Applied Biodynamics — Issue 003 (Spring 1993)

The article “The Lenten, Easter, Spring Season” by Candace Coffin interprets spring agriculture through the lens of traditional seasonal festivals aligned with the Earth’s annual breathing cycle as described by Rudolf Steiner. Lent is presented as a period of restraint corresponding to diminishing winter food supplies, while Easter marks the resurgence of life aligned with the Earth’s exhalation of forces at the spring equinox. The article outlines the full yearly cycle—spring exhalation, summer culmination, autumn inhalation at Michaelmas, and winter containment of life forces—explicitly linking these phases to the timing of biodynamic preparation burial and use. Preparations #500, #502–506 are identified as being buried during winter when the Earth holds forces inward. The article frames preparation use as a conscious participation in the Earth’s living rhythms rather than a symbolic act.

The article “A Farm Report” by Nick Franceschelli provides a longitudinal observational account of biodynamic practice on approximately 50 acres of meadow and hay land at the JPI site in Woolwine, Virginia. The report documents preparation use beginning in 1989, including sequential spraying with Barrel Compost, BD #500, BD #501, and fermented BD #508 during drought or flooding conditions. Compost trials using poultry manure and cattle manure are compared, with detailed observations regarding decomposition quality, lodging, clover response, and soil health. Timing of sprays relative to mowing, soil moisture, and plant maturity is emphasized. Franceschelli specifies application preferences such as coarse droplet spraying onto moist soil, early-season timing, and rapid use after stirring. Controlled grazing, compost insertion techniques, and fall compost spreading strategies are described along with explicit cautions regarding limitations of scale, non-commercial status, and interpretive humility.

The article “The Vegetable Gardens at JPI” by Gisela Franceschelli provides highly procedural garden protocols. Activities include seed inventory planning, potting soil formulation with explicit ratios, chamomile tea preparation with temperatures and steeping times, and soil moistening methods. Garden bed preparation includes shallow cultivation depth, cover crop incorporation, and Barrel Compost spraying prior to planting. Detailed seed bath procedures using oak bark preparation (#505) are outlined, including stirring time, soaking duration, and direct sowing adaptations. Transplanting methods specify cell preparation, compost placement, watering technique, and calendrical planting guidance using Stella Natura and Working With the Stars. The article explicitly states that activities are observational rather than statistically controlled and invites practitioner feedback.

The continuation of “Biodynamic Preparations” by Hugh Courtney deepens the interpretive framework introduced in Issue 003. Preparations are examined as force carriers within geographic, mineral, and cosmic polarities. Courtney contrasts European, Australian, and North American emphases in preparation use, arguing that North America requires stronger engagement with cosmic preparations (#501 and #508). The article integrates Steiner’s concepts of the archetypal plant, fourfold elemental forces, and threefold human and social organization, explicitly relating preparation use to deficiencies in modern food quality. Improper storage and underuse of preparations are identified as practical failure points.

The article “Practical Biodynamic Research” by Hugh Courtney formally establishes a practitioner-driven research program. The article explicitly rejects reliance on authority alone and calls for disciplined observation with defined parameters. Five research questions are articulated, including combined application of Barrel Compost and BD #500, efficacy and stirring time of pre-potentized BD #(X)500, shelf-life extension of stirred preparations, potentized BD #501 variants, and the effects of sequential spraying on precipitation. Each question includes background rationale and defined research parameters where possible, with explicit acknowledgment where methodologies remain undeveloped.

The issue concludes with “Words of Encouragement” by Candace Coffin, which addresses practitioner discouragement directly. Drawing on an anecdote involving Rudolf Steiner and Herbert Hahn, the article emphasizes enthusiasm as a legitimate substitute for maturity when undertaking demanding work. The article reinforces education and sustained effort as the means by which biodynamic practice becomes grounded rather than overwhelming.

Articles

• The Lenten, Easter, Spring Season (C. Coffin)
• A Farm Report (N.  Franceschelli)  
• The Vegetable Gardens at JPI (G. Franceschelli)
• Biodynamic  Preparations (H. Courtney)  
• Practical Biodynamic Research (H. Courtney) Words of  Encouragement (C. Coffin)  

Key Topics Covered

• Lenten and Easter festivals aligned with agricultural timing
• Earth’s annual breathing cycle and preparation burial timing
• Long-term field observations of biodynamic spraying
• Sequential spraying during drought and flooding conditions
• Compost trials comparing poultry and cattle manure
• Detailed seed baths using oak bark preparation
• Chamomile tea preparation for damping-off prevention
• Calendrical planting guidance by plant organ
• Geographic and cosmic interpretation of BD preparations
• Formalized practitioner-led biodynamic research questions

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 003, Josephine Porter Institute, 1993.