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

Old Fashioned On Purpose

Have you felt it? Something is rippling through humanity at this moment. It's a stirring... a longing... a remembering. A sense that we are more capable than we’ve been led to believe. We want to feel alive, not sedated.. but we've lost our way. We've traded a life intertwined with nature for asphalt and artificial lights. We've swapped natural movement for a sedentary existence. We've given up food from the earth in favor of food from the factory. We've sacrificed our traditional skillsets for apps and gadgets. But while our overdose on modernity may have made us sick, there is an antidote. Join best-selling author and mentor, Jill Winger, each week as she digs into a different facet of the old-fashioned on purpose lifestyle.

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Old Fashioned On Purpose

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

March 31, 2025 • Jill Winger • Season 17 • Episode 12

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 Highlights

Gregg's background and how he got into this business
The nutritional value of fresh produce
What contributes to nutritional loss in our food
How this nutritional loss affects our health
What we need to nurture in our soil
Step 1: Soil Tests
Step 2: Adding amendments the right way
Step 3: Adding diversity to your soil
Red flags in your garden that there's a problem
How to prevent problems in the first place
How long does it take to get results
Final tips and thoughts from Gregg

Resources 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-main177846-9453

Check out Redmond's Soil Testing Kit here: http://theprairiehomestead.com/soiltest

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR YOUR HOMESTEAD:

Sign up for weekly musings from my homestead: http://theprairiehomestead.com/letter
Get my free homesteading tutorials & recipes here: www.theprairiehomestead.com
Jill on Instagram: @jill.winger
Jill on Facebook: http://facebook.com/theprairiehomestead
Apply to be a guest on the Old-Fashioned on Purpose podcast: https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/podcast-guest-application

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