Meet the Microorganisms: Soil Science Workshop at Crabtree Farms

At Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga • 1000 E 30th Street Chattanooga, TN 37407, a two-hour workshop titled '11/21- Meet the Microorganisms' turns the invisible life of soil into a visible, practical lesson. Led by Krisi Olivero of Alter Eco Farms, this hands-on session projects live microscope samples onto a big screen so novices and gardeners can watch bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes move, interact, and influence plant health. The classroom sits amid the farm's teaching gardens in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where urban agriculture meets regional restoration. The workshop opens with an overview of common categories of soil microorganisms and their roles in nutrient cycling, disease suppression, and soil structure. Participants compare samples gathered from the southern region and learn simple identification cues, guided toward understanding what a healthy soil food web looks like. Krisi Olivero—trained through Dr. Elaine Ingham's Soil Food Web School and co-owner of Alter Eco Farms, the only current distributor of live native microorganism amendments in the greater Chattanooga area—connects microscopic observation to practical steps for restoring nutrient balance in home beds and community plots. This program is a standout offering because it bridges academic ecology and backyard practice: instead of abstract lectures you see active microbes and get concrete strategies for rebuilding soil, including sample interpretation, amendment selection, and timing for application. The workshop is suitable for ages 12 and up, accommodates up to 30 people, and runs about two hours—an ideal afternoon learning stop for gardeners, land managers, and curious travelers. Logistics are straightforward: check-in at Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga • 1000 E 30th Street Chattanooga, TN 37407. Note the mandatory client waiver required by Crabtree Farms and that refunds can be requested up to 7 days before the workshop with a 10% cancellation fee. Bring note-taking supplies and closed-toe shoes; the session combines indoor microscope time with brief outdoor sampling demonstrations. Expect a mix of lecture and hands-on activity: Krisi demonstrates how to collect a representative soil sample, prepare microscope slides, and read magnified signs that distinguish fungal hyphae from bacterial colonies. Participants leave with a practical checklist for soil testing, targeted suggestions for cover crops and compost teas, and recommendations calibrated for Chattanooga's clay and loam soils. Whether you manage a community garden, tend balcony containers, or steward a small farm, this workshop delivers field-ready techniques you can try the very next day.