Gut Health Begins with the Soil

Gut Health Begins with the Soil: How Regenerative Farming Supports a Stronger Microbiome

By Michelle Witt | Functional Practitioner + Founder of Onehappykale

As a functional wellness coach, I spend a lot of time talking about gut health. Whether it'schronic bloating, hormonal breakouts, fatigue, or brain fog—so much of it ties back to the gut. But here's the thing: true gut healing doesn’t start with a probiotic. It starts on the farm. The quality of your microbiome is directly influenced by the quality of your food, and that food is only as nourishing as the soil it was grown in.

This is where regenerative farming makes all the difference, and why I personally support farms like Grassroots Farmers Co-op, who are raising the bar when it comes to clean, nutrient-dense, gut-supportive food.

What Is Regenerative Farming? Regenerative agriculture goes beyond organic. It’s a holistic, soil-first farming method designed

to restore ecosystems, increase biodiversity, and promote a closed-loop system where the environment, animals, and humans all benefit.

At Grassroots Farmers Co-op, regenerative practices look like:

• 100% pasture-raised, grass-fed meats
  
• No synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, or pesticides
  
• Rotational grazing that mimics nature’s rhythms
  
• Practices that regenerate the soil microbiome

This approach doesn’t just create better food, it creates a healthier foundation for the body, starting with the gut.

The Gut–Soil Connection: Why It Matters

We all know that gut health is key to energy, mood, digestion, skin, and immune function. But what many people don’t realize is that the state of the soil your food comes from directly affects your own gut microbiome.

Healthy soil is alive. It’s full of beneficial bacteria, fungi, enzymes, and organic matter that help plants grow strong and nutrient-rich. When we consume food raised in this environment, we’re supporting the resilience and diversity of our internal ecosystem.

In functional nutrition, this is where we zoom out. It’s not just what’s on the plate, it’s how it got there.

4 Ways Regenerative Farming Supports Gut Health

1. More Microbes = Better Gut Diversity

Your gut microbiome thrives on diversity, and so does soil. Regeneratively managed soil is teeming with beneficial microbes that are naturally transferred through food.

A more diverse gut microbiome can:

• Improve digestion and regularity
  
• Support clear, resilient skin
  
• Strengthen immune response
  
• Enhance mood and mental clarity

This is one of the most underappreciated yet powerful ways to naturally support gut health.

2. Fewer Gut-Disrupting Chemicals

Conventional farming often involves synthetic herbicides like glyphosate, which is a known gut disruptor. It can compromise the gut lining, disrupt microbial balance, and contribute to leaky gut.

By contrast, regenerative farms like Grassroots avoid synthetic inputs completely. This minimizes your exposure to harmful chemicals and reduces the burden on your gut and liver.

3. Higher Nutrient Density

Regeneratively farmed food is consistently shown to contain more bioavailable nutrients, like magnesium, zinc, iron, and B vitamins, which are all crucial for gut lining repair, enzyme function, and detoxification.

Why this matters: nutrient-dense food supports the body’s natural ability to heal. Without it, even the best supplements fall flat.

4. Better Fat Profiles = Lower Inflammation

Grass-fed meats from regenerative farms contain higher levels of:

• Omega-3 fatty acids
  
• CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)
  
• Fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and E

These nutrients help lower inflammation, regulate hormones, stabilize blood sugar, and protect the gut lining —making them essential for anyone dealing with acne, PMS, anxiety, or sluggish digestion.

A Functional Health Perspective

In functional wellness, we always look upstream. Instead of chasing symptoms, we dig into root causes and often, that root leads back to nutritional gaps, inflammation, or toxin exposure.

When a client comes to me with persistent fatigue, histamine intolerance, chronic bloating, or breakouts, one of the first things I look at is food quality, not just what they’re eating, but where it came from. Is it from over-farmed, nutrient-depleted soil sprayed with chemicals? Or was it raised on vibrant, mineral-rich land that supports full-body healing?

Clients are often surprised to learn that not all organic is created equal. Once they understand regenerative farming, they start making more empowered, informed choices and their bodies thank them for it.

Why I Trust Grassroots Farmers Co-op

Grass Roots Cooperative is the only meat I personally use and the first I recommend to clients who care about clean, nutrient-rich, ethically raised protein.

Here’s why they’ve earned that trust:

• 100% pasture-raised meats from regenerative, small-scale farms
  
• Full transparency and traceability! You always know where your food comes from
  
• High standards for soil health, animal welfare, and nutrient density
  

When you're focused on gut healing, hormone balance, or blood sugar support, quality protein matters. Grassroots makes it easy to eat in a way that’s aligned with your wellness goals, no compromise required.

How to Start Supporting Your Gut (and the Planet)

You don’t need to overhaul your entire lifestyle to start seeing the benefits. Here are a few ways to start aligning your eating habits with both gut health and sustainability:

• Choose pasture-raised, regeneratively farmed meats whenever possible
• Buy local, seasonal produce from farmers using soil-friendly practices
• Skip the over-sanitizing, natural soil microbes support immune resilience
• Eat a colorful variety of foods to feed your microbiome
• Look beyond labels! Pay attention to how your food was raised

Final Thoughts: Wellness Starts Below the Surface

Gut health is about more than what you cut out. It’s about what you’re connected to—the earth, the food, and the systems that support life.

Supporting regenerative farms like Grassroots Farmers Co-op is one of the most powerful things we can do for our health, our environment, and our collective future.

If you’re a health-conscious individual, athlete, wellness seeker, or simply someone who wants to feel better in their body, I encourage you to take a look at what’s on your plate… and trace it back to where it came from.

Because healing the gut often begins with healing the soil.

Rooting for your health, always,

Michelle Witt

Functional Practitioner & Founder of OneHappyKale | www.onehappykale.com