What is Biodynamic?

•A set of prominent concerned farmers asked Rudolf Steiner to investigate new ways of farming that didn’t result in soil depletion, that worked with nature rather than against it whilst at the same time got the most productivity out of the land.

•In 1924 in a series of lectures called ‘Agriculture’  Steiner laid out a set of ‘alternative’ forms of farming, including practices to increase soil fertility without artificial fertilizers and alternative methods of pest control without the use of pesticides.

•He gained these insights from his spiritual practices, it was only more recently that the ‘whys’ of how they worked have been revealed

•Rudolf Steiner developed the anthroposophic lifestyle in which HEALTH IS A COMBINATION OF MIND, BODY AND SPIRITUAL BALANCE

•Anthroposophy claims the existence of an objective, intellectually comprehensible spiritual world, accessible to human experience. Followers of anthroposophy aim to engage in spiritual discovery through a mode of thought independent of sensory experience, they seek precision and clarity comparable to that obtained by scientists investigating the physical world.

•It was in these explorative journeys that the nature spirits spoke to Steiner giving him the ingredients and methods of Biodynamics. 

•The scientific community has since put the practices through vigorous scientific investigation, they found that they have a grounding in physical reality and a real healing potential for land, plants, animals and the ecosystem

•Yes, Biodynamics has been extensively scientifically researched for exactly 100 years next year. 

•During the 1920s Agriculture Course, the farmers in attendance founded an Experimental Circle. Practical experiments were carried out at numerous farms and research stations.  By 1929, the Experimental Circle had centres in most countries of Europe and in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, America and Africa (Steffen et al. 1929)¹.

•Between the 1920’s and today, people from a wide variety of scientific backgrounds and philosophies have undertaken research into biodynamic agriculture. Existing projects include long term farm trials, university studies, grassroots initiatives and the contributions of private research institutes. Picture forming methods such as sensitive crystallization and chromatography are applied to support the observation of living formative forces, quality and vitality.

•Further reading into the science: https://www.biodynamics.com/content/overview-biodynamic-research-0

•The cosmos is part of the biodynamic holistic context

•As well as the Sun and Moon influencing earth and her tides, they also influence all living organisms including the way plants grow.

•From our perspective the sun passes through twelve constellations every year, the moon also passes through these constellations, but because the moon circles the earth once a month it passes through all twelve constellations about once per month. 

•When the moon is in front of water signs (Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio) it magnifies their influence on the watery parts of the plants (leaves). Earth elements can be stimulated (planting, hoeing, roots) when the moon is Capricorn, taurus or Virgo. Flowers under air signs (Gemini, Aquarius and Libra) and Cereal and seeds are fire (Leo, Sagittarius and Aries)

•The ascending and descending moon northern and southern hemispheres also influence plant growth. The descending moon is when everything is moving downwards, sap, vital energy etc, so actions that affect the lower parts of the plants are affected, roots, planting out, compost spreading etc. The ascending moon affects the aerial parts of the plant as sap in the upper parts of the plants is enlivened, picked fruit will keep well, cut flowers will last longer, cuttings will be more successful etc.

•Each constellation is associated with one of the four elements – earth, water, air and fire and each of these elements affects different parts of the plant:

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•Earth– Roots (are in the earth)

•Water – Leaves (are full of water)

•Air – Flowers (perfume is carried in the air)

•Fire – Fruit and seed (warmth is essential for fruit to ripen and seeds to germinate)

•Each plant you might grow is grouped under one of these influences. Maria Thun and her family create a biodynamic calendar each year for people to follow. Most biodynamic farmers/growers refer to this calendar.

•The earth is known to inhale and exhale, exhaling in the morning and inhaling in the evening so tend plants and actions above ground in the morning and below ground in the evening.

•A Biodynamic farm or garden is an integrated, whole, living organism made up of many elements. Fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, people and the spirit of the place. Biodynamic practitioners  work with nature to nurture and harmonize these elements to support the vitality of the whole.

•Biodynamics brings plants and animals together, cultivating biodiversity and natural ecosystems to fill complementary roles in the web of life.

•Biodynamics generates on farm fertility, enlivens compost and soils with natural biodynamic preparations, uses herbal teas and sprays to enhance soil and promote plant health and approaches pests and disease holistically

•In addition biodynamics includes the universal context as a part of this ‘holistic system’ considering the larger context that the earth inhabits, as such biodynamics works in rhythm with the earth and the cosmos following a complex set of cosmological influences on the whole system and all it’s individual elements.

• Biodynamics is also rooted in recognizing and working with the spiritual essence of all living things.

•The soil is the ultimate foundation for all living things, without healthy fertile soil the plants and crops do not grow, without plants and crops the animals (including us) do not eat. 

•Soil organic matter (SOM) is composed of soil microbes including bacteria and fungi, decaying material from once-living organisms such as plant and animal tissues, feacal material, and products formed from their decomposition. SOM is a heterogeneous mixture of materials that range in stages of decomposition from fresh plant residues to highly decomposed material known as humus. 

•Fertile soil is created via a holistic ecosystem in which Photosynthesis, respiration and decomposition are key. 

•Fertile soil supports bacteria, fungi, living organisms, plant and animal growth; to work at its optimum it needs the correct balance of nutrients, electro-magnetic forces, PH level, clay particles, air, moisture and consistency.

•Well balanced fertile soil has the capacity to resist and suppress pests and diseases. It retains moisture in droughty times and drains well when conditions are wet. 

•Healthy soil sequesters carbon, nitrogen and other nutrients that otherwise pollute our water and contaminate the atmosphere. 

•Tilling, leaching, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, mono-crops, industrialised farming upset this balance at best and destroys it at worse. 

•Biodynamics works alongside this delicate ecosystem to create fertile soil that in turn supports and feeds all living things creating vitality

•The pig is an intelligent creature, roots around curiously heaving up soil and disturbing compaction, letting in the air. He eats taproots and leaves of weeds. Being hairless and fat he extracts warmth from his food and so his dung tends to be earthly and cold, this manure works well on cold root crops.

•Sheep has a ‘golden hoof’ print, improving land where they tread. Nibbling close to the ground thus allowing light to penetrate. Their silica-rich manure encourages growth of strong stems for plants to reach up high into air and light.

•The chicken – eats worms and eggs from the animal’s poo so reduces spread, spreads nitrogen to feed plants and disturbs the soil surface by scratching 

•The Cow has the most complex digestive system, she chews cud in an inner state between dreaming and waking, she is a model of meditative peace. Her dung travels through 4 stomach chambers and a digestive tract which is 22 times longer than herself. Rumen microbes ferment grass creating vitamins and amino acids transforming into a magnificent substance providing the most nutritionally available dung for insect eco systems and  plants when composted. It particularly nourishes leaves and watery parts of plants balancing the earthly realms.

•The biodynamic preps, is the use of fermented natural remedies created from minerals, plants and animal parts to treat, regenerate and feed each other, after all the process of cyclical consumption is how nature works.

•The preps are homeopathic in that very small quantities are used for maximum benefit. There are nine different preparations

To see all the preps please go to the ‘Biodynamic Preps’ blog