The EcoSoil Lab offers a variety of support services for farmers, growers, and organizations that are keen to explore soil biology and advance soil health. We provide soil analysis, biostimulant-focused soil treatments for agricultural environments, interdisciplinary research and educational opportunities. Our services will initially be offered on Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, which are home to a diverse range of agricultural production systems and soil types.
Restoring the productive capacity of soils while maximizing yield and preserving the distinct characteristics of a region can be achieved by preparing and distributing locally-adapted biological amendments. These include both compost and liquid extracts, which can be tailored to match the unique heterogeneity of regional landscapes and production systems. Restoration of managed systems can be achieved by amplifying the distinct soil biology that are uniquely suited to local conditions, providing an opportunity to understand how these forces shape products in ways that maximize the distinctive qualities of place and are meaningful to consumers and farmers.
The EcoSoil Lab coordinates and leads interdisciplinary investigations into the identification, mapping, amplification, and impact assessment of carbon-rich biostimulants and soil biology on people, places, and ecosystems. By building trusted relationships based on shared objectives to improve soil health across farms and academia, benefits can be communicated and cascaded through supply chains to consumers. This work provides a path to characterize and celebrate regional soil and product heterogeneity.
I and my students use quantitative analyses of food and wine production systems to reveal linkages between ecological and social sustainability, “quality”, and the primacy of place … “Ecogastronomy”
Dr. John Volpe
