The most essential question for farmers and gardeners to ask about their soil is, “Is it alive?” We will explore the diverse microorganism communities present in soil and why it is so important to keep them thriving and in balance. Meredith Leigh will explain the importance of a dynamic soil food web. View multiple different local participant samples and apply that information on your own farm or garden to build your own soil enriching strategies. In part 5, we start with hyphae and spores of a beneficial penicillin fungus, commonly seen on the outside of salami and other cured meats and go on to explore many other microbes in soil and fermented foods.