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, Kripalu Yoga instructor, sound practitioner, and mythologist.
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 a simple principle: we are whole when people are supported in reconnecting with the land, their bodies, and their creative intelligence.
Art Orozco
Executive Chef, Co-Founder
From working over a decade in James Beard and Michelin-recognized restaurants to kitchens in Oaxaca, Mexico, Art centers his craft around ancient grains, specializing in nixtamalization.
He is a featured instructor at Barton Springs Mill and founder of Nutrir, a cultural food enterprise.
Advisors
From the team at Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, MI where this idea was born, we have a team of mentors, advisors, and coaches from the business and hospitality industries.
This page will be updated as we secure permissions to publish.
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.