Soil Chromatography Workshop

Soil chromatography is the photographic process of allowing a treated filter to absorb a prepared soil sample by capillary action. According to this method’s advocates, the resulting photograph depicts the composition of minerals, organic matter, and microbial life within the collected soil sample. Yet as a form of soil sampling, this method has typically been overlooked by the scientific community. Soil chromatography, nevertheless, is an accessible and inexpensive place-based practice that has the potential to stoke public interest in soil and environmental health while also beautifully chronicling the life of and in the soil that supports us.

In this workshop, participants will learn how to prepare and run a soil chromatogram to take home. All supplies will be provided, but participants who wish to run additional chromatograms at home are encouraged to bring their own soil sample and a glass jar with a lid.

Melissa Schultheis is a New York City farmer, educator, and artist with over ten years of experience in education, research, and organic production farming. Her art practice explores the complex dynamic between humans and their environment, and soil chromatography, in particular, offers a powerful illustration of the human impact on the natural world and our environment’s resilience. She is eager to share her practice with students, artists, and activists.

Tickets are $25-$40 sliding scale, and includes all materials!

Host or Publisher Phillies Bridge Farm Project