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In this issue...
Biodynamic Journey To The International Demeter Assembly
More Humus, More Humanity: Insights and Practices Out of Biodynamic Agriculture
Job & Internship Opportunities
Upcoming Events
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Biodynamic Weed Control
It is late summer and the weeds on your land may be flourishing and going to seed ... You may be interested, therefore, in trying a uniquely biodynamic method of selective weed control.
The "ashing" method (also called "peppering" because the ashes resemble pepper) was originally described by Rudolf Steiner in his agricultural lectures, but not in such a way that it could be easily understood and reliably applied. In particular, the astronomical component of this method has been unclear, so much so that many people now try to do weed ashing without paying any attention to the celestial dynamics. With patience and perseverance, however, it is possible to reconstruct the logic of the astronomical timing of this method, and when I did so ... I was astonished to find that we are soon coming up on a series of unusually propitious astronomical periods!
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Biodynamics Video Presentation
Cynthia Sandberg of Love Apple Farms in California recently presented "From The Earth To The Stars, Applied Biodynamics" at Nordic Barista Cup 2013 in Oslo, Norway.
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Biodynamics
In The News
from Epoch Times, September 2013
Biodynamic Chocolate Business Lets Nature Rule, And The Results Are World-Class.
 The biodynamic methods were used to make Pacari's Raw chocolate bar, which has won multiple awards. The chocolate is minimally processed, at low temperatures, and is the only biodynamic chocolate in the world. "It's a special chocolate where you see a lot of flavors, every time you try it, you get something different. It's not a chocolate, which is a nice chocolate, which is gone. It's still in your mouth. It's there-boom, aggressive. It has personality, tannic, like wine."
from Eat Magazine, September 2013
A Biodynamic Approach to Coffee Farming
The concept of biodynamic farming is receiving much attention around the globe and is beginning to gain momentum in the world of coffee production. "It just takes coffee farming to a whole new level," Mickey McLeod , President and CEO of Salt Spring Coffee said. As part of its In Season offerings that brings in small amounts of high quality coffee from around the globe at the peak of harvest, Salt Spring Coffee has made two partnerships with biodynamic coffee producers in South America.
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Biodynamic Journey To The International Demeter Assembly
By Gabe Cipes
Gabe Cipes lives and works at Summerhill Winery in Kelowna, British Columbia. Along with applying permaculture principles to the land, Gabe is transitioning Summerhill to Demeter biodynamic certification, and is the BC Demeter representative as part of Demeter International. Gabe is a young agrarian with his heart in the earth and hands on the land.
Here are some excerpts of his reflections on his June 2013 journey to the U.K. to join Demeter representatives from all over the world...
Our meetings were full days of discussion around the principles, attitudes and mission of the Biodynamic movement. We are now in communication with the Accreditation council and Demeter International to create a plan to bring Canada back to being a full member. We are also in the process of forming an Advisory Committee to create more Demeter certified farms in Canada.
So many magical aspects of the Ruskin Mill College. It is truly one of the most transformational places I have ever been.
The building where we had our four day meeting is a flower shaped seven roomed phenomenological research center. The dome on top is positioned so that the light from the sun during the Summer Solstice shines directly into a pit that leads down into a limestone quarry.
It is also a Demeter certified Trout fishery, Charcuterie, Apothecary, Market Garden, phenomenological research center with animal pastures and barns for chickens, cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, not to mention all the wild animals and birds. Incredible communal spaces, gardens and structures. This is a real inspiration for what is to become of Summerhill in our individual way. It supports it's self in so many realms. The animals are the soul of the agricultural organism. The students of the college are individuals with disassociation disorders. In their three year stay they re-connect with sentient life through working with the animals and the earth. They connect with themselves, reprogramming past trauma and becoming able to concentrate better on things like reading and arithmetic. They also learn valuable employable skills. The success rate is extremely high.
Nelson Mandela taught us all to stand up for what is right in this world no matter what the personal consequence. The shift is in how we view the Earth and working in harmony with nature. This is a resolution more then it is a revolution. Everything is connected in the circle of life. We in North America need to re-spiritualize and re-wild our relationship with agriculture. We need to become indigenous to the places that we live. We will replace food systems that are hard on the earth with ones that use biodynamic and permaculture principles in co-operation with traditional ecological knowledge.
The connections made at this assembly were invaluable. So happy to connect with Jim and Elizabeth from Demeter U.S.A. I see these all being very fruitful relationships to continue growing the biodynamic movement in Canada.
I'd like to thank Demeter Canada for sending me out for this anthroposophic educational experience. As well as Richard Swann and Melvin Mahesh Lourdes for additional photos. I look forward to following up with many exciting new endeavors in the near future for Demeter in North America. I'd also like to thank the Summerhill family business for the support and love!
Read Gabe's full report and see more photos.
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More Humus, More Humanity: Insights and Practices Out of Biodynamic Agriculture
Please join the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association for a three-day biodynamic workshop with Bruno Follador at Michael Fields Agriculture Institute, Friday November 1 through Sunday, November 3 in East Troy, WI.
Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, the man who brought biodynamic agriculture to North America, wrote in his book Soil Fertility, Renewal and Preservation:
 | | Bruno Follador, Biodynamic Researcher & Consultant |
"A description of possible future hardship does not induce people to change their way of life. And the change to a self-supporting agricultural life must be preceded by corresponding training and education...The first essential thing is to awaken in them a feeling for the forces of growth, for the eternally creative forces of Nature. The next step is to awaken in them a sense of responsibility towards these forces of growth, towards the health of the soil, of plants, of animals and of men..."
Biodynamic agriculture offers a path to building a living relationship with our soils, plants, animals and the farm as a whole. In this three-day workshop, through presentations, group discussions and hands-on activities we will:
- Introduce and deepen our understanding of core concepts and practices of biodynamics, especially those related to soil fertility, composting and the ideal that the farm is a living individuality
- Explore Goethean science and how it can help us understand current ecological crises such as drought, floods and erosion, as well as their intrinsic relationship to social conflicts.
- Strive for the awakening that Pfieffer called for, "to a feeling for the forces of growth, for the eternally creative forces of Nature" and to "a sense of responsibility towards these forces of growth, toward the health of the soil, of plants, of animals and of men..."
- Strengthen our capacity as farmers to move forward with hope and insight
Bruno Follador has been working in biodynamic composting methods for several years and has worked with farmers across Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Bruno received his training in Biodynamic gardening and beekeeping at the Pfeiffer Center, in New York. For the last three years he was one of the researchers and consultants of the Ludolf Andreas Lab for Soil Fertility at Andreashof, a biodynamic farm in Germany, where he worked with compost and chromatography. At the moment he is living between Brazil and the U.S.A where he is consulting at different farms.
$165 registration fee includes activity supplies and four meals. Scholarships are available through the Biodynamic Scholarship Fund. Scholarship applications must be received by October 1.
Please see our website for more details.
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 Job & Internship Opportunities
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Upcoming Events
For details on these events and more, or to share your event, visit our calendar.
Springs, TN
Toronto, ON
Des Moines, IA
Durham, NC
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Biodynamic Initiative for the Next Generation
www.biodynamics.com/bing
BING is a program of the Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association
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