Applied Biodynamics — Issue 084 (Spring 2014)

Issue 084 is a systems and methods issue, combining an extensive farm interview, a focused methodological clarification regarding BD 507, reports on biodynamic education and outreach, and evaluative book reviews. Across all articles, emphasis is placed on closed-loop fertility, procedural clarity, and disciplined observation.

In “The Hack Family Farm Organism,” Abigail Porter interviews Ulrich Hack of the Hack family farm in Ontario, Canada. The article documents a multi-generational, large-scale biodynamic farm organism exceeding 1,000 acres, integrating grain production, cattle (beef and dairy), composting, hedgerows, woodlands, and value-added enterprises. The Hack family’s transition from a conventional corn operation to biodynamics began immediately upon immigration from Germany in 1982, achieving Demeter certification by 1986.

The interview provides detailed, operational information: annual production of approximately 1,000 tons of compost; compost application rates of five to seven tons per acre on a four- to five-year rotation; use of full preparation sets including horn manure, horn silica, barrel compost, and compost preparations; and crop rotations employing grains, legumes, pasture, and hay. Hedgerow establishment (over 20,000 trees) is described as a long-term response to wind erosion, biodiversity loss, and microclimate moderation.

Preparation making is described in quantitative and procedural terms, including annual burial of approximately 1,200 cow horns for BD 500, use of a sausage-press system for consistent horn filling, rain-barrel burial systems for oak bark preparation, framed nettle pits with peat buffering, and large-batch barrel compost production. The interview repeatedly emphasizes labor organization, tool adaptation, and seasonal scheduling as necessary for biodynamics to function at scale.

Economic resilience is treated as an evaluative indicator. The farm supplies nearly all fertility and feed internally, reducing exposure to input markets. Grain premiums in Demeter markets, seed saving, manure exchanges, and minimal reliance on new equipment are presented as strategies developed through necessity and observation rather than ideology.

In “Response to ‘The Valerian Preparation (BD #507) Revisited,’” Abigail Porter addresses questions raised in Issue 082 regarding translation nuances in Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture Course and the timing of valerian application. The article surveys current practitioner practices across North America, identifying four distinct methods of application: spraying with other compost preparations during pile construction; spraying plus central application; application only after compost transformation; and insertion into individual preparation holes.

The response reframes the issue as an experimental question, not a doctrinal one. Steiner’s textual indications are examined in relation to valerian’s unique properties as a liquid, non-buried preparation associated with phosphorus. The article proposes simple, replicable trials comparing application timing, with suggested evaluation criteria including compost texture, soil response, plant growth, and health in paired plots. Contributions from Malcolm Gardner clarify German terminology, emphasizing that Steiner did not sharply distinguish between “unfinished” and “finished” manure in his language. The article explicitly calls for comparative trials and shared documentation.

In “2013 Enzo Nastati Workshop in Colorado,” Caren von Gontard reports on seminars introducing Nastati’s work on homeodynamic preparations derived from biodynamic principles. The article outlines the educational intent—to provide participants with practical means to adapt preparation work to modern environmental stresses—while noting regulatory constraints on product availability. The report is descriptive and instructional, without introducing new preparation protocols.

In “JPI at EcoFarm Conference,” Pat Frazier documents JPI’s participation in a major sustainable agriculture gathering, detailing workshops, collaboration with the Biodynamic Association, and high attendance at biodynamic sessions. The article positions public education and organizational cooperation as essential to biodynamics’ wider adoption.

The issue concludes with book reviews of Thinking Like a Plant by Craig Holdrege and How to Move Like a Gardener by Deb Soule. Reviews evaluate each work’s contribution to observational practice, plant-centered thinking, and practical biodynamic application, particularly for gardeners and small-scale growers.

Collectively, Issue 084 presents biodynamics as economically viable, procedurally adaptable, and methodologically open to refinement, grounded in long-term practice and shared investigation.

Articles

• The Hack Family Farm Organism (A. Porter Interview Ulrich Hack) 
• Response to “The Valerian Preparation (BD #507) Revisited”  (A. Porter) 
• 2013 Enzo Nastati Workshop in Colorado (C. von Gontard) JPI at EcoFarm Conference (P. Frazier)  
• Book Reviews - Thinking Like a Plant: A Living Science for Life by Craig Holdrege and How to Move Like a Gardener: Planting  and Preparing Medicines from Plants by Deb Soule (A. Porter)  

Key Topics Covered

• Large-scale biodynamic farm organism management
• Closed-loop fertility and internal feed systems
• Quantified compost production and application rates
• Preparation making at farm scale
• Tool adaptation for preparation efficiency
• Seed saving and GMO avoidance strategies
• Valerian preparation BD 507 timing variability
• Translation-based methodological clarification
• Design of comparative compost trials
• Biodynamic education and conference outreach
• Evaluation of plant-centered observation literature

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue 084, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Spring 2014.