StarsToSoil

Join us Stars To Soil 11.9.2025 honoring Boulder County farmers

ANNOUNCEMENT
Grow Your Own Meal is pleased to sponsor this event in recognition of the amazing Flatiron Farmers Coalition (FFC) of Boulder County, Colorado. FFC is a local nonprofit committed to building a thriving and inclusive local agricultural community rooted in regenerative agriculture, food security, and land stewardship. To do this, they connect and empower Boulder County growers and community members through peer-to-peer learning, community building, and advocacy. FFC membership includes farmers and ranchers of all ages and experience levels, as well as local food advocates. They welcome anyone committed to tending the land and cultivating Community.

PRESENTERS

John Keller, Director of Fiske Planetarium,

Clark Harshbeger. Director of Stewardship, MAD AG

Shelby Kaminski, Owner, Edaphic Solutions

Mark Derespinis, Owner, Esoterra Culinary Garden

Mark & Kena Guttridge, Owner, Ollin Farms

Wesley Vaugh, Community Chair, Flatiron Farmers Coalition

TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Francisco Tito Salas, Fiske Planetarium, Manager

Reinhold Ramos, Fiske Planetarium, Technician

Join the Fiske Planetarium Director, John Keller, for an immersive flight through our galaxy and solar system, coupled with a discussion of how stars and supernovae created all the elements needed for life out of a Universe that initially only contained hydrogen and helium gas. Soil on Earth began with elements forged in stars, providing raw ingredients, but true soil formation—involving organic matter and weather required the evolution of Earth's atmosphere, oceans, and life. Nearly all elements heavier than hydrogen and helium were created within stars through nuclear fusion.

These elements were then dispersed throughout the cosmos when the stars exploded in supernovae. As the sun formed, a disk of gas and this "stardust" swirled around it. Gravity caused tiny dust particles, composed of elements such as silicon, oxygen, iron, and carbon, to clump together into larger rocky bodies, eventually forming the Earth. With these building blocks for the Soil we find on Earth today, the presentation will transition to a discussion of soil topics. It is said that soil is the skin of Earth and that soil and plants together work as the lungs of the Earth.

Microbes, roots, fungi, and minerals are bound together in aggregates that give structure, allow water to infiltrate, let air flow freely, and hold carbon in place for centuries, all while allowing it to cycle in seconds simultaneously. Plants feed soil life through their root exudates, and in return, microbes make minerals and nutrients available to the plants. Reciprocity: Every decision made on the land, by choosing what to cultivate, how to graze, how to harvest, or choose to irrigate, or let the land be, shapes our relationship with the soil.

Oh … and we’ll also show you some nighttime constellations, aerial footage of select local farms, as well as answer any questions you may have about astronomy, including seasons, moon phases, exoplanets, soil, and the mycorrhizal network connections you never get to see.

CONCEPT CREATOR & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Marion Murphy | Grow Your Own Meal, Founder

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