Common Ground
“The soil is the great connector of lives, the source and destination of all. It is the healer and restorer and resurrector, by which disease passes into health, age into youth, death into life. Without proper care for it we can have no community, because without proper care for it we can have no life.” -Wendell Barry
The Team
With aligned mission, vision, and values centered on nourishment, we are driven to grow the local food economy, preserve regenerative land, and deepen meaningful community.
Monica Paredes
CEO, Co-founder
Monica brings over two decades of experience as a business strategist, SaaS founder, startup advisor, investor, author, and photographer. Her background spans entrepreneurship, systems design, and mission-driven enterprise, with a focus on building models that are economically viable and community-rooted.
Alongside her business work, Monica is trained as an herbalist, pastry chef, and Kripalu Yoga instructor, as well as a sound, cosmic systems, ecotherapy, and narrative practitioner.
This multidisciplinary foundation informs Soil to Soul Commons as a living ecosystem where food, land, creativity, and commerce are understood as interconnected.
Her work is guided by the principle that we return to health and wholeness when we reconnect with Earth, nature, our bodies, and our creative intelligence.
Art Orozco
Executive Chef, Co-Founder
Art has spent over a decade in professional kitchens, including James Beard and Michelin-recognized restaurants, and gained important experience learning and cooking in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Art bridges traditional grain techniques with disciplined craft & creative expression. He works primarily with heritage grains and is especially known for his work with nixtamalization.
Art is a featured instructor at Barton Springs Mill and the founder of Nutrir.
His work is rooted in a simple belief: when food is grown, cooked, and shared with care for the land and its traditions, it nourishes people in deeper ways.
Advisors
From the team at Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, MI where this idea was born, we have a council of mentors, advisors, and coaches from the business, retail, and hospitality industries.
A Bit of Context
Soil to Soul Commons is being built in conversation with farmers, regional partners, and public institutions.
In this short clip, Monica shares the context behind the project when asked by the Department of Agriculture to present early thinking and models. This reflects how we approach the work: transparently, collaboratively, and with long-term regional viability in mind.
This clip is shared for context, not as a finished proposal. It has the original concept name of Equanimity Commons, which is now Soil to Soul Commons.
Be the First to Know
Soil to Soul Commons is being built slowly and deliberately, with respect for the land and the people who sustain it.
If you want to stay informed as we move toward launch, please join our mailing list.
If you are a farmer, maker, or producer interested in selling through Soil to Soul Commons, you can learn more on our producer page.