Microscopy Training in Great Barrington, MA (Simon’s Rock College)

Take control of your soil’s health! CT NOFA is excited to offer microscopy training at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington, MA, this January.

Course Overview

Participants will view various soils and composts, looking at the different soil structures and the microbes that thrive in healthy soil. Demonstrations include how to prepare a slide for viewing, what you might find and how to evaluate your findings. Participants will be trained to analyze the following:

• Bacteria : Fungi ratios – what they mean and why they’re important
• Aggregate structure in soil/compost
• Bacteria numbers and diversity
• Quality of fungi and what that means for your soil
• Predators – identify and quantify both aerobic and anaerobic microbes
• Compost tea and extracts – microbial populations that exist in real time

Throughout the training we will discuss ways to create healthy, living soil using regenerative agriculture techniques. At the completion of the training you will be ready to use your microscope to evaluate soil and compost, with the ability to store the information in written and visual form, to share, and compare with future samples.

Training includes:

• OMAX Digital Compound Microscope
• 3 Recorded Virtual Training Sessions (can be viewed at any time)
• 1 In-Person training (select your location at registration)

Course Schedule

This course will be conducted over 3 pre-recorded virtual sessions (which can be viewed at any time), and 1 in-person training session. The three recorded virtual microscopy training sessions will be made available to all participants immediately, for use at any time. This will be followed by an in-person session on Saturday, January 25, 10:00am-1:00pm, at Simon’s Rock College in Great Barrington, MA.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

Testimonials

In May of 2023, the NOFA-NY education team had the great privilege to participate in soil microscopy training with Monique Bosch through CT-NOFA. The virtual training time let us get familiar with microscopes, learn to identify aggregates, fungal hyphae, nematodes, and some soil structure basics. The in-person training at Bard College was incredible! We found our own soil samples and analyzed them with students from the college, allowing us to test our teaching skills and gain confidence. I highly recommend Monique and this program. I have been able to work with farmers and gardeners now to look at their soil structures and teach them about what they see.

Samantha (NOFA-NY)

At Assawaga Farm, our microscope is an indispensable tool for maintaining and improving our soil’s health. We use it to assess the biology of many things on the farm including potting soil, compost, teas, as well as general soil tests from our fields, and it allows us a better understanding of what the soil and crops need to be healthy, productive, and sustainable. Looking at our farm through a microscope opens up a whole new perspective that we use to inform our decisions.

Alex Carpenter (Assawaga Farm, Putnam, CT)