhere you look in your backyard, as far as the eye can see, life abounds. Much of this is obvious — plants and trees, insects and birds, turtles and snakes, and mammals — yet, just beyond the eye’s ability to see, there is a hidden world of living things thriving. This is the world of the microbes and they are everywhere.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn, presents “Germ Safari: Discover the Wild Microscopic World In Your Backyard.” Dr. Kenneth Noll and his team of researchers in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology will lead the program on Saturday, Sept. 17, 10 a.m. to noon.

Join a team of microbiology researchers in this exploration of microbial life.

Bring in samples from your own yard and collect samples from around campus with a team of UConn Molecular and Cell Biology scientists. Then, learn to use laboratory protocols to determine the types of microbes lurking around your home. Dr. Noll and the other researchers will discuss what the presence of these microbes means to the health of your soil as well as the health of your family.

The program fee is $25 and advance registration is required. This program is for adults and children ages 10 and older. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For registration information visit http://www.cac.uconn.edu/mnhcurrentcalendar.html or call (860) 486-4460.

The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology are part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UConn.

Soil Is Alive; Good Compost Feeds It

Peter Schmidt of Compostwerks LLC will lead landcare professionals and advanced gardeners through the environmentally cutting edge process that can reduce or eliminate the use of pesticides at a Compost Tea Workshop, Tuesday, Aug. 23.

An understanding of how roots, biology and soil influence plant health is critical in managing a landscape. The day includes classroom time and a staff-guided site visit to the Botanical Garden's compost tea facility.

Topics to be examined include compost production and its specific uses, the relationship between soil and plants, and the role and importance of organic matter and soil structure.

Students will come away with practical diagnostic tools and the knowledge of how to brew compost tea.

Peter Schmidt is a certified Soil Foodweb Advisor, a certified arborist and founding partner of Compostwerks LLC. He has worked in the horticultural industry for 25 years.

For information and registration, see http://www.organiclandcare.net/education/advanced-workshops.