Welcome to our journey!

Dear plant growers (yes, that includes you folks with lawns LOL),

I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Daniel. I am 26 years old, I have a B.S. Business Administration from USC ('20). After a few years of doing risk and sustainability consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers, I decided that leaving corporate America and doing my own thing suited me best.

For the past year or so, I have been traveling the country working on organic farms and ranches through a program known as WWOOF. My fascination in growing healthy plants and animals turned into a passion for learning and implementing the best soil management practices that we know of today. I also became certified in Permaculture Design because I care for my fellow humans, the Earth and our future together.

My time working in agriculture and learning from mentors in the permaculture community led me to begin studying with the Soil Food Web School. Since then, I have learned principles and practices that will revolutionize the way humans interact with plants and growing systems for centuries to come. The best part? It uses no chemicals, no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, and no synthetic or inorganic fertilizers. It uses the methods Mother Nature has been successfully using ever since rooted plants began to show up on this Earth about a billion years ago (talk about tried and true)!

Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Nematodes, & Microarthropods all have pretty incredible functions in what's known as the Soil Food Web (think an ecosystem, just underground). These special little critters are responsible for:

- breaking down soil particles (sand, silt and clay) and turning them into minerals and nutrients (food) for plants

- providing protection against pests and disease (like a castle wall covering every surface of the plants)

- eliminating weed pressure with enough fungal growth (weeds really don't like fungi)

- building soil structure which allows roots to grow deeper, water & oxygen to infiltrate deep into the ground, and serves to mitigate problems such as puddling, flooding and erosion

- increasing the health and production of ALL plants WITHOUT the use of toxic fertilizers or chemicals

- increasing the nutrient density of the foods we eat

This is growing plants, Mother Nature's way!

Today, thanks to the amazing work of Dr. Elaine Ingham and other soil microbiologists and researchers, we now know that the biology in the soil is extremely vital. Plants and tiny little animals like earthworms and roly-polies rely on this soil ecosystem for food. As humans rely on plants for food for ourselves and the animals we take care of, the soil microbiology is critically important to human survival on this beautiful-gift-of-a-planet we call Earth.

As it goes, soil biology is also one of our strongest allies against rising global temperatures and possesses one of best ways to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Did you know that a fungus will take 80% of the carbon it consumes and continuously adds that carbon as support in building its thick cell walls as it grows? That's a lot of carbon capturing potential if we grow the communities of fungi in soils around the globe! It will prove instrumental in the fight against the warming of our planet and any hope for a drawdown of global temperatures.

I started Healing Roots, LLC as a way to help anybody who grow plants (including lawns) bring life back into the soil they depend on. We intend to shift the practices of farmers, ranchers, gardeners, lawn enthusiasts and everyone in between! Using compost that has been aerobically decomposed with organic materials and that contains adequate levels of the beneficial microorganisms listed above, we can revitalize your growing system and reintroduce the biology that allows your plant communities to thrive!

We're on a mission to educate, inspire and create abundance for folks who are willing to grow with Mother Nature, not against Her. Join us on this journey, and let's begin Healing Roots today!

Thank you,

Daniel