About Us

Teresa came to biodynamics through Waldorf Education in Austin, Texas where her children attended AWS from kindergarten through 12th grade. As a former graphic designer, teacher, beekeeper, political coordinator, and child advocate, she witnessed the importance of being aware of the subtleties of the spiritual capacity within every person and being. Teresa continues to study and honor the festivals of the year and brings their images and energy into everything she does. She remains an avid biodynamic gardener and advocate for healing the earth through biodynamics. Teresa served on the JPI Board for several years and became the inaugural member of the Advisory Council. 

Virginia Samsel joined JPI’s board in the late summer of 2023. Virginia is an artist and wine professional currently based in Seattle, Washington. Raised in Richmond, Virginia, her experience as an artist and work in wine brought her to explore Biodynamics through an energetic, community, and accessibility lens. Present internationally as VAVAdynamica, she works with farmers and winemakers to help them access the intuitive and cosmic energies while developing relationship with their land. Locally and regionally, Virginia brings a vision of community building, inviting broad community and diverse conversation to the Biodynamic discussion.

Ian is a regenerative land steward and botanist committed to advancing the principles and practice of biodynamic agriculture. He holds a degree in Botany from Oregon State University and has over 20 years of experience in biodynamic farming, compost production, and ecological land management.

Earlier in his career, Ian served as a Biodynamic Inspector with Demeter USA, supporting the integrity and implementation of biodynamic certification standards. His international work includes leading compost and biochar initiatives in Papua New Guinea, where he collaborated with Indigenous communities to create regenerative livelihood opportunities through sustainable soil production.

Based in Marin County, California, Ian is the owner of Cure Soil Compost, Inc. a biodynamic compost company located in Marin County, integrating biodynamic methodology with advanced microbial analysis and regional waste recovery systems. His approach bridges scientific understanding and spiritual awareness, emphasizing the living relationship between soil, community, and the unseen forces governing life on earth.

Sean is a Managing Director in EY’s Government and Public Sector practice where he provides insights and guidance to leaders
in state and local governments, higher education, and healthcare. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with expertise in business and technology strategy, operational transformation, innovation, and continuous improvement. 

 
An avid gardener and farmer for nearly half a century, Sean is a self-confessed "compost nerd." He and his wife Marianne have homesteaded for decades and are now partners in the development of Monticiano Farms, located in Floyd County, Virginia. Marianne and Sean have incorporated biodynamic practices into their regenerative farm with the goal of realizing their vision of flavor forward farming and how it can help heal the Earth.

Michael was born in Washington DC to Irish immigrant parents. As a young lad he always had a keen interest in the past and the living earth world. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland where he studied history, politics, prehistory, and earth science. Michael has worked as a teacher in conventional education and Waldorf education holding certifications. As a young man he came across the work of Rudolf Steiner and Steiner's Philosophy of Anthroposophy. Finding it most substantive he has continued to study it to this day testing its Spiritual & Goethean Science against Natural Science.Michael became aware of biodynamic agriculture within the regenerative agriculture movement at a young age. Michael's interest in the health of the earth led him to work in a number of organic/biodynamic food & products businesses.

He has founded and continues to be active in biodynamic Community Supported Agricultural projects for over 40 years. Michael founded the Chesapeake BioDynamic Network in 2012 and this network has grown much by tying together biodynamic farms, CSAs, gardens, and activities such as meetings, lectures, and workshops in the targeted region of VA, MD, DE, DC, & WV.  Michael landscapes the two acre site of the Chesapeake BioDynamic Network that serves as its epicenter of biodynamics. Michael established a yearly regional BD Conference in 2022 working to weave together the many rich resources in his region.This Biodynamic Conference continues to grow each year.

Stewart has been farming since 2010 at Perennial Roots Farm in Accomac, Virginia, where they make their own biodynamic preparations from animals and herbs grown on their land. He raises cattle, sheep, and hogs, tends a market garden, small orchard, and runs a small CSA while offering internships and workshops throughout the year.

Before farming, Stewart studied Latin, Greek, and political philosophy; during this time he discovered the work of Owen Barfield, who unwittingly prepared the way for understanding Steiner's work later. He first heard about Steiner in Italy while visiting Avignonesi Vineyards in Tuscany where he was impressed by their beautiful attentiveness to spacing their vines. Bees are what got Stewart into farming and an early workshop with Gunther Hauk, founder of the Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary influenced him significantly. Stewart traveled to the Nature Institute to learn about chromatography concepts with Bruno Follador, and after teaching himself chromatography by sourcing materials described in Ehrenfried Pfeiffer's chromatography writings, has been exploring picture-forming methods actively since 2013. Since 2012, Stewart has been experimenting with biodynamic preparations, and then studied with Hugh Courtney, the founder of the Josephine Porter Institute, for the last seven biodynamic practicums in Woolwine, Virginia and by the end was teaching independent sessions at Hugh's workshops. He has spoken at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland at the Evolving Science conference, as well as the Pennsylvania Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) Conference, Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture (FHCASA), the Virginia Biological Farming Conference (VABF), the Utah Farm and Food Conference, the national Biodynamic Association (BDA) Conference, a Biodynamic Seminar in Tepetlixpa, México, as well as a regular participant in the Chesapeake Biodynamic Network (CBDN) Conferences. He has given presentations for the Front Range Anthroposophical Cafe (FRAC) among others. In 2024, for the centennial of biodynamics, Stewart edited a collection of some of the best from Hugh Courtney time at JPI's Applied Biodynamics to which he wrote a substantial introduction, published under the title Biodynamics for Beginners (PortalBooks, 2024). He is an independent consultant and helps people transition to biodynamics for farms and gardens worldwide. Stewart's writing has been featured across a wide array of publications including the Biodynamic Journal, Das Goetheanum, Acres, USA, Lilipoh, and more. His farm has been featured in the Washington Post and on NPR. He is the founder and regular contributor to JPI's Substack and oversees the production of biodynamic preparations at the Josephine Porter Institute, made from herbs grown on his farm and manure from his heritage breed cows. He also oversees quality control for the production of JPI's proprietary Pfeiffer™ recipes. In his free time, he studies Hebrew, dabbles in kriya-yoga, and studies esoterica.