Welcome reader! Thank you for being here.
Family Soil is a resource for anyone wanting to grow nutrient-dense food, whether it’s in a window or in a sprawling garden. The information shared here will help you maximize the health and function of your soil through easy organic growing advice. When your soil and its food web biology is thriving, you’ll have stronger, more resistant plants, more nutritious and delicious produce, and less work.
On this website you’ll find practical guides, how-tos, and some deep-dives into all things no-till and organic gardening. I share information that is based on careful research and personal experience and observations, all predigested by me to save your time and energy.
About the writer
I’m Sarah. I’ve been gardening for much of my life. When I was a kid in Mom’s big farm garden, or back when I was growing in containers and tucking plants in at old apartments. I’ve been growing my current gardens for the better part of a decade. I also have experience raising chickens for eggs and meat, tapping maple trees for maple syrup, foraging wild foods, and a bit of dabbling in herbal remedies.
I’m currently a stay at home mom to three young girls (although not permanently, due to your typical financial pressures). In my other life I was a geologist in both the corporate and academic world. I have a Master of Science in Geology from Oregon State University and a Master of Arts In Geoscience from Princeton University. (That second, redundant master’s was supposed to be a Ph.D., but life happened.) Those six years I spent in graduate research programs I was, well, doing research. And like any researcher, what I really learned above all was how to teach myself new information. I use those research skills every day now, and they helped me become self-taught in all the information I share here.
As for me personally, I don’t like to take myself too seriously. If you hop over to my Instagram, you’ll probably find me trying to make you laugh while sharing tips. One thing I am pretty serious about though, is growing healthy food. Both for my own enjoyment, and to give my kids the best start I can. (And we are definitely not perfect in this regard, by the way. It’s not out of the ordinary for me to tire myself out in the garden only to turn around and grab some takeout for dinner.)
About the site
“Family Soil” is a website name that represents what I’m trying to achieve personally and what I love to share info about: healthy soil that feeds a family (or individual!) the most nutritious food it can muster. Not every carrot is created equal after all.
I also picked this because when I began this soil health and nutrition research obsession, I was growing on a property with a long family history. When I think of that history, I often wish my grandparents and great grandparents were here to teach me some of many lost skills.
And last but not least, since I like to be honest, familysoil.com was an available domain name! Which is much harder to come up with than you’d think these days.
Thanks again for being here. I am so grateful for your time, and I hope you’ll come hang out with me on social media and join me to ask questions in the comments. Let’s get growing!
