Meet Morgan. A Gardener, Glen Ridge native, and the founder of Soil Rookie.

After living a “normal” life in Glen Ridge and Montclair, New Jersey, I received a diagnosis at age 34 that changed the course of my life. I didn’t have the genetics for it. Instead, it was my environment that triggered the disease. The one every woman is conditioned to fear. Yes, that one.

My team of doctors guided me down the path that most people with my diagnosis would take, but something inside me awakened and remembered that nature could be my medicine. Through a combination of Western medicine and natural healing modalities, I regained my health and vitality. And I have nature to thank for much of that miracle.

After finding my way back to wellness, I followed my heart to an organic farm in Pennsylvania. For two years, my husband and I immersed ourselves in a life devoted to reconnecting with nature. We often call our time on the farm our master's program. It was there that we learned firsthand the power of growing food, caring for the land, and living in closer relationship with the natural world.

Now we're back in the Garden State, helping as many people as possible experience the miracle of growing healthy food at home.

Cultivating an organic garden is about so much more than produce. It's a way to bring beauty, nourishment, and possibility into everyday life. It’s a way to reshape our mindset to look for the good in the world. Gardening connects us to the earth, our health, and our community, which I believe are all one in the same. It also encourages us to deepen our relationship to self. When we watch a tiny seed transform into food that heals us, we're reminded that life is full of wonder, and that there is so much more in this life to discover, celebrate, and enjoy. Soil Rookie isn’t just about gardening, it’s about finding our way back to a full life, healing ourselves and our environment.

Let’s thrive together,

Morgan, The Original Soil Rookie

‍You can watch my healing journey here