Soil to Bloom: Soil Health and Fertility in Lavender Farming from the Ground Up

February is the month we celebrate love - but are your plants in love with their field's soil conditions?  How do you know - really? And, what to do if that "lovin' feeling" is gone?
  Learn from someone who loves to talk about soil, Dr. Patrick Freeze of Ward Laboratories Inc. (www.wardlab.com). This Fulbright scholar and rising expert in soil science, health, and remediation (just to name a few) will leave your mind full of ideas for learning your soil's love language for supporting happier plants, larger crop production, and a healthier ecosystem. Whether you have thousands of plants in the ground or are still dreaming of laying out your field - this Front Porch Event is one you are sure to LOVE.

About the speaker: Patrick Freeze serves as the Director of Research and Development - Soil/Soil Health Testing at Ward Laboratories (Kearney, NE). There, he specializes in soil, soil health, and plant testing metho

ds, research, education, and grower support. Previously with Matrix Sciences in Central Washington, he developed soil, soil health, and specialty crop testing methods for large consulting groups. During his doctoral studies in Soil Chemistry at Washington State University, he explored ways to reduce heavy metal risks in orchard soils and received advanced training in soil carbon testing techniques in Italy and Switzerland, courtesy of a USDA NIFA Needs Fellowship. As a U.S. Fulbright scholar, he investigated minimizing heavy metal uptake in contaminated rice paddies in rural Thailand for one year. Patrick earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada – Reno, with a focus on soil biogeochemistry, environmental quality and policy, and green chemistry.

"Lavender's success is a reflection of the soil's health - nurture the earth, and the blooms will flourish." ~ Patrick Freeze, Ph.D.

Click here for the Handouts (PPT slide deck) pdf
Click here for the Fast Facts Summary pdf
Recorded Thursday, February 8, 2024, at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST