Presents
SOIL ADVOCATE TRAINING
with Finian Makepeace and Featuring World-Renowned Pioneers in the Movement to Regenerate Our Planet
EMPOWERING ACTIVISTS FOR SOIL REGENERATION
Kiss the Ground's flagship stewardship course introduces a “new, old view” of soil regeneration, explains the principles of regenerative agriculture, shows students different advocacy pathways, and teaches students how to speak about and demonstrate these principles for different audiences. Soil Advocate Training has been redesigned to include not only Kiss the Ground's Don Smith and Finian Makepeace, but also many other thought leaders and experts in the movement to regenerate our planet. Our goal is to provide students with new knowledge and perspectives while honoring the origins of this wisdom.
This 8-module course includes lectures, interviews with industry leaders and experts, a curated list of readings and resources, a monthly webinar for graduates, and exclusive access to a Kiss the Ground slideshow for alumni to use in future presentations.
Enroll Now
You can take the evergreen SAT course at your own pace.
A Robust Introduction to Regeneration
This course empowers anyone, anywhere, to transform into a valuable part of the soil health and regenerative agriculture movements by offering multiple advocacy pathways and giving students the confidence to effectively present and advocate to a variety of target audiences.
Becoming a messenger of opportunity in trying times: “Together, we can do this!” We can DRAWDOWN carbon from our atmosphere to REGENERATE our land back to health by rebuilding healthy soil!
Regenerative Agriculture, which blends modern discoveries in soil biology with indigenous wisdom and pioneering holistic thinking, is a solution that addresses our biggest crises. And yet, it is just coming into the larger conversation. That is why this movement needs you! This training will be your foundation. From policy and business to education and farming, advocates just like you will lead the charge towards positive change.
What you'll get:
- An 8-module program including lectures, exercises, expert interviews, “challenges,” and a highly curated reading and resources list.
- Ability to speak on healthy soil and regenerative agriculture as a solution for:
- global warming
- flooding, drought & fire
- human health
- food security
- freshwater availability
- farmer prosperity
- extinction/biodiversity loss
- Public speaking confidence: tips and methods for increasing your ability to present or speak to any audience.
- A professional slide deck to use for future educational talks or speaking engagements.
- Access to a worldwide soil health community of like-minded and inspired activists from all over the world.
- Peer-to-peer connection, support, and learning with our network for students where feedback is available and your projects get support.
- Lifelong access to all course content, exercises, action links, and Kiss the Ground's Resource Library.
Explore Enrollment Options
Course Modules
MODULE 1 - The Big "Aha": How Rebuilding Soil Is the Solution
MODULE 2 - Understanding Regeneration
MODULE 3 - The Power of Empowered Advocates
MODULE 4 - Regenerative vs Degenerative
MODULE 5 - Soil Health, Human Health
MODULE 6 - Replenishing Fresh Water Sources & Small Water Cycles
MODULE 7 - Making The Case
MODULE 8 - Welcome To Your Movement
Finian Makepeace
is the Co-Founder, Policy Director, and Lead Educator of Kiss the Ground and a renowned presenter, media creator, and thought leader in the field of regenerative agriculture and soil health. He has developed training programs, workshops, and talks designed to empower people to become confident messengers and advocates for this growing movement. He has worked with leading experts, policymakers, farmers, and businesses to make rebuilding soil, through the adoption of regenerative agriculture, a key solution to our world’s biggest crises. His greatest hope is that, through awakening to the opportunities of regeneration, people know they can help change the world. He believes that with enough new advocates promoting the ancient wisdom, pioneering holistic thinking, and new science of regenerative agriculture and ecosystem restoration we can heal our planet - together.
Guest Lecturers and Interviewees
We are so honored to bring you this course in collaboration of people across the regenerative landscape. The following experts are present throughout the course as guest lecturers and/or interviewees.
Dr. Zach Bush
Yancy Comins
Cary Crum
Zach Ducheneaux
Dr. Mark Hyman
Precious Phiri
Calla Rose Ostrander
Didi Pershouse
Arohi Sharma
Don Smith
Leah Thomas
Irene Tsouprake
Elizabeth Whitlow
Soil, and the plant-microbe symbiotic relationship that makes it grow, is the essence of life on land. Of all the food that we eat, 95% is from the soil! Without healthy soil, we have dust, desert, lack of water, and none of the hydrated landscapes that make life as we know it possible. Healthy soil is the reason that our land can be abundant with life, the reason that water can be absorbed and retained for plants to grow, that small organisms become food for larger organisms, why things can be decomposed and recomposed, the reason that springs flow, the reason plants can absorb nutrients. The problem? We’re running out of topsoil. Working with nature to rebuild soil is crucial to solving the climate, water, and food crises.
For over 10,000 years, agriculture has been causing degradation to land in most parts of the world. Meaning, over time, in production, the land’s ecosystem function and carrying capacity for life is diminished. While there are exceptions, such as where certain indigenous cultures cultivated the land in ways that actually increased the abundance of life and biomass, most records indicate that farming has degenerated land. Now, 75% of the land on earth is deemed “degraded.” Each year, an area of farmable land nearly the size of England (30 million acres), is lost to soil degeneration. We are turning our world into a desert.
Regenerative agriculture can change this.
No matter what scale of farming, we can begin to use principles and practices that actually bring the land back to life, allowing it to function at its highest capacity again. Based on ancient knowledge, pioneering holistic planning, and cutting-edge science, regenerative agriculture is proving that humanity has a serious solution to climate change and desertification. The great news for us is that the problem of too much carbon (in CO2) in the atmosphere is also the solution - it is what we use to rebuild the soil!
"You'll walk away from this course with the ability to talk to ANYONE about the soil solution in a way that resonates with them. If you want to deepen your knowledge of regenerative agriculture and become a better public speaker, this course is a must in your toolkit."
Alex Groome
"Thank you for this class and for KTG. You have changed my outlook in the area of soil sciences and taught me more than I ever dreamed of."
Linda Chisolm
"First of all, thank you. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for the quality of this course. I'm short of words to express my respect for all you've done and for transferring this knowledge, and my gratitude. Awesome and massive don't do it justice."
Caroline Odoz
Connect and Learn with the Soil Advocate Community
Our journey to regeneration began first and foremost with community. The idea for Kiss the Ground was born in our cofounder's living room, where various people with different skills - all united in their passion for this movement - met every Monday to try to problem solve. We understand the power of coming together.
Graduate & join our online platform
Get new perspectives and answers to your questions
Hear the latest KTG News
Access Resources
Receive peer-to-peer feedback
Have a community review or engage others in your project
Learn about news, projects, and other updates in the movement
Stay informed about new and upcoming courses, campaigns, and events
“Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.”
―
