Applied Biodynamics — Issue 101 (Autumn 2021)
Issue 101 presents a full-season Pacific Northwest orchard program, exact Tree Paste and fermented-yarrow formulas, a stirring-method comparison, and a model of neighboring farms sharing land, pollinators, equipment, and preparation plants.
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Applied Biodynamics, Issue 101 (Autumn 2021) is a practical issue about collaborative farm stewardship, a full-season Pacific Northwest orchard program, the preparation and agricultural use of yarrow, and the legacy of Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary co-founder Vivian Struve-Hauk.
Emily Sepulveda’s “News From the Farm: No Fences, Good Neighbors” describes JPI, Riverstone Organic Farm, and Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary as cooperating organs within one valley. The farms share equipment, pasture, pollinators, manure, knowledge, and preparation plants: Spikenard supplies valerian and grows chamomile for JPI, while Riverstone’s animals and fields contribute to the wider farm organism. The account makes collaboration measurable through shared acreage, harvests, equipment use, and preparation materials.
Marjory House’s “Biodynamic Orcharding in the Pacific Northwest” follows more than 20 years of observation and a four-year conversion to biodynamic management. Her seasonal sequence includes vigorous winter pruning, tool sanitation, fermented BD 508 before heavy rain, spring Tree Paste before leaf emergence, summer drip irrigation, ground-cover diversity, and BD 501 near ripening. She records orchard scale—about 450 trees on the farm plus more than 400 managed off-farm—and connects each practice with weather, disease pressure, tree vigor, and cider-fruit quality.
The orchard article also reports a useful stirring comparison made with microscopic examination: longer hand-stirred sprays showed higher beneficial fungal counts, while machine-stirred sprays showed higher beneficial bacterial counts. House therefore favors hand stirring for BD 508 when fungal activity is the target. This observation invites a repeatable farm test using the same water, recipe, duration, temperature, and sampling method for both batches.
House’s Tree Paste formula combines 3 gallons fresh horsetail, 3 gallons fresh nettle, 50 pounds bentonite clay, 5 gallons fresh cow manure, 4 gallons fermented BD 508, and enough rainwater for the desired consistency. Mixed by hand, it covers approximately 75 to 100 trees. Thicker paste is used on wounds; a sprayable batch is diluted and filtered through a fine strainer. The issue recommends using the fresh mixture within a week.
Abigail Porter’s “Heal Yourself, Heal Your Garden, Part 4” and Stewart Lundy’s “Yarrow: A Plant for Wounded People and Wounded Earth” connect Achillea millefolium with BD 502, compost vitality, sulfur and potassium processes, and direct garden use. Porter’s fermented extract uses 200 grams fresh or 20 grams dried yarrow in one liter of water, loosely covered in sunlight and stirred every few days. After about two weeks, or when foaming stops, it is strained and diluted into 9 liters of water for soil and young-plant applications.
The issue closes by honoring Vivian Struve-Hauk, whose organizational skill, beauty, functionality, and service to honeybees helped bring Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary into lasting form.
Articles in This Issue
- “News From the Farm: No Fences, Good Neighbors” — Emily Sepulveda
- “Biodynamic Orcharding in the Pacific Northwest” — Marjory House
- “Heal Yourself, Heal Your Garden, Part 4: Yarrow” — Abigail Porter
- “Yarrow: A Plant for Wounded People and Wounded Earth” — Stewart Lundy
- “In Memoriam: Vivian Struve-Hauk”
Key Topics Covered
- JPI, Riverstone, and Spikenard as a cooperative farm organism
- Shared equipment, pasture, pollinators, and preparation plants
- Four-year orchard conversion to biodynamic management
- Winter pruning and sanitation across hundreds of apple trees
- Weather-timed BD 508 applications before heavy rain
- Spring Tree Paste before leaf emergence
- Drip irrigation, ground covers, and cider-fruit management
- BD 501 timing in relation to fruit ripening
- Microscopic comparison of hand- and machine-stirred sprays
- Exact Tree Paste ingredients, mixing, coverage, and storage
- Fermented yarrow extract with defined weights and dilution
- Yarrow BD 502 in compost vitality and farm healing
Related JPI Resources
- BD 508 Horsetail · guide · instructions
- BD 501 Horn Silica · guide · instructions
- Biodynamic Tree Paste · protocol · instructions
- BD 502 Yarrow · guide
- BD 503 Chamomile · guide
- BD 504 Stinging Nettle · guide
- BD 507 Valerian · guide
- BD 502–507 Compost Preparation Set · instructions
- Making and Using Biodynamic Preparations
Citation
Applied Biodynamics, Issue 101, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Autumn 2021.
