A tree above and its mirrored roots below the soil line: branches dotted with small glowing lights above, roots joined by glowing nodes below, a golden sun at the right (soft painterly illustration)

FOOD · HEALTH · ENVIRONMENT

Everything good grows from the ground up.

Forage & Root →

Garden design, community food, membership

BELOW THE SURFACE

What is alive down there?

Deep Earth Labs ↓

Soil biology testing, plant tissue, compost

Ground level

A handful of healthy soil holds more living things than there are people on Earth.

We work both sides of the soil line. Above it, we design and care for food gardens and help communities grow local food. Below it, we count and identify what is living in your soil, then tell you what it needs.

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1 ft · Above ground

Fruit tree over layered garden beds with roots

Forage & Root

BY WOODLAND EDIBLES

Edible landscapes that fix more than your yard.

Victor and his team design, plant and care for organic food gardens. We build food into the places people already are: backyards, school grounds, parks and community gardens. No pesticides. No salt fertilizers. We never need them.

A woman sketching an edible landscape plan on a large sheet of paper
Two gardeners watering vegetables in wooden raised beds
Volunteers tending raised beds in a community garden
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How a soil test works

From a scoop of dirt to a plan.

Scroll through the four steps.

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STEP 1 OF 4

Order

Pick your test in the shop

Choose the Qualitative Assessment ($30) or the Complete Soil Food Web Assessment ($95 per sample, $85 each for 4 to 6 samples), then check out. Read the sampling guide on this site while your order is on its way.

Online shop page with a cursor over a soil test Shopping cart and a highlighted product being clicked Checkout confirmation check mark and a shipping box

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STEP 2 OF 4

Sample

Pull a few small cores

Take cores about 1 inch wide and 3 inches deep. Bag them together with the air left in, because your soil biology needs to breathe, and label the outside with the sample name and date.

A soil corer above the grass in a cross-section of the ground A soil corer pushed into the ground showing the soil layers A soil core lifted out of its hole A soil core dropping into a zip bag with air left inside

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STEP 3 OF 4

Microscope

We count what is living in it

Our certified lab technician looks at your sample under the microscope, then counts and identifies the bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and disease organisms in it.

A microscope with a soil sample on the stage The objective lens turret of a microscope rotating a lens into place A microscope view full of glowing microbes

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STEP 4 OF 4

Report

A plain-English plan

You get a report on what we found and what it means for your plants, with clear next steps for building the soil life your garden needs.

A lab report page with bar charts A round stamp pressed onto a lab report A certified report with a gold seal and a sprout
Victor Grimaldi, founder of Woodland Edibles, smiling in a flat cap and jacket by a lake with mountains behind

The person behind it

Victor Grimaldi, founder

It started in the jungles of Belize, where poisonous plants grew right beside their own antidotes. Victor builds gardens and labs on that idea: nature keeps itself in balance, and the answer to a problem is often growing next to it.

Soil Food Web Certified Lab Technician

Two Permaculture Design certifications

University of Georgia Master Gardener

Mushroom identification, state approved

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Membership

Grow with us. Start as a seed.

Four ways to belong, from free to founding sponsor. Every contribution stays local.

STAGE 1

Volunteer

Free

Lend a hand at a local garden or start your own project. Monthly updates, local event invitations, and invites to farm-to-table dinners and advanced workshops.

Join free

STAGE 2

Advocate

Free

Just getting started? Monthly updates with local workshops, community events and easy tips to grow your skills and your garden.

Join free

STAGE 3

Contributor

From $10 a month

Your contribution joins others in your area to fund community gardens and nonprofit parks. Free resources, invitations to farm-to-table dinners and learning events.

Contribute

STAGE 4

Sponsor

$2,000 a year

Jumpstart real change. Funds regenerative projects and hands-on learning in your community, with every member benefit plus complimentary or discounted farm-to-table invites.

Become a sponsor
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Questions

Good questions, straight answers.

What makes Woodland Edibles different from other landscape or design companies?

We use the latest understanding of soil and plant biology to keep your plants healthy. We never use pesticides, salt-heavy fertilizers or insecticides. When the biology is healthy, you do not need them.

Where do you work?

Garden maintenance is currently offered in the North Metro Atlanta area only. Soil lab testing and permaculture design are available wherever you are, either directly through us or through a partner near you. Book a free consultation and we will tell you what fits.

Where do membership contributions go?

Straight into local nonprofit parks and community garden projects: building local food networks, supporting education, and organizing events for members.

Are your services affordable?

Yes. We can work within nearly any budget. Our goal is to move you toward food self-sufficiency and a healthier local food system, so we build a plan around what you can actually do.

I already have a landscaper, or I want to do the work myself. Can you still help?

Absolutely. We can give you design input, specialized advice and learning resources whether you hire a landscaper or do the digging yourself.

Ready to dig in?

Tell us about your yard, your farm or your soil. The first consultation is free.