Christina Woerner McInnis is a member of the Woerner family, which has been farming in Baldwin County for over 100 years and is one of the leading producers of turf grass in the country (you may have been to their stores in Mobile or Pensacola). After observing how many people were dissatisfied with their lawn or garden, she realized that not many people knew to get their soil tested to determine what products to use.

McInnis then founded AgriTech Corporation and created SoilKit, which provides at-home soil testing kits and guidance on what products to buy and how much. Since its founding in 2019, the company is now partnered with Auburn University and the University of Florida, Lowe’s, and eight lawn and garden distributors. The company, headquartered in Foley, also weathered a global pandemic and Hurricane Sally in 2020.

Last week, McInnis received the Alabama Rural-Owned Small Business of the Year Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, one of five winners in the state. Here, she discusses her company, why it’s important to the environment in Baldwin County and becoming a “living Farmer’s Almanac.”

Questions and answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Can you just explain a little bit about how it works? So you buy the SoilKit at the store, how does it work from there?