If you’ve ever stood at the edge of a field in late November, you know the look of winter soil.
Crusted with frost.
Pale.
Still.
It almost feels like the land has exhaled and gone to sleep.
We’ve been taught to think of winter as “nothing’s happening season” — both in the soil and in our bodies. But that story is wrong.
Under that thin layer of frost, the soil is busy. It’s listening, restructuring, and preparing for everything that will grow next season. And whether you realize it or not, your body is doing something very similar.
If you missed my earlier Farmland Friday about how soil and human biology mirror each other, it’s worth reading: Farm Soil, Human Soil: Regenerative Agriculture Heals Both.
Let’s pull back that frozen layer and talk about what’s really going on.
What Looks Frozen Is Actually Busy
From the surface, winter soil looks like the end of the story. The crops are gone, the leaves are off the trees, and the ground is hard.
But underneath?
Moisture is moving.
Fungi and bacteria are shifting gears.
Roots are holding on, sending and receiving signals.
In healthy, living soil, winter is not a flatline. It’s a reorganization period.
The soil slows down just enough to recalibrate:
- It responds to changing moisture and temperature.
- It breaks down leftover plant material at a different pace.
- It reshuffles nutrients, readying them for the next burst of life in spring.
It’s a quieter kind of work — but it’s still work.
Frost as Nature’s Gentle Tiller
One of the most fascinating things about winter is how frost itself becomes a tool.
When water in the soil freezes, it expands. When it thaws, it contracts. Those tiny freeze–thaw cycles gently crack, loosen, and aerate the soil. No tractor required.
That natural expansion and contraction:
- Creates small channels for air and water
- Helps relieve compaction
- Helps roots and microbes access the spaces they need
It’s the earth’s version of a deep stretch.
And just like the soil, your body goes through its own kind of seasonal “stretch” in winter. You might notice:
- Joints feeling a little stiffer
- Digestion slowing down
- A stronger pull toward warm, grounding foods
- A desire to sleep more or move a bit slower
None of that means you’re broken. It means your biology is responding to a real shift in the environment — just like the soil does.
Winter as the Season of Storage and Information
Winter is often described as a “down time,” but it’s more accurate to say it’s a storage and information season.
In the soil, leftover plant matter, roots, and microorganisms are all part of a quiet data exchange:
- What was grown here this year?
- How much moisture did the soil hold?
- What nutrients were pulled out — and which ones need rebuilding?
All of that informs what’s coming next.
Your body is remarkably similar.
In the colder months, your system collects information too:
- How much stress did you carry this year?
- How well is your nervous system regulating?
- Are you depleted, or do you have reserves?
- Are you eating foods that support you, or strip you further?
Winter is when your body takes stock. It’s less about pushing forward and more about asking, “What do I need to repair before I grow again?”
Your Body’s “Inner Soil” and the Food You Eat
Here’s the part that doesn’t get talked about enough:
The health of the soil shows up in the food.
And the health of the food shows up in you.
If the soil is alive, diverse, and supported — especially during the stress of winter — it tends to produce:
- More nutrient-dense crops
- Better mineral balance
- Healthier plant compounds that protect both the plant and you
If the soil is depleted, chemically overworked, or left bare and vulnerable, that shows up too — in weaker plants, reduced nutrients, and more stress on your body when you eat them.
Your gut is its own ecosystem.
Your nervous system is its own communication network.
Your whole body is like “human soil” — constantly interacting with the world around it.
For a deeper look at how invisible systems affect your health and sovereignty, this Why Wednesday dives into it:
Why Your Data Isn’t Yours.
So when winter hits, and the land is under extra stress from harsh weather and chemical farming practices, your body feels that downstream impact whether you’re conscious of it or not.
Simple Ways to Support Your “Inner Soil” This Winter
You don’t have to overhaul your life to sync more gently with winter. Think of small, soil-honoring shifts:
Warm, grounding foods.
Soups, stews, root vegetables, slow-cooked beans, and broths are like winter comfort for both soil and gut — they’re easier to digest and often richer in minerals.
Fermented foods in small amounts.
Sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, or other naturally fermented foods can support your gut microbes the way compost supports soil microbes — a little at a time, consistently.
Respect your slower rhythm.
Longer nights are not an accident. If you’re craving earlier evenings or softer mornings, there’s nothing “lazy” about that. It’s your biology trying to align with actual daylight.
Hydrate, even when you don’t feel thirsty.
Winter air is drying for both soil and humans. Warm teas, broths, and mineral-rich water help keep things moving.
Get outside, even briefly.
A few minutes of real daylight on your skin and in your eyes supports your circadian system in ways indoor light simply can’t.
These are not trends. They’re ways of saying:
“I live in the same world as the soil, and I’m going to listen to it.”
You and the Soil Are Not Separate Stories
We’ve been conditioned to think of the farm out there and the body in here as two separate worlds.
But when you zoom out, you start to see the overlap:
- Both soil and humans slow down in winter.
- Both have microbial communities that matter.
- Both respond to stress, chemicals, and nourishment.
- Both are storing information now for what’s going to grow later.
When we honor winter soil — protect it, cover it, feed it, stop abusing it — we’re not just “doing something nice for the planet.” We’re supporting the quality of the food that becomes our cells, our hormones, our thinking, our resilience.
You are not separate from the land you eat from.
Winter is a chance to remember that.
Next Week on Farmland Friday: How Chemical Farming Quietly Weakens Us
Soil depletion, food quality, and the downstream impact on human health.
With love and truth,
—Donna 💚
Sources & Studies Supporting This Topic
- The Subzero Microbiome: Microbial Activity in Frozen and Thawing Soils (Rutgers University)
https://www.researchwithrutgers.com/en/publications/the-subzero-microbiome-microbial-activity-in-frozen-and-thawing-s - Seasonal Freeze–Thaw Processes Impact Microbial Communities (Ecological Processes, 2024)
https://ecologicalprocesses.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s13717-024-00522-8 - Microbial Interactions and Soil Fertility During Freeze–Thaw (MDPI)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/8/779 - Soil Health & Nutrient Density: Soil Health Institute Study
https://soilhealthinstitute.org/app/uploads/2022/01/SHI-Food-Nutritional-Study-2022.pdf - Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health (National Academies, 2024)
https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/exploring-linkages-between-soil-health-and-human-health
