“To truly know the world, look deeply within your own being; to truly know yourself, take real interest in the world”
– Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner is a man you’ve probably never heard of, with some ideas you might never have heard of, but you’re about to. In the 1920’s, Steiner noticed that farming was becoming increasingly industrialized. He wanted to preserve the natural process of growing food. He had a revolutionary idea to take organic farming one step further, and born from this idea was biodynamic farming.
What is biodynamic farming?
The goal of biodynamic farming is to have the farm be as self-sufficient and close to nature as possible. These farms do not import any products like fertilizer or pesticides. Instead, farmers use the farm’s own resources to create a complete ecosystem. The ideal state of an organism is its natural evolutionary state, meaning how its found in nature. This knowledge forms the basis of biodynamic farming techniques. By using the waste of one crop to supplement another, the organisms create their own regenerative system. A system that does not rely on pesticides and herbicides, but instead receives biodynamic preps. Biodynamic preps are typically hollow cow horns filled with quartz powder or chamomiles flowers. They provide vitamins and minerals to the soil. These biodynamic preps are buried in different parts of the farm to fight off fungus, pests, and other problems that negatively impact the crop.
Further emphasizing a holistic connection to nature, crops are synched to the cycle of the moon. Crop rotation, seed planting, harvesting, etc. will take place during specific phases of the moon. This goes back to how early humans grew food and the knowledge that, like the tide, planetary forces affect nature here on Earth.
Demeter
Demeter is the certifying body for biodynamic farming. This organization sets standards to ensure that farms maintain the highest quality. Their seal labels products that were grown on a biodynamic farm. They maintain high expectations for their farms, so when a product has the Demeter seal, that product is as close to nature as it gets.
Holistic Health
Our health is not just about our physical wellbeing, but includes our mental and spiritual states as well. Biodynamic farming asserts that the same goes for the wellbeing of a farm. While this farming stays true to organic principles, it also focuses on the connection humans have with nature. Biodynamic farmers believe that growing food with an emphasis on this connection will allow people to heal themselves through nature and, in turn, will motivate them to work towards healing the earth.
Sources:
https://www.oregonswildharvest.com/biodynamic/what-is-biodynamic/
https://www.demeter-usa.org/learn-more/biodynamic-principles-practices.asp