Meet Dr. Caitlin Youngquist
Dr. Caitlin Youngquist is a soil scientist, educator, and community advocate who believes that science should be practical, relateable, and deeply connected to the land we live on. She has spent her career helping people all over the world—from farmers and ranchers to consumers and food brands—understand how soil, ecology, agriculture, and community dynamics shape the world around us.
​
Beyond her professional expertise, Dr. Caitlin brings the grit and groundedness of someone who’s lived the work. She’s a volunteer firefighter, an avid outdoorswoman, a business owner and small farmer, and a firm believer in the power of strong, connected communities. Her work is rooted in the idea that sustainability isn’t about saving the planet—it’s about protecting the places we call home and supporting the people who care for them.
​
Her passion for the land, community, and education has led her to speak at events focused on gardening, agriculture, hunting, and food.
Scientist and Educator
Dr. Caitlin Youngquist earned her Ph.D. in Soil Science from Washington State University, where her research focused on the agricultural use of locally produced biosolids compost and the environmental fate of antibiotics in those systems. Her academic work sits at the intersection of soil health, waste management, and local food production—critical issues that impact agriculture, public health, and land stewardship across the globe. Dr. Caitlin's curricula vitae is available here.
Her work has contributed to a better understanding of how organic waste materials can be safely and effectively used to improve soil while protecting natural ecosystems. She’s passionate about taking her knowledge out of academia and into the field—literally.
Dr. Caitlin reads landscapes as a soil scientist, agriculturalist, firefighter, and hunter. She excels at translating complex scientific and land health concepts into practical knowledge, and connecting people with each other, the land, and the science.
​
Throughout her career as an educator and researcher, she has worked with hundreds of producers, gardeners, landowners, and students across the United States t and beyond, and learned something from every one!
Small Business Owner
As the founder of Dirt Works Wyoming, Dr. Caitlin Youngquist brings her expertise and problems solving skills directly to the people on the grund growing food for their families and communities. Through hands-on consultations, community-driven fundraising, and quality soil amendments, Caitlin helps her clients build systems that are not only good for the land, but also good for the bottom line.
Her understanding of the day-to-day realities of running a business and growing food allows her to meet people where they are—offering real solutions, not just theory. When audiences hear her speak, they aren’t just learning from a soil scientist—they’re hearing from someone who’s out there doing the work, making mistakes, and learning every day.
​
Community Member
Dr. Caitlin is a scientist who gets her hands dirty and is deeply committed to building diverse and inclusive community.
As a volunteer firefighter, she has developed her skills in team building, communication, and problem solving under pressure. In this role she learned to read the landscape from a different perspective, and the honor of serving people at their most vulnerable moment.
​
As a licensed hunting guide, Committee Chair for the Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt, and volunteer with the First Hunt Foundation and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, she has helped steward numerous women and youth through the life changing experience of their first big game harvest. Learning to hunt as an adult broadened her perspective on conservation and working landscapes.
​
As the founder of the Worland Community Garden and former Regional Director for the Wyoming Hunger Initiative, Caitlin helped create the Grow a Little Extra program which is responsible for collecting and distributing over 40,000 lbs of fresh produce annually.
​​​​
This commitment to service reflects her belief that building resilient rural communities is integral to creating sustainable agricultural systems.​
​
