Our Evolution
Dr Elaine Ingham commenced her academic career at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, USA, with a double major in Biology and Chemistry (1974). She then attained a Master of Science in Microbiology (1977) at Texas A & M University followed by a doctorate in microbiology (with an emphasis on soil) from Colorado State University (1981).
After having gained valuable hands on expertise working in extensive research projects at various other universities, Dr. Ingham decided to establish the first Soil Foodweb Inc. laboratory (1996) in Oregon, USA.
Her extensive knowledge in managing the soil food web to promote plant growth and reduce reliance on inorganic fertilisers and chemicals has helped growers worldwide to achieve true soil fertility.
The ongoing success reaped by farmers who have adopted the methods of SFI as part of their farm regime has seen the company grow from strength to strength. So much so that there are now Soil Foodweb Laboratories spread around the globe each delivering the same proprietary systems that were initially developed by their U.S. parent company and achieving similar outstanding results for growers.
Soil Foodweb Institute (Australia)
The Australian arm of the Soil Foodweb Inc. laboratory and consulting service was opened at Lismore in 2001 and works closely with Southern Cross University.
SFI is a commercial enterprise and was created to empower primary producers to take control of maintaining the health of their soil through the provision of expert analysis and advice.
The systems developed by SFI to analyse soil micro-organisms and identify problem areas stems from Dr. Ingham’s many years of research focused on soil biology.
Not only are the problem areas for each client identified but also solutions are provided on how to rectify the problems in overworked or under performing soils.
Since its inception, Soil Foodweb Institute (SFI) has worked closely with hundreds of growers throughout Australia and Asia to improve the health and productivity of their soils. 
Understanding soil health requires a detailed knowledge of which organisms occur, which ones are working, how many are present, and whether the soil food web has the right balance for the desired crops/plants.
At SFI we assess soil, compost, compost tea, leaf, vermicast and various other biological products for micro-organisms (fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nematodes, and mycorrhizal fungi).
With this information we are able to devise the right management plans tailored to your specific needs so as to achieve a sustainable, productive and low-input system.
The Australian laboratory has continued to build on the extensive research by renowned soil biologists including Dr Elaine Ingham (President and Director of Research, Soil Foodweb Inc.).
The large numbers of samples that have been analysed by our Australian laboratory has enabled SFI to gain a comprehensive understanding of micro-organism balance and function specific to the wide range of crops, soils and climates that are within Australia and Asia.
The team at SFI, led by Chris and David Ellery, is fully committed to assisting growers achieve true sustainable soil fertility without the need for toxic and costly chemicals thereby enabling you to improve crop yields and the returns on your investment.
You’d be amazed at how cost effective our programs actually are and how beneficial it can be to have a professional on your team to guide you through the processes involved.