Date and Location: Sat, February 11, 2012 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM UBC Point Grey Campus

$20/class +$1.49 or $70 if you register for all 4 classes. Soil is essentially the source of all terrestrial life. The better we understand and manage agricultural soil, the better it can continue to fulfill that role. This class is the first in a four-course workshop series on soil theory and related management practices. We will start this series by taking a look at soil formation and horizons, its characteristics, and soil components. Understanding these soil concepts can help us better choose our management strategies and better understand soil and ecosystem dynamics in varying geographical and climatic locations. The concepts here help lay the framework for further studies on soil concepts and management. We’ll spend some time inside the “classroom” covering the topics listed below and then move outside to play a bit in the dirt. We’ll look at the UBC Farm soil pit to get a good look at soil horizons, do some texture tests, and look at soil structure in various settings on the farm. Presenter Bio: Chris Thoreau holds a BSc. in Agroecology from the University of British Columbia where he focused on soils, small-scale plant breeding, and urban farming. Previous to his time at UBC he operated Influence Organics, a one-acre certified organic farm on Vancouver Island’s Saanich Peninsula. Here Chris focused on utilizing no-till and permaculture principles to grow a variety of vegetables for local markets, CSAs and restaurants. He also sat on the board and certification committee of the local certifying body, the Islands’ Organic Producers Association. He is also an IOIA-trained organic inspector. Chris currently operates My Urban Farm - a bicycle-powered urban farm in Vancouver that specialized in microgreens, and co-owns 24 Carrots - another bicycle powered initiative that works with organic, biodynamic and urban farms to offer one of Vancouver’s most diverse CSAs.