Background Information
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
Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) was born in a tiny town in modern day Croatia. Steiner was an Austrian philosopher, esotericist, and social reformer. In his work he tried to find a link between science and spirituality. Steiner is credited with being the founder of biodynamic farming. He understood that if we continued to abuse the earth as we were we would destroy it. He also knew we needed to connect the spiritual with the physical world.
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He first took a look into the idea of biodynamics in 1924 when a group of farmers requested his assistance. They were worried about the future of agriculture. Steiner responded with an ecological and sustainable approach to help increase soil fertility. His ideas quickly spread and were eventually used internationally! Now his idea of biodynamic agriculture is used across the globe. His main goal was to teach people to look at farms as an organism and that because of this there are specific ways to make sure that it is a self-sustaining system. To learn more about biodynamics take a look at our research on the topic.
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Biodynamics
What is biodynamics?
Good question! Biodynamic farming is very similar to organic farming and is based off of the work of Rudolf Steiner. According to the "Biodynamic Growing Guide,"
"experiencing the world biodynamically is to behold deeply and observe intimately (Keats and Mager, 4).
In other words, biodynamic farming takes into account all of the different forces upon the Earth, such as animals, plants, humans, and most especially the cosmos. Biodynamics is realizing that everything is connected and dependent on each other, realizing the Earth is a part of a bigger system - the universe. As a result, much of the steps to prepare, plant, and harvest are based off the pattern of the moon and sun and dictate when to perform each step in the planting process. Farmers using this method use all of their senses, allowing them to listen to what their plants and soil need and by doing so foster a healthy relationship between the farmer and his garden (Keats and Mager).
This picture, taken from the "Biodynamic Growing Guide" shows a great chart that displays the different phases of the moon in each season. At the bottom of the picture there is a section that explains what steps are taken in the planting process during each quarter. The moon's effects on liquids is not limited to the ocean's tides. It also effects other fluids on earth, like the sap found in plants. As a result, it is better to perform certain steps of the planting process during a particular phase of the moon due to how the plant's fluids will be affected.
Picture taken from "Biodynamic Growing Guide"
The Pfeiffer Center
The Pfeiffer Center is located in Chestnut Ridge, New York, the same spot as the first biodynamic farm in North America which was called Threefold Farm. The center not only practices biodynamics on its farm, but it also works to educate others about this method through workshops, internships, and courses offered at their facilities. At the Pfeiffer Center their 70 gardens, orchard, greenhouse and fields are their classrooms. They have quite a busy operation at their center, where they produce and sell a variety of products such as herb teas, produce, herbs, flowers, and honey. In addition, they also work with draft horses (named Captain and Paris) and honeybees.
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Most importantly, at the Pfeiffer Center:
"interested people who want to create a thriving future for our planet and humanity can learn an agricultural approach where the Earth is not merely a material object, the animal is not a machine, and the soil is more than just chemical compounds. At the Pfeiffer Center, every living thing is honored and worked with in its relationship to the whole landscape and to humanity" (Pfeiffer Center Website).
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We look forward to working with the Pfeiffer Center and learning as much as possible about biodynamic farming from those who are actively using this method on a daily basis.
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To learn more about the Pfeiffer center visit their cite here!
