Indigenously-Owned & Operated
Microbial Mud LLC is a tribally owned
Founded by Cole Stefl, of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Our work is grounded in Indigenous land‑based knowledge and carried forward through contemporary microbial ecology, soil microscopy, and applied regenerative science. We approach land regeneration as a relationship‑based practice. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) informs how we observe land, collect microbial life, time interventions, and steward ecosystems across generations. Modern tools—such as microscopy, field monitoring, and systems design—allow us to translate those teachings into actionable, site‑specific strategies for today’s degraded and contaminated landscapes. Rather than separating tradition and science, we work at their intersection—where ancestral knowledge of living systems meets direct biological observation.
The Science Behind the Soil
Healthy soil is a living system. A single teaspoon can contain billions of microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes—working together to regulate nutrient availability, suppress disease, stabilize carbon, and mediate water dynamics.Industrial agriculture and chemical dependency have fractured these networks at a global scale, resulting in compacted soils, contaminated groundwater, and weakened ecosystem resilience. Our work focuses on restoring biochemical balance and biological complexity—reviving the microbial networks that allow land to function as a self‑regulating, self‑healing system. By reconnecting observation, tradition, and applied science, we support landscapes in remembering how to sustain life again.
Microbial Solutions for a Contaminated World
Across agricultural, industrial, and urban landscapes, soils have been stripped of biological diversity and ecological function. Chemical inputs, compaction, extraction, and contamination have disrupted the microbial networks that once regulated nutrient flow, water infiltration, and detoxification processes. Our work focuses on re‑activating the biological intelligence of soil—beginning at the microbial level—so ecosystems can regain their innate capacity to heal, buffer toxins, and rebuild structure over time.
We specialize in applied microbial ecology for:
Soil regeneration after intensive agriculture or earthworks
Rebuilding biological function following tillage, compaction, grading, or excavation through regenerative soil microscopy, compost tea extracts, fungal integration, and custom microbial inoculations designed specifically for the site.
Biologically supported remediation of PFAS, hydrocarbons, and other contaminants
Nature‑based remediation strategies that use microbes, fungi, plants, and carbon systems to support detoxification, immobilization, and long‑term ecological recovery, guided by pre‑ and post‑inoculation soil analysis and ongoing biological monitoring.
Long‑term restoration of nutrient cycling, aggregation, and carbon retention
Multi‑season soil consulting and agricultural support focused on rebuilding complete soil food webs, improving aggregation and water infiltration, and increasing biologically driven carbon storage so fertility compounds year after year rather than requiring repeated external inputs.These strategies are grounded in observation, not assumptions, and are refined through ongoing monitoring rather than one‑time treatments.
Our Structure
We operate as a dual entity:
Dr. Mudd’s Microbes: A 508(c)(1)(A) faith-based, unincorporated ecological ministry focused on microbial research, education, and spiritual land stewardship.
Microbial Mud LLC: Our operational and manufacturing wing, producing microbial products and materials for distribution, training, and field application.