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Light Ether

The value of humus comes from light. As such, it's easy to see why cultures would venerate the Sun. The Sun shines on the righteous and wicked alike, sharing with impartiality to all. If we wish to make plants more receptive to the light streaming in from the cosmos, we must add some carefully decomposed byproducts of light (humus and biodynamic preparations) so the plants "remember" who they are.

May 3, 2023

Jacob Boehme

Steiner offers a fascinating suggestion about Boehme and the alchemist Paracelsus: “One needs only to know Paracelsus...

May 1, 2023

Freedom & Farming

Imagine every farm being free in itself (freedom within the boundaries of the farm), of itself (free from dependence on outside inputs), and for itself (free to pursue its own creative expression within the farm). Moreover, imagine countries doing the same. People ask, "Is biodynamics scalable?" If it means freedom, then, yes, it's one of the only things worth scaling.

Apr 26, 2023

Leavening Your Soil

The biodynamic preparations work a bit like specialized "yeasts" in compost and create a better final product. Are the biodynamic preparations absolutely necessary?

Apr 10, 2023

Science or Faith?

When Steiner talks about "spiritualizing" the sciences, he means bringing a spiritual gaze to the research performed using the scientific method. He is not proposing the method itself change, but the gaze of intuition must always be brought to bear on the data science produces, or we would make very few connections at all.

Apr 5, 2023

Healthiness

If we wish to have healthy plants, we should consider using healthy inputs. But that means reaching beyond soluble fertilizers which, let's face it, are not alive enough to be "healthy." Now, a particular chemical may be healthy or unhealthy for a living organism, but if we wish to foster healthy plants, we need to add heathliness back to the soil.

Apr 5, 2023

Wholeness & Holistic Farming

On the farm, we should imagine the farm as if it's a living thing that can be healthy or unhealthy and watch for where there's stagnation or inflammation. Look out at the field and you'll see dry spots or water-logged areas. Imagine that in your body as arthritis or bloating and you'll quickly grow more sensitive to how the farm organism "feels" and how to make it healthier.

Mar 24, 2023

Does Biodynamics Work?

Most scientific epiphanies precede data collection. A scientist without any imagination is not likely to make creative intuitive connections between the data they collect. Biodynamics is such a creative intuitive leap. The science must follow afterwards, but those who utilize biodynamics can attest to significant changes in plant health, disease resistance, pest resistance, and flavor improvements.