I’ve been collaborating with farmers and land stewards across Canada since 2015, helping people understand what’s limiting soil function and how to rebuild it so plants are more resilient.

I came to soil through an unlikely path. My background was in computing science and building software systems, where the constant question was: How can we do this better? That mindset still guides my work today. Except now the “data” tells stories of life and death, symbiosis, predator-and-prey, and interconnectedness.

I grew up in the Philippines, surrounded by fruit trees, tropical vegetation, and an endless diversity of insects. That early curiosity about living systems stayed with me. Later, a visit back home in 2010 became a turning point: I saw how Green Revolution practices were still shaping small farms—hybrid seed paired with intensive fertilizer and pesticide use, increasing dependence over time, and a slow decline in overall ecological health.

Watching farmers spray chemicals up close made it impossible to ignore the human and environmental costs. So, I started looking for practical alternatives for my family and community.

That search led me to permaculture and, in 2011, to the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham and the Soil Food Web framework—where I learned to see soil as a living system, not just a growing medium. Over time, I also learned how critical compost quality and management are: when compost is made well and used strategically, it can help kickstart the microbial processes that support nutrient cycling and long-term soil function.

Today, I bring that same curiosity and systems-thinking to every project. The work is part science, part observation, part art and part practice—grounded in the belief that regeneration is possible when we understand the biology we’re working with.

If you’re working to rebuild soil function on your farm or landscape, you’re in the right place.

— Jo Tobias | Regenerative Soil and Living Compost Specialist