• Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
  • Cow Horns - The Josephine Porter Institute
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The Josephine Porter Institute

Cow Horns

Cow Horns

$12.84 USD
$12.84 USD
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Description

Make your own biodynamic preparations!

Collect the best cow manure you can, fill horns, and bury over winter in a rich place in the garden to make your own horn manure. One horn makes approximately enough 500 horn manure for three (3) acres.

Conversely, you can get horns, crush quartz to a fine flour (wear a mask!), mix with water to form a white paste, and fill the horn. Bury the horn over summer. This makes enough 501 horn silica for many acres (1 tsp per acre).

Our used horns have been used to make repeated successful batches of 500 horn manure and 501 horn silica.

These used horns are seasoned with the "mother culture" of biodynamics and have a stronger tendency to transform into healthy horn manure. By Steiner's indications, horns are useful at least for four (4) years, if not a few more (if "recharged" in proximity to cows in a barn). Some biodynamic practitioners reuse horns until they disintegrate and claim that used horns are significantly better than new horns. In our experience, new horns often take an initial season to "acclimate" to the biodynamic process, and after that more eagerly produce the horn manure we are seeking. We offer them to you at a significant discount, and encourage you to practice making your own preparations on your own property. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How are cow horns used in biodynamic farming?

To make BD 500 Horn Manure, fill a cow horn with manure and bury it over winter; the finished preparation is stirred and sprayed on moist soil late in the day. For BD 501 Horn Silica, fill a separate horn with finely ground quartz and bury it over summer; the finished preparation is stirred and sprayed as a fine mist on foliage in the morning. Keep horns reserved for BD 500 separate from those for BD 501. Current directions: https://www.jpibiodynamics.org/pages/bd-500-horn-manure-instructions and https://www.jpibiodynamics.org/pages/bd-501-horn-silica-instructions
How much area can one cow horn cover?

One cow horn can produce enough horn manure for three acres or horn silica for many acres.
Why are used cow horns preferred over new ones?

JPI’s used horns have already made repeated successful batches of BD 500 Horn Manure or BD 501 Horn Silica. JPI describes them as seasoned by prior preparation-making, and in JPI’s experience new horns often take an initial season to acclimate. A sound, previously used horn is a practical choice for another batch; keep horns reserved for BD 500 separate from those used for BD 501.
How long can a cow horn be reused for biodynamic preparations?

A sound cow horn can be reused for multiple batches, sometimes for several years; there is no fixed number of uses. Inspect it between cycles and stop using it when it begins to break down. Keep horns used for BD 500 separate from horns reserved for BD 501. JPI’s current horn-reuse guidance describes how lifespans vary with conditions: https://www.jpibiodynamics.org/pages/bd-501-horn-silica-instructions