S17: E12: The Underground Reason Your Garden isn't Thriving (and What You Can Do About It)

When we start gardening, it’s easy to focus on the plants—but what if we’re missing the bigger picture? Today, I’m chatting with Gregg Forster of Wisconsin Mineral Solutions about why soil health is the key to nutrient-dense food and thriving farms. We dive into how industrial agriculture has depleted our food’s nutritional value, what homesteaders might be getting wrong, and the simple changes that can make a big difference. Whether you’re growing a backyard garden or running a farm, this episode will change the way you think about soil, sustainability, and the future of our food.Podcast Episode HighlightsGregg's background and how he got into this businessThe nutritional value of fresh produceWhat contributes to nutritional loss in our foodHow this nutritional loss affects our healthWhat we need to nurture in our soilStep 1: Soil TestsStep 2: Adding amendments the right wayStep 3: Adding diversity to your soilRed flags in your garden that there's a problemHow to prevent problems in the first placeHow long does it take to get resultsFinal tips and thoughts from GreggResources Mentioned in This Podcast Episode:Learn more about Gregg Forster and his services here: https://www.wisconsinmineralsolutions.com/Learn more about Meal Craft here: https://mealcraftmethod.com/meal-craft-main177846-9453Check out Redmond's Soil Testing Kit here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/soiltestOTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: https://jillwinger.substack.com/Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.comJill on Instagram: @jill.wingerJill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomesteadApply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-applicationDid you enjoy listening to this episode? Please drop a comment below or leave a review to let us know. This can help other folks learn about this podcast and we also really appreciate the feedback!