SCD Advanced Programming: Soil Health Day

Date: Friday, November 14
Time: 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Speakers: Vivian Kaloxilos, Docterre; Todd Harrington, Harrington’s Organic Land Care
Track: Farm & Food Symposium

Join keynote speakers Vivian Kaloxilos and Todd Harrington for an immersive, hands-on workshop designed for producers ready to take the next step beyond the symposium. This advanced day will dive into transitional soil planning, fertility sovereignty, and applied microscopy—equipping participants with the tools to design multi-year strategies, build on-farm fertility systems, and use microscopy as a decision-making tool. The program combines in-depth presentations, live case studies, and hands-on training to give farmers practical skills for implementing biological practices with confidence.

Agenda

8:00 AM – 8:30 AM | Registration & Welcome
Participants arrive, network, and enjoy coffee and light breakfast. The Spokane Conservation District team will provide an overview of the day’s objectives and how this advanced training builds on the foundation of the two-day Farm & Food Symposium. Attendees will be encouraged to consider where they are on their biological transition journey and how the tools discussed today—transition design, composting, and microscopy—can accelerate progress.

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Transition Design & Planning for Biological Farming
Speaker: Todd Harrington & Vivian Kaloxilos
Todd and Vivian will jointly guide participants through the core principles of transition design—what to consider when converting a conventional farm into a thriving biological system. They’ll discuss evaluating soil readiness, balancing carbon and nutrient flows, sequencing regenerative practices, and aligning ecological goals with financial realities. This session provides producers with a framework to build soil biology while maintaining profitability and resilience.

9:30 AM – 9:45 AM | Q&A Session: Transition Design
An open-floor discussion with Todd and Vivian for participants to clarify concepts, share their own transition challenges, and receive practical feedback before the hands-on sessions begin.

9:45 – 10:00 AM | Break

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Compost Workshop: Building Biologically Complete Thermophilic & Vermicompost
Speaker: Todd Harrington & Vivian Kaloxilos
This workshop demonstrates how to build biologically complete compost capable of restoring soil life and fertility. Todd and Vivian will show how to select and balance feedstocks, manage temperature and moisture, and maintain aerobic conditions for maximum microbial diversity. Participants will learn to create thermophilic and vermicompost systems that generate fungal-rich, biologically stable material ideal for regenerative farming. The session will also highlight the importance of sanitation and cleanliness in all composting operations to ensure consistent, high-quality results.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch & Networking

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Microscopy: Seeing the Living Soil
Speaker: Todd Harrington & Vivian Kaloxilos
In this interactive session, participants will see firsthand how microscopy reveals the biological life of soil and compost. Todd and Vivian will demonstrate how to prepare and examine samples, identify key organisms such as fungi, bacteria, protozoa, and nematodes, and interpret what these life forms indicate about soil balance and health. They’ll connect microscope findings to field management decisions—showing how biological observation can guide compost quality, fertility management, and regenerative outcomes.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Open Q&A with Todd & Vivian
An open dialogue with both speakers to address attendee questions on biological farming, compost systems, transition strategies, and monitoring soil life. Drawing from decades of consulting experience, Todd and Vivian will share insights and practical steps that producers can apply immediately on their own farms.

About the Speakers

Vivian Kaloxilos

Docterre

Vivian Kaloxilos is an ecologist, who specializes in soil ecology, and founder of Docterre, where she’s been helping farmers regenerate soil life and build resilient ecosystems since 2015. With over a decade of experience with microscopy, she has witnessed and documented life and biodiversity as it bounces back from states of degradation. She also brings practical, on-farm expertise in composting, liquid extracts and ecological systems thinking. Vivian has worked alongside regenerative leaders like Todd Harrington and Ray Archuleta, supporting farmers across the globe. A former mentor for Dr. Elaine Ingham’s soil consultants, she’s deeply committed to empowering producers with the tools, knowledge and support needed to restore the natural balance and lead a thriving, farmer-driven regenerative movement.
Todd Harrington

Harrington’s Organic Land Care

Todd Harrington is a Soil Food Web consultant, ecologist and pioneer in organic land care with over 35 years of experience helping growers build healthier, more sustainable farms from the ground up. As the founder of Harrington’s Organic Land Care, he has worked with operations around the world – from date orchards in the UAE to 250,000-acre corn and soy farms in the U.S. – delivering holistic plant and soil health strategies that support productivity while reducing input costs. Todd promotes ecological farming practices rooted in natural symbiosis with local microbiology, using regenerative tools like biologicals, composts, cover cropping and livestock integration. A co-author of the nation’s first organic land care standards and a longtime educator with NOFA, he shares practical, science-based techniques to help farmers improve soil function, nutrient density and resilience – without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Todd brings grounded, actionable insight to the forefront of the regenerative agriculture movement.