Former Chef and Soil Scientist Translates Ecological Principles into Personal Healing Practices
Morganton, N.C., November 2, 2025 — Burnout may be a modern epidemic, but Dr. Janel Louise Ohletz believes the solution has been under our feet all along. The chef-turned-soil-scientist and author of Between Farm and Fork: Journey to Find a True Path is helping people reconnect with nature’s oldest truth: the same principles that restore the land can restore us, too.
Drawing on her background in regenerative agriculture and decades in the culinary world, Dr. Ohletz translates ecological science into everyday healing practices, what she calls “human regeneration.”
“When soil loses balance, it can’t sustain life. The same is true for people,” Ohletz said. “We don’t just need to maintain ourselves; we need to regenerate.”
Her message comes as stress-related illnesses, mental health struggles, and chronic burnout rise across the U.S. Through her writing, public speaking, and her program Mindful Meals Mastery, Ohletz shows how principles like balance, diversity, and rest, essential for healthy ecosystems, can also guide people toward a more sustainable life.
From Soil Science to Self-Healing
After 20 years in fine dining, Ohletz’s own health crisis forced her to reconsider everything she knew about nourishment. A heart attack at age 48 became her wake-up call. “I realized I was treating my body like an over-farmed field, overworked, under-rested, and stripped of what it needed most,” she said.
That experience led her back to school for a Ph.D. in Soil Science from North Carolina State University, where she specialized in regenerative systems that rebuild rather than deplete the land. Today, she applies those same lessons to the human condition through food, cooking, and reconnection with nature.
Her debut memoir, Between Farm and Fork: Journey to Find a True Path, blends personal story with practical insight. It encourages readers to see nourishment as a process of regeneration where one that begins in the soil, moves through the food we eat, and ultimately transforms the spirit.
Science Meets Soul
Now serving as Director of Agriculture at Plantd, Inc., a North Carolina company producing carbon-negative building materials from perennial grasses, Ohletz continues to bridge environmental and personal renewal.
The company’s regenerative model, using fast-growing grasses that capture carbon up to 33 times faster than trees, mirrors the core of her philosophy: that health, whether ecological or emotional, depends on systems that give back more than they take.
Her approach resonates with individuals searching for meaning beyond surface-level wellness trends. She encourages simple practices: cooking with real ingredients, planting herbs on a balcony, or simply slowing down long enough to taste food and gratitude at the same time.
A Movement Toward Regenerative Living
Ohletz’s work has sparked growing interest among those seeking balance in an age of overconsumption. Her workshops and writing explore how gardening and cooking can reduce anxiety, rebuild confidence, and help people rediscover purpose.
“Regeneration isn’t just for the planet. It’s for people,” she said. “When we align with nature’s rhythm, healing becomes less about control and more about connection.”
Her upcoming podcast with her daughter, Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen, will continue that conversation, blending science, story, and a little mother-daughter humor to explore how food can become medicine for both soil and soul.
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About Dr. Janel Louise Ohletz
Dr. Janel Louise Ohletz is a storyteller, scientist, educator, and chef whose work bridges the practical with the deeply personal. With a PhD in Soil Science and professional background in regenerative agriculture and sustainability, she brings a unique perspective to conversations about healing and regenerating the heart, body, and soul. Raised on a subsistence farm in New Hampshire, she has worked as a model, wrangler, construction worker, catering manager, chef, and business owner before discovering her calling in regenerative agriculture. She currently serves as Director of Agriculture at Plantd, Inc., a North Carolina startup developing carbon-negative building materials from perennial grass. When not writing or working in agriculture, Dr. Ohletz enjoys gardening, baking sourdough, and traveling with her husband, Stefan.
For more information about Dr. Janel Louise Ohletz, visit www.ohletzgrow.com.
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