Schedule

Welcome & Check-In

– Introduction and check-in
– Overview of today’s activities

Activity: Soil Show and Tell

Get your hands dirty! Examine different soil samples using your senses. Touch, smell, and observe the soil to identify differences in texture, structure, moisture, and organic matter.

– What do you notice about each soil sample?
– Which soils do you think are healthiest? Why?
– What can we learn about soil through our senses? What can’t we determine through observation alone?

Understanding Healthy Soil

– Soil composition, structure, and texture
– Soil organisms and the soil food web
– Soil nutrients and nutrient cycles
– Soil testing and indicators of soil health
– Composting and building healthy soil
– Agroecological approaches to soil management

Activity: Building Healthy Soil

Imagine you are developing a new urban garden or farm on a vacant lot with poor soil conditions. Working in small groups, develop a plan to establish and maintain healthy, living soil.

Consider the following questions:

Assessing the soil: How would you determine whether the existing soil is healthy? What would you look for or test?

Building healthy soil: What materials and methods would you use to improve soil health? Consider what you could do immediately and what would take more time.

Supporting soil life: How could you encourage healthy soil organisms, improve soil structure, and support nutrient cycling?

Maintaining soil health: What practices would you use to maintain and improve soil health over several growing seasons?

Reducing external inputs: How could you build and maintain healthy soil while minimizing costs, waste, and reliance on purchased materials?

Share your soil-building plan with the class. Explain which strategies you would prioritize and why.

Activity: Planning for Healthy Urban Soils

Healthy soil is essential for urban agriculture, but cities face challenges related to soil contamination, compaction, limited organic matter, and access to compost.

Imagine you are an urban planner tasked with improving soil health and supporting urban agriculture across the city.

In small groups, discuss:

What are the major barriers to developing healthy soil in urban environments?

How could cities reduce soil degradation and regenerate existing soils?

How could neighbourhood composting programs transform organic waste into resources for urban agriculture?

How could compost, soil amendments, and other resources be distributed to community gardens and urban farms?

What policies, infrastructure, partnerships, and community initiatives would be needed to implement your plan?

Develop a proposal and share your ideas with the class.

Questions, Concerns & Comment

– Reflections on soil health and urban agriculture
– Questions, concerns, and comments