From
DRT
to
Soil.
ABOUT
Becoming Soil
Derek Richard Thomas is an inventor, regenerative agriculture advocate, and artist whose life has been shaped by a single through-line: transformation. The transformation of dirt into living soil. Of food scraps into nourishment. Of the hardened, dry places inside ourselves into something soft, alive, and connected to a greater whole.
Born in Chico, California and raised in Roseville, Derek studied horticulture and soil science before dropping out to follow music across continents. That road gave him something unexpected: a front-row seat to the degradation of soil in farms across America and Europe. It became a calling he couldn't ignore.
Today, Derek is the inventor of the Soil Maker™ — a handcrafted stoneware in-ground composter — made by Alchemy Pot™. Alchemy Pot™ makes two things. The Soil Maker™ grows your garden by turning food scraps into soil. The Alchemy Pot™ grows your Emotional Garden™. The Alchemy Pot Initiative™ brings both into schools, in partnership with the Opus 1 Foundation. Co-Founded by Derek Richard Thomas & Lizzie Loch. with his Co-Founder and life partner Lizzie Loch. He authored How to Make Soil™ (2nd Edition, 2026), spoke on the main stage at Nexus Global (Australia, Washington D.C., and New York), contributed to the documentary Common Ground in collaboration with Kiss The Ground, and co-leads the Alchemy Pot Initiative™ — an education program bringing soil literacy and emotional resilience into schools nationwide.
His work is rooted in a belief that outer transformation begins within. That what we compost in our kitchens mirrors what we're ready to let go of inside ourselves. That healing the ground and healing ourselves is the same work.
"A cactus survives in the desert by conserving what little it has and protecting itself with thorns. A fruit tree in a forest survives differently. It feeds the soil. It feeds the ecosystem. It feeds itself."
— Derek Richard Thomas, How to Make Soil
Prior to this chapter, Derek fronted Vista Kicks — a rock n roll band that toured the U.S. and parts of Europe, opened for The Rolling Stones twice, and recorded four albums and an EP. He also ran a music label called IN THE DRT Records in which he wrote and produced music for other artists. All of his new music is released through Alchemy Pot Records under Derek Richard Thomas.
WORK
Four ways Derek moves the world forward.
The Soil Maker™
An in-ground stoneware composter that feeds worms, fungi, and the underground web of life. Designed for homes, schools, and parks.
Internationally licensed and launched in Indonesia through Waste 4 Change.
Pre-Sale in USA.
Learn more.
.01
Alchemy Pot™
A Ritual Game for Connection.
Real Conversations in 15 minutes.
Grow Your Emotional Garden™
.02
Alchemy Pot Initiative™
An education program bringing Soil Makers™ and emotional literacy into schools nationwide. Piloting with 20 schools, 1,500+ students, and 2,000 Alchemy Pot™ sets, with a documentary in production. Supported by Opus 1 Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
.03
Speaking & Training
From Australia, D.C., to Nexus Global in New York, Derek brings the regenerative message to stages worldwide. Book him for keynotes, panels, school programs, and immersive group experiences.
.04
INITIATIVE
Helping kids transform their worlds…
inside & out.
The Alchemy Pot Initiative™
Helping Kids Transform Their Worlds — Inside & Out
The Soil Maker™ grows the garden outside.
It's a handcrafted stoneware vessel. The bottom half is buried in the ground. Students drop food scraps in through the top: vegetable peels, fruit rinds, coffee grounds, etc. The scraps fall into the buried chamber. Worms and microorganisms come in through small holes in the sides and break them down. Over weeks, the scraps become soil. That soil feeds the garden around it.
The Alchemy Pot™ grows the Emotional Garden™ inside.
It's a small gemstone pot that fits in one hand. One student holds it. They answer one question out loud. They pass it to the next person. Three rounds. While someone is holding the pot and sharing, no one else speaks. No advice. Just listening.
Two powerful tools into middle school classrooms.
Fiscally sponsored by the Opus 1 Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3).
A voice that makes
regeneration
undeniable.
Derek speaks at the intersection of soil science, consciousness, and culture. Whether addressing global summits or local schools, he brings a message that is grounded, urgent, and deeply human — that healing the planet and healing ourselves is the same work.
Regenerative Agriculture & Soil Health
The Philosophy of Composting & Inner Alchemy
Getting Soil Makers into Schools & Communities
From Artist to Inventor: Following the Through-Line
Consciousness & Transformation
“Don’t just
get to the root.
Get to the soil.”
Appearances & Affiliations
🌍 Nexus Global — Main Stage Speaker (Australia · D.C. · New York)
🎬 Common Ground Documentary & Kiss the Ground (Collaboration & Music Video Contributor)
🎙 Alchemy Pot Podcast — Host
📖 How to Make Soil™ — Author, Educator & Advocate, 2nd Edition 2026
THE SOIL MAKER™
The Soil Maker™ —
where composting
becomes ritual.
The Soil Maker™ is a handcrafted stoneware, in-ground composting vessel that creates a living portal between your household and the earth. It feeds the worms, fungi, and the underground web of mycelium that make soil alive.
But it's more than a composter. It's a daily 5-minute practice — a moment to let go, to set intention, to connect with the cycle of regeneration that is always available to us.
The vision: Soil Makers™ in every home, school, and park — on every continent. Connected networks of underground life that restore what's been lost from the ground up. Already licensed in Indonesia through Waste4Change, now reaching Southeast Asia.
Handcrafted Stoneware Durable, natural, designed to live in the earth permanently.
Feeds the Soil Food Web: Worms, fungi, and mycelium — the invisible ecosystem that makes soil alive.
~10 lbs. of Scraps Per Week: Like sourdough or a beehive, it's a living culture — split and spread around your yard every 3–6 months to keep it thriving.
A Daily Ritual: The Ultimate Alchemy Pot™ — An alchemical practice every time you feed the land.
Going into Schools: Building the next generation of soil stewards, one classroom at a time.
Now Licensed in Indonesia: Licensed to Waste4Change, live on their national product platform across Indonesia.
How to
Make Soil™
2nd Edition · March 2026 · Alchemy Pot Publishing
A practical, beautifully illustrated guide to what soil actually is, how easy it is to make, and why it matters for the future of the planet. Written for anyone — not just gardeners. Real change happens in the soil.
With main contributor Jessica Chiartas PhD (UC Davis · RegenScore · Soil Life) and contributors Finian Makepeace (Co-Founder of Kiss The Ground), Sayuri Yamanaka, and Lance Ignon.
Kevin Espiritu — Epic Gardening
"Building soil is one of the most crucial elements to stewarding our planet for the next generation, and Derek's book is a fantastic primer on how to do so — I highly recommend giving it a read."
Josh Tickell Filmmaker, Kiss the Ground · Common Ground
"A beautiful, accessible and critically important handbook for anyone on how to give Mother Nature a helping hand in rebuilding the most vital resource on our planet."
Gabe Brown — Regenerative Pioneer, Author of Dirt to Soil
"Derek Richard Thomas shows us, through art and storytelling, just how simple it really is and how we can all grow soil. I enthusiastically recommend this book."
The Alchemy Pots —
gemstone ritual vessels
for daily transformation.
Each Alchemy Pot is carved from a different gemstone, holding a different intention. Together they form a complete practice — inner work made tangible.
PRESS
SPECTRUM NEWS 1
Hollywood Climate Summit — Musician's invention tells the story of soil as a climate solution
CONTACT
Let's build
something
alive.
Whether you want to bring Derek to your stage, get Soil Makers™ into your school, partner on the Initiative, or collaborate on a project — reach out.
This is a living movement and there's room for you in it.