Dr. Rattan Lal Tribute to Dr. Elaine Ingham
Seth Itzkan
Dr. Rattan Lal Tribute to Dr. Elaine Ingham
"Elaine was more than a scientist. She was an inspiring teacher who brought soil to life for thousands of people ... She taught us that the smallest organisms can have the greatest impact."
- Dr. Elaine Ingham, Founder, Soil Food Web School https://soilfoodweb.com/obituary-for-dr-elaine-ingham/
- Dr. Rattan Lal, Director, CFAES Dr. Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (C-MASC) https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/rattan-lal
- Soil4Climate Open House Remembrance (on Zoom and in Facebook), Sunday, Feb 22, 1-3 PM ET. https://www.facebook.com/share/1AX6WuKdmA/ - https://soil4climate-org.zoom.us/j/81068043314
Good Morning Friends, Ladies, and Gentlemen.
Today we honor the life and legacy of Elaine Ruth Ingham, a pioneering microbiologist who forever changed the way we understand soil, plants, and the ecosystems that sustain us.
Elaine passed away on Monday in Port Mill, South Carolina, at the age of 73, with her husband by her side.
Elaine was best known for developing the concept of the “Soil Food Web,” a revolutionary understanding of how microorganisms interact to create healthy, living soil.
Her research in the 1980s and 1990s helped shift agriculture toward a biology-centered approach, and her soil biology primer, with its now famous Soil Food Web diagram, became a touchstone for educators, farmers, and environmentalists around the world.
But, Elaine was more than a scientist. She was an inspiring teacher who brought soil to life for thousands of people through her workshops, the Soil Food Web school, and her lively presentations across the globe.
She had a rare gift for making complex microbiology clear, practical, and full of possibility.
Elaine's legacy lives on in the fields renewed through her teachings, the students that she inspired, and the global movement for regenerative agriculture that she helped spark.
She taught us that the smallest organisms can have the greatest impact, and she lived her life by that promise and truth.
Today, we remember Elaine with gratitude for her brilliance, her generosity, and the hope she cultivated in the world beneath our feet.
May her memory continue to grow in all those she touched and may her soul rest in heavenly abode.
Thank you.
- Dr. Rattan Lal
