Welcome to the Michelle Seguin MD newsletter! I’m Dr. Michelle, and I’m so glad you’re here. This growing community of 975+ readers continues to inspire me, and we’re inching ever closer to 1K. This week, I’m sharing a reflection on the science of gardening and a special visit to a place that’s been on my wish list for years, Granor Farm.

Hello friends,

This week’s newsletter is arriving a little later than usual. Life has been full in the best possible ways. We spent Mother’s Day weekend traveling downstate to visit family and attend a special farm-to-table dinner (more on that below). I’ve also been prepping for a podcast interview I’m really excited to share with you. It brings together so many of the things I care deeply about: gardening, gut health, nourishment, and reconnecting to what really matters.

I’ll be sharing more about that conversation when the episode airs in a few weeks, but for now, I wanted to offer a small glimpse of what’s been blooming, both in the garden and in this season of life.

With gratitude,
Dr. Michelle

The Health Benefits of Gardening

I’ll be taking a deeper dive into this topic in an upcoming podcast interview, but I wanted to offer a little sneak peek here especially since gardening season is officially underway.

The health benefits of gardening are hard to ignore. From a nutrition perspective, gardening has been shown to encourage more home-cooked meals, higher fruit and vegetable intake, and greater dietary diversity. When people grow their own food, even just a few herbs on the porch, they tend to eat more of it, and more joyfully. And that simple shift can have ripple effects for gut health, metabolic resilience, and overall well-being.

Research also reveals that gardening offers far more than just fresh produce. A recent review published this March in Preventive Medicine Reports caught my eye. In this large meta-analysis, researchers found that gardening is associated with improvements in mental health, life satisfaction, physical activity, and even reductions in BMI. It helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while increasing overall quality of life. We often think of gardening as a hobby, but the science shows it can be a meaningful health intervention too.

And then there’s something quietly magical about the soil itself. One particular soil-dwelling microbe, Mycobacterium vaccae, has been shown to interact with the gut-brain axis and may help stimulate serotonin production. In other words, getting your hands in the dirt can calm your nervous system and support your emotional health long before you harvest anything at all.

The garden also invites us into a different kind of knowing. Sometimes things bloom where you didn’t plant. Sometimes things die for no clear reason. And sometimes, what you think is a weed turns out to be something wild and beautiful.

A friend recently shared a beautiful essay with me titled In Praise of Wildness by Katy Simpson Smith. She writes about the lessons her mother’s garden taught her—not through perfection, but through its untamed edges. It reminded me that gardens, like life, often ask us to let go of control and simply tend with care.

I see this in clinical practice too. Healing doesn’t always follow a straight line. Sometimes we need to loosen our grip, make space for what’s emerging, and trust the rhythm of the season we’re in.

If you’d like to dive deeper into this topic, keep an eye out for my upcoming podcast interview in a few weeks. I’ll be sharing more about the science, the stories, and the simple joys of gardening.

In the meantime, you can check out other episodes from our team at Root Functional Medicine here.

A Taste of the Season: Farm-to-Table at Granor Farm

A visit to Granor Farm has been on my wish list for quite some time. This past weekend, I finally had the joy of experiencing it for myself during a special farm-to-table dinner in the far southwest corner of lower Michigan.

The evening began with a guided tour through the fields, led by Chef

As the sun began to set, we gathered in Granor’s greenhouse dining room, a glass-walled structure tucked in the middle of the fields. Long tables stretched down the center of the space, surrounded by views of the farm in every direction. It felt like dining inside a living ecosystem.

The Granor team prepared a beautiful multi-course tasting menu using seasonal ingredients harvested just steps away. Highlights included wood-fired sunchokes with whipped goat cheese, a spinach salad with chioggia beets, candied fennel seed, pistachios, and blueberries, and a standout dish of roasted asparagus with pickled rhubarb and ramps—a true celebration of spring.

Our visit ended the following morning with a stop at the Granor farm store on our way out of town. The shop was bustling, as it was CSA pick-up day, and I learned that on four acres of vegetable production, the farm is able to serve 250 families and supply the weekly dinners. I snapped a photo of their “recipe of the week”, which featured broccoli raab, and I’ve shared it for you below. We made it last night and it was absolutely delicious. If you can’t find rye pasta, any of your favorite varieties will work, including gluten-free options.

I’m sharing a small collage of images from our time at Granor. I hope they bring a little inspiration to your own seasonal table this month.

A little sneak peek for cookbook club readers: we’ll be cooking from one of Abra Berens’ beautiful books later this summer. I can’t wait to share more with you, including a special Kitchen Conversation.

In Closing

As I reflect on our evening at Granor, I’m reminded of how powerful it can be to gather around a table that is deeply rooted in place. There’s something sacred about eating what has been grown just outside the door, prepared by hands that know and care for the land. It deepens my belief that seasonal living isn’t about doing things perfectly. It’s about presence. Paying attention. Savoring what is here, right now.

I’m truly grateful for people and places where food and care meet in the most beautiful ways. Let’s keep gathering around tables, sharing meals, stories, and presence. It’s good medicine.

With love and care,
Dr. Michelle

P.S. If this week’s reflection on gardening, seasonal food, and the beauty of gathering around the table resonated with you, I’d be honored if you’d like it or share it with a friend. If you’re new here, I’d love to welcome you to our Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club where we explore food as medicine, one nourishing recipe at a time.

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Here are my most recent Substack sharings:

1. Begin Again - A quiet reflection on beginner’s mind, slow growth, and the early days of spring

2. A Piece of My Mind - April

3. Savor the Seasons Cookbook Club #4

The contents of this newsletter are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This newsletter does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.