Meet the Microorganisms: Soil Microbe Workshop at Crabtree Farms, Chattanooga

On a bright Sunday morning at Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga • 1000 E 30th Street Chattanooga, TN 37407, a small group gathers around microscopes to meet the soil beneath their feet. '09/19- Meet the Microorganisms' is a two-hour workshop led by Krisi Olivero of Alter Eco Farms that turns dirt into a living laboratory. From the first slide on the projector to the final discussion about amendments, this is a hands-on primer in the microscopic community that fuels plant health. The session opens with a concise field lesson: what categories of soil microorganisms exist, how to identify them under a microscope, and why their activities — nutrient cycling, structure building, pathogen suppression — matter to gardeners and land stewards across Chattanooga. Participants view live samples projected on a big screen so everyone can watch ciliates, nematodes, fungi, and bacterial films shifting in real time. Krisi's training with Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web School informs an approachable curriculum that connects lab observations to practical steps for restoring soil balance. Samples are drawn from the southern landscape: native beds, compost piles, and local garden plots. Comparing them side-by-side reveals the telltale textures of healthy, microbially active soil versus depleted dirt. Conversation turns to remediation: what killed these microbes, how to reintroduce beneficial communities, and when to apply live native microorganism amendments sold locally by Alter Eco Farms. This class is notable not only for its microscope work but for its setting at an urban farm that places education at the center of land stewardship. Crabtree Farms' demonstration gardens and compost education area offer immediate context — you can see the plants and systems the microbes support. The format suits curious home gardeners, community educators, and beginning soil scientists; minimum age is 12, and groups are kept small to maximize screen time and Q&A. Practical details: the workshop runs about two hours, refunds available up to seven days prior with a 10% fee, and a liability waiver is required at check-in. For questions contact Chloe Watts at 423-493-9155 or [email protected]. Bring a notebook, closed-toe shoes, and curiosity; you’ll leave equipped to read your own soil and take the first steps toward regeneration. In a region where clay, urban runoff, and past land use pressure plant communities, an afternoon behind the lens offers a rare chance to see—and begin to heal—the living engine beneath the garden. Krisi Olivero co-owns Alter Eco Farms, the only current distributor of live native microorganism amendments in the greater Chattanooga area, so the workshop doubles as a way to learn about and source locally produced inoculants. Expect hands-on troubleshooting, reading of soil texture and moisture cues, and practical follow-up steps use in a backyard bed or community plot.