The planet needs passionate people like yourself, today, more than ever! Our 2024 agroecological coaching program is being hosted in Montana, USA.

Grizzly Creek

Applications are now closed!

Book some time with us to get your questions answered. We will then send out an application link. There is a non-refundable fee of $100 for the CREATE application.

We’ll get back to you when applications close: June 12 - with places confirmed before July 5th.

CREATE kicks off on the 1st of September, 2024 at Grizzly Creek Ranch in Montana.

Applications are now closed!
Nicole in a hole

Welcome to CREATE Coaching

CREATE is a 36-week intensive program designed to train and empower consultants and coaches in the theory, principles and practices behind healthy, agroecological systems.

At the completion of this training, attendees will have the business plans, skills, tools and templates required to start their own agroecological coaching businesses, providing services so desperately needed in the rural sector today.

Read more here
leaves cut out soil fruit farm crop

What the CREATE Program Offers?

The CREATE program offers you the world’s most in-depth training in agroecological systems thinking. Topics dig deep into microbiology, soil science, agronomy, plant physiology, management, mindset and behavior change. Combining practice and cutting-edge science, you will acquire and cultivate the skills and observations to offer true holistic agricultural options to your clients.

  • 1. Profoundly altered their ability to diagnose many on-farm/ranch challenges

  • 2. Increased their ability to effectively coach and train producers

  • 3. Has improved their technical understanding of minerals and microbes

Listen to What Past CREATE Students Have to Say!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

People who have a combination of the following skills and experiences: practical farming/ranching/growing experience and/or science and technical background in horticulture/ agriculture/soil science or ecology.

People who have a commitment and vision bigger than themselves. People who are coachable and willing to ask the hard questions of themselves. People who enjoy coaching and empowering others. Communicators and educators. Ecological thinkers. People who recognize regeneration is a journey not a destination. People who can bring a degree of humility and can leave their ego at the door. People who are already working in consultancy, facilitation or education.

Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For Serious Professionals Only
We consider this program an equivalent of a Masterate - only deeper!
This course will require a major investment from you. Picture the depth and breadth of topics we need to cover for you to start your own coaching business, be prepared to put in the work and you will reap a bountiful harvest.

What are the commitments for this program?

The course is spans 36 weeks in total. After the initial 6 days in class, we estimate 10-14 hours per week of self-directed coursework, which includes reading, practical work and online sessions. There are also weekly coaching (1 hour), hub calls and 2-hour webinar sessions. At the end of the program, we come together for a final 4-day digestion session in Bozeman.

You will have a special project to work on for the duration of the program, using a property you choose (not your own) to create an in-depth written report and recommendations for action.

You will need to choose 2 sites to take soil mineral, microbial, leaf tests and visual assessments. The Regen Platform powered by Soil Mentor is provided free to students to collect their first round of observations. 

This report is based on the foundational diagnostics, templates and framework provided. This course will require a major investment from you in time, commitment and self-development. Picture the depth and breadth of topics we need to cover for you to start your own coaching business.

Note: If you do not attend 90% of classes, and written and online materials are unfinished by the final date, you will not receive a certificate of completion.

Wisdom from Past CREATE Students

"This program is for folks who are looking to take their agroecological careers to the next level and solve big challenges in ag".

"This was absolutely an investment into myself.  This isn’t just a course, this is an experience, accounting for intangibles that most programs overstep".

"CREATE provided missing pieces of the puzzle of the soil system functions and most importantly - the training provided the proper technical approaches for the most cost-effective context-specific actions. The program also provided priceless self-work that gave me a lot of confidence in my professional path".

"I never dreamed I'd be able to consult full-time and have an impact on thousands of acres already. I'm not sure I would have had the opportunity if it wasn't for CREATE. It definitely gave me the confidence to get over an 'imposter syndrome' - the belief that I don't have the skills/ abilities/ experience to consult."

"This program is for highly driven and motivated people with a strong "why."

"I have knowledge and skills and a breadth of understanding about plants and soils and how those systems interact that other people I come in contact with simply don't have. Also the concepts of integrity and providing coaching value with knowledge along with coaching is something people I see in the field so far just don't seem to incorporate".

"You have some of the best ag coaches in the world at your fingertips. Make sure you use every coaching session you can!"

"Dig deep it will pay off so much".

When & where is CREATE 2024?

CREATE will begin in-person on the 1st -8th September 2024, in Montana, USA.

At the end of the online portion, we come together for a final 4 day digestion session 28 April- 1st May in Bozeman, MT.

Where do I stay for the practicums?

We have accommodation for you on-site for the first week. Food is provided. Special meal requests can be considered. In April we recommend you find accomodation near the middle of Bozeman.

Is this an online or in-person program?

Both (see above.) The majority is online with the beginning and final practicum in-person.

How many people can attend?

For the 2024 intake, we are limiting student numbers to no more than 20.

What is the deadline for the application?

The Deadline for applications in June 12th - Placement to be confirmed July 5th

Do I need formal qualifications?

Not necessarily. The ability to observe and critically think is the most valuable capability to bring. Each applicant will be considered based on their own merits. Recommended pre-reading includes Nicole’s book “For the Love of Soil” and books by Carol Sanford. We also recommend professional development programs, such as the Landmark Forum.

Can anyone join the Integrity Soils Fellowship?

The Fellowship is an invitation only group offered to those who excel during the CREATE course. Students can choose to proactively partner with the Integrity Soils and be profiled on our website.

Who is this course NOT for?

Although each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis. People that have no experience in food/fibre production will not be considered.

This is not a program for the faint-of-heart, for those wanting business as usual, or those who rest on their laurels. If you would describe yourself in any of the following ways:

If personal development does not interest you, or you do not value investing in yourself. If you’re looking for a prescription. If you already "know-it-all." If you just want to change from one input system to another or are looking for ‘the silver bullet answer’. If you’re an agronomist who sees Regenerative Ag is the next big trendy ticket. If you’re looking for just another marketing tool...

Then this is not the program for you!

What can I do to prepare for the application?

Impact statement: Creating Impact

Describe your involvement with 1-2 high-impact projects that you have in the past, or are currently, playing a key role in developing and/or delivering. (250 words each)

Create a document & email to info@integritysoils.com (PDF File Suggested)

Please specify the project by the following:

~Name

~Website if applicable

~Your role and the team/stakeholders involved

~Please include qualitative and quantitative data where possible to describe the projects.

For completed projects: Provide a clear definition of the project, including why you chose it, the impact and key outcomes you achieved, and approximately how much time you spent on this initiative.

— —

Three Minute Video

Submitting a 3-minute video is highly recommended.

Each video should address the following:

~Your name and location

~Why are you passionate about coaching in Agroecology? Why now?

~How have you contributed to communities you have been part of beyond your own projects?

~What barriers have you overcome to get to where you are now?

~Where do you see yourself in the future and where do you need to grow from here to get to that future?

~Is there any other useful information we should consider in your application?

(anything over 3 minutes will not be viewed)

Do:

~Use a device that works for you (e.g. phone or laptop camera)

~Check THAT your sound levels are WORKING and sound quality is good

~LOOK INTO THE CAMERA! Talk as freely as you can.

~Make your video unlisted on YouTube or password-protected on Vimeo (send us this password)

~Separate the URL and password (if applicable) by a comma and space

~ Double-check that the link works

~HAVE FUN!

DON’T:

~Go over 3 minutes

~Add background sounds

~Read off a script

~Capture footage up your nose - just saying, not a good look!

~Feel like you need to create film festival video quality!

Who Is Behind CREATE?

Together this team pulls together diverse and powerful skills in communication, facilitation, coaching and behaviour change science, with decades of practical experience in regenerative, agroecological systems.

As a team they bring established track records in capacity building and empowering farmers, ranchers, growers and land care organizations.

  • Nicole Masters circle frame

    Nicole Masters

    Nicole is a globally recognised agroecologist, speaker and author of the book "For the Love of Soil". She has over 24 years practical farming and food production experience, with 20 years of experience as an agroecological coach and educator. Nicole is formally trained in soil science, organizational learning, pattern thinking, and adult education. She has worked closely with diverse production sectors from; dairy, sheep & beef, viticulture, compost, nurseries, market gardens, racing studs, lifestyle blocks to large-scale cropping. Working with such diverse clients has fostered a broad knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing different production systems. During many of her years as an educator, Nicole has been practically involved in food production.

  • Meagan Lannan profile thumbnail

    Meagan Lannan

    Meagan has the great pleasure to serve on Nicole Masters' international team of agroecological coaches that are training systems thinking, boots-on-the-ground ecological coaches to work with ranchers and farmers worldwide. Meagan is an animated, straightforward coach that sparks potential through curious questions to ignite crucial conversations that open gates for action. Her joy in coaching is working with an individual or team, with a story of challenges and transforming those into a reality of possibility and opportunity.  When not coaching humans, Meagan is calling cows. She and her husband own Barney Creek Livestock, a regenerative adaptive grazing operation in Montana's Paradise Valley in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.

  • Felix portrait in circle

    Felix Egerer

    Felix is a soil-nerd and viticulturist growing premium wine grapes on 50+ acres for Unsworth Vineyards on British Columbia's Vancouver Island. He is a graduate of the Viticulture & Enology programs at UC Davis and Geisenheim University. Previous positions in the wine industry have taken him to Canada, the USA, Australia, France, and Germany. With over a decade in winemaking and viticulture, and his insatiable natural curiosity, he manages the vineyard with agroecological principles in mind. He brings a great depth of technical and practical experience to the team. Felix also supports other growers in thinking outside their trellis-shaped boxes and transition their operations to regenerative models through his company

    Agricola Soils.

  • Rachel bio

    Rachel Lohof Larsen

    Rachel is a member of the CREATE 2024 YELLOWSTONE Team, owner of Grounded Life Soil Consulting LLC, Lead Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) Monitor with UVE, and a graduate of CREATE 2022. Raised on a multi-generational family ranch, a family culture of stewardship and sense of place has deeply informed her life and livelihood. She is educated in Environmental Science, so that she may bridge the gap between academic knowledge and lived experience in agriculture. Rachel has a skilled knack for observation and a quiet presence, honed by years of experience working livestock around the Mountain West alongside her husband Guy. CREATE 2022 propelled her into the field with diverse agricultural clients, collaborative workshops with Women in Ranching, and the pursuit of ecological data sovereignty for tribal land stewards in the Northern Great Plains.

  • Olivier de Shaetzen 2024

    Olivier de Shaetzen

    Olivier’s passion for nature and agriculture finds its roots in a childhood spent exploring forests, orchards, and fields in rural Belgium. The genuine expression of nature, which includes both people and the natural environment, is the key driver in his work. He currently leads Gens, an organization supporting farmers in their transition towards agroecological management. In his work he draws from a diverse background in architecture, local economic development, environmental sciences, and entrepreneurship, where he deploys his skills in systems change and integration to connect the dots between the social, economic, and environmental aspects of agriculture. Rather than coming with all the answers, Olivier prefers to walk alongside those managing land, nurturing and co-creating a pathway forward. As a coach he brings an open mind, curiosity, and big ears to listen deeply. By approaching this process with humility, not coming with the “right” answers, but rather crafting them together he looks to connect and shine a light on the unique genius of the individual.