From Soil to Self: Earth Month Reflections on the Microbiome’s Role in Environmental Health

Every April, Earth Month invites us to pause and consider our relationship with the planet. We think about climate, pollution, sustainability—but how often do we think about microbes? These invisible allies, often overlooked, are the true stewards of life on Earth. They live beneath our feet, within our bodies, and in every breath we take. And they are crucial to both personal and planetary health.

In 2019, I had the honor of speaking at the Reimagining Human Health Conference at Bard College. It was one of the first gatherings where we began to publicly explore the profound connections between environmental health and the microbiome—the soil’s and our own. What began as a personal journey into microbiome science to support my husband’s Parkinson’s diagnosis has expanded into a much larger understanding: that the same systems thinking we apply to human health must also be applied to the Earth.

When we speak of terrain theory—that it is the condition of the body’s internal environment that determines health—we must also look outward. What is the condition of our external terrain? Of the soil, the water, the food system? And what does restoring one teach us about restoring the other?

Microbiomes as a Common Thread – The Soil, the Body, and the Web of Life

The soil beneath our feet and the gut within our bodies are more similar than they are different. Both are living ecosystems teeming with bacteria, fungi, archaea, and viruses—tiny lifeforms that work together to process nutrients, break down waste, and communicate across vast biochemical networks.

In her book Farmacology , Dr. Daphne Miller beautifully explores this concept—showing how farms that nurture the soil’s microbiome produce more resilient crops, healthier food, and even, it seems, more robust communities. When soil is depleted, plants suffer. When our inner terrain is disrupted, so do we.

At BiotiQuest, we often say the gut is the root of health. But perhaps we could also say: soil is the gut of the Earth. And just as diversity and balance are key to a healthy gut microbiome, they are essential for the soil as well. It's not just about adding the “right” bacteria; it’s about cultivating the right environment for life to thrive—inside and out.

Disruption and Restoration – Glyphosate, Hydrocarbons, and the Microbial Response

Modern agricultural and industrial practices have severely disrupted microbial ecosystems, both in the environment and in our bodies. Chemicals like glyphosate and hydrocarbons are not neutral substances. They don’t just kill pests or improve crop yield, they damage microbial communities, stripping away the very organisms that make life sustainable.

This understanding drove our investment in Ancient Organics BioScience and the development of products like PaleoPower—which are designed to help restore microbial balance in damaged environments by breaking down herbicides, hydrocarbons, and other chemical pollutants. These microbial consortia don't just "clean" the soil; they rebuild its intelligence, reintroducing communication pathways and biochemical processes lost to synthetic disruption.

This is microbial regeneration. And it echoes what we see in the gut. When we support the microbiome with the right bacteria, prebiotics, and nutrient-dense food, we’re not just feeding ourselves—we’re restoring an internal ecosystem that has the innate intelligence to heal.

A Sharing Economy of Microbes – Lessons from The Serviceberry

In our recent book club, we explored Robin Wall Kimmerer’s essay The Serviceberry , which offers a compelling vision of a "sharing economy" rooted in reciprocity, not extraction. It reminded me of how microbial life operates: not through competition and domination, but through collaboration and co-existence.

In both soil and gut, microbes engage in an ongoing dialogue—exchanging metabolites, signaling molecules, even genetic material. The healthier and more diverse the community, the more resilient it becomes. This is not survival of the fittest—it’s survival of the most connected.

As we restore the microbiome—whether through regenerative farming or targeted probiotics—we’re also restoring this ancient, cooperative intelligence. We are re-learning what nature already knows: that wellness grows in relationship, not isolation.

From Soil to Self – Reclaiming Our Place in the Living World

As Earth Month draws our attention back to sustainability and environmental care, it’s worth remembering that we are not separate from the Earth. Our bodies are walking ecosystems. Every choice we make—to support our gut, to regenerate soil, to reduce chemical exposure—is a step toward healing both terrains.

At BiotiQuest, we believe in empowering your health journey by aligning with nature’s original design. Whether through gut-supportive probiotics or microbial soil restoration , our mission is rooted in the belief that healing is systemic and possible when we work with—not against—our microbial partners.

So this Earth Month, I invite you to reflect: what would it mean to restore your own internal terrain? And how might that journey ripple outward—into the way you care for the food you eat, the land you walk on, the world you’re part of?

Let’s return to the soil, and begin again.