Applied Biodynamics — Issue No. 108 (Summer 2023)

Issue No. 108 is a summer issue emphasizing long-term farm stewardship, methodological pest control, and ethical clarity as a condition of applied practice. The issue combines an extended interview-based farm case study, a technically rigorous essay on peppering grounded in natural processes, and a concluding philosophical analysis that situates biodynamics as an active discipline rather than a belief system.

Ben Nommay’s “News From the Farm” documents seasonal operations at the Josephine Porter Institute during the approach to summer solstice. The article records concrete practices including compost production from cattle manure and garden residues to support Pfeiffer Field and Garden Spray, cooperative hay harvesting from a neighboring pasture to reduce purchased inputs, and the acquisition of used hay equipment to move toward on-farm feed self-sufficiency. Rotational grazing on adjacent farms is described as mutually beneficial, with cattle transporting fertility between landscapes while allowing JPI pastures to regenerate. Preparation making workshops are reported with specificity: preparations are stuffed, worked with collectively, hung through summer, and scheduled for burial during the fall workshop cycle. The article emphasizes continuity, seasonality, and repeatable institutional rhythms rather than innovation.

Mary Maruca’s “Old King Farm: Exploring the Magic with Dr. Orest Pelechaty” constitutes the central case study of the issue. The article documents Old King Farm as a 102-acre landscape stewarded since 2009 with the explicit goal of long-term self-sufficiency and ecological healing. The interview records the farm’s historical land use, initial soil conditions, and stepwise adoption of biodynamic practice through mentorship by experienced practitioners including Hugh Courtney and Dr. Basil Williams. Early actions included soil testing, large-scale preparation spraying requiring coordinated labor, and repeated seasonal application rather than one-time intervention. The article details the integration of biodynamics alongside other regenerative systems, with explicit caution against indiscriminate mixing. Practical land stewardship measures are documented, including wildlife sanctuary designation, riparian corridor planting with over one thousand native species, monarch habitat registration, cattle integration for manure quality, and community-based teaching through workshops and retreats. The article remains descriptive, recording observed outcomes and management decisions without abstract generalization.

Stewart Lundy’s “Peppers Revisited as Microcosmic Images of Eclipses” provides the most procedurally explicit contribution of the issue. The article explains peppering as a targeted method for moderating excessive vegetative or reproductive forces by working with seed potential. Distinctions are drawn between seed ash, charred seeds, toasted seeds, and putrefied seeds, each associated with different effects and application contexts. The article links these practices to observable natural processes such as wet winters followed by wet springs, seed rot, fungal pressure, and weed proliferation. Timing, repetition, and duration are addressed explicitly: peppering is not a one-season fix but operates within multi-year cycles, with effects gradually diminishing unless re-applied. Evaluation criteria are observational, including reduced vigor of specific weeds, changes in seed viability, and long-term shifts in species dominance. The article repeatedly emphasizes that peppering copies processes already occurring in nature and gains effectiveness through conscious, species-specific application rather than force.

Max Leyf Treinen’s “Freedom, Love, and Goodness: A Further Look at Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom (Part 2)” concludes the philosophical sequence begun in earlier issues. The article analyzes freedom as action arising from the consciously perceived good, distinguishing such action from instinct, compulsion, or error in thinking. Love is defined operationally as attention to the good, which in turn enables knowledge and ethical action. While philosophical in content, the article explicitly frames freedom as a prerequisite for responsible practice, implying that biodynamics requires inner discipline and clarity of motive to remain effective and non-mechanical. The article functions as an interpretive lens rather than a directive, clarifying the ethical conditions under which applied methods retain integrity.

Articles

• News from the Farm (B. Nommay)
• Old King Farm: Exploring the Magic with Dr. Orest Pelechaty (M. Maruca)
• Peppers Revisited as a Microcosmic Images of Eclipses (S. Lundy)
• Freedom, Love, and Goodness: A Further Look at Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom (Part 2) (M. Leyf Treinen)

Key Topics Covered

• Seasonal compost and preparation workflows at JPI
• Cooperative hay production and on-farm feed self-sufficiency
• Rotational grazing as fertility transport
• Stepwise adoption of biodynamics on a large diversified farm
• Mentorship and lineage in biodynamic teaching
• Wildlife and habitat stewardship as part of farm management
• Peppering as species-specific pest and weed control
• Seed ash charring toasting and putrefaction methods
• Multi-year evaluation of peppering outcomes
• Freedom and ethical clarity as conditions of practice

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue No. 108, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Summer 2023.