Letter from the President
JPI president Teresa O’Shaughnessy announces the first JPI Merit Grant in this January 2026 letter. Rooted in gratitude and reciprocity, the initiative invites recipients to use biodynamic preparations, share their experiences, and pass the gift onward through their own communities.
By Teresa O'Shaughnessy, JPI Biodynamics.
Article narration
announcing a new JPI surprise
Dear Friends,
How are you? I have been holding you in my thoughts and heart since we last visited over a glass of iced tea. The temperature in Texas has been fluctuating, so it doesn’t feel quite like winter yet. Today is January 1, 2026, and JPI has been traveling alongside the three wise men, following a shining star. There is some exciting news to share! So pull up a chair and fix yourself something to drink, too. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with you.
The Josephine Porter Institute - Applied Biodynamics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
JPI has been working diligently to listen to the Spirit of JPI, and we have learned many valuable lessons. Being patient and mindful takes time and persistence. Learning how to listen to a voice that is not our own will be a lifelong practice. Flexibility is a huge plus! Navigating life and our work for JPI requires the skill of a veteran juggler. And joy can be found in the most unexpected places if you keep your eyes and heart open.
In December 2024, our tiny JPI Board of four and one full-time employee was challenged to change our relationship to money. To change the feeling of scarcity into one of abundance. To open and extend our hands with our palms up, ready to give and to receive. We took small, steady steps together. And listened.
When you receive a gift, you have responsibilities. When we tend the earth, there is a recognition of indebtedness that you feel when you realize that she has provided all you need to live. It is a tangible connection that runs through your heart and soul.
“It all comes from the Earth. And when we speak of these not as things or natural resources and commodities, but gifts, our whole relationship to the natural world changes.“ - Robin Wall Kimmerer
Imagine a relationship built on the idea of gifting, where money and products are held as gifts to be shared. There is a sense of abundance. Changing our perspective can diminish our sense of scarcity and want. We also become more aware of our duty to honor and value the gift, and each other.
Gratitude and reciprocity are the currency of a gift economy. Wealth is having enough to share with others. A gift economy fosters community bonds, shifting the focus from “I” to “We.” The chasm between “I” and “You”, when bridged by love, becomes a living “We.” Flourishing is our mutual outcome. We are participating in something greater than ourselves.
Reciprocity can be direct or indirect. What can we do for the trees, plants, soil, rivers, and wildlife in return for what they have given us? Weed, water, and plant for pollinators. Create wild places, spray biodynamic preparations, speak out against toxic pollution, re-enliven your soil, plant trees, volunteer at an organization that supports the environment, etc. Even the smallest effort ripples out across the planet.
How can we keep the gift in motion? As farmers, gardeners, and nature lovers, we know the importance of materials and energy cycling through our different ecosystems. Biodynamic farming and gardening honor that need.
How can we support these ecosystems? Teach others about biodynamic preparations, attend workshops, share the preparations, and share our stories.
As a result of shifting from scarcity to an awareness of abundance in December 2024, our JPI Team challenged itself to find a way to give away $10,000 worth of biodynamic preparations. A new direction, a new perspective! We decided to create a grant that would provide individuals with the opportunity to apply for free BD preparations. We explored the concept of a gift economy and listened to one another. The whole team embraced the idea and has worked together to bring it to fruition. We are ready to launch the first-ever JPI Merit Grant on January 6, 2026!
The JPI Merit Grant evolved from our new approach to funding. Mother Earth has always provided for us, and the world has abandoned her in so many ways. At JPI, we strive to meet her needs. Our mission is…
“To heal the earth through biodynamic preparations and the practice of biodynamic agriculture. We fulfill this mission by serving as a national provider of high-quality biodynamic preparations and by advancing biodynamic preparation research, education, and outreach. Additionally, the Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) supports farmers, gardeners, ranchers, and others in the creation and use of biodynamic preparations.”
When you apply for our JPI Merit Grant, you are one step closer to becoming a “Fellow”. As a JPI Merit Grant Fellow, you are now a part of a gift economy. You have pledged to do three things: 1) use the biodynamic preparations on your land or garden, 2) share your story and updates on your progress with JPI, and 3) share the gift you have been given by passing it on.
Depending on your needs, we can supply biodynamic preparations, educational resources, or even community workshops. What you receive through the Merit Grant will depend on what you request and also what JPI is able to offer in any given season. Our goal is to bridge the gap in the availability of biodynamic preparations and their rejuvenating properties, particularly for those already working in regenerative agriculture or biodynamics, whose communities are negatively affected by severe weather, climate change, economic disparities, educational needs, or environmental contamination.
How will you fulfill your responsibilities for passing it on? Show someone how you have brought your land back to life, tell another farmer about the Merit Grant, help a fellow farmer or gardener spray their biodynamic preparations, or share your produce so people can taste the difference. Each gift is multiplied whenever we offer it. You can also help extend this new gift economy by donating to the Merit Grant fund, enabling another farmer, gardener, school, or community somewhere in the world to receive a biodynamic gift. We will be posting your story and theirs on our JPI website.
As JPI has been working to define and create our Merit Grant, we have quietly shared our story.
We already have our first sponsors, who recognized the opportunity to be a part of this new way of sharing biodynamics and biodynamic preparations worldwide. Their sponsorship has more than doubled our initial goal. We hope others will also want to be part of this new and exciting adventure!
Every great idea comes to fruition with a lot of work. It takes all of us! It is clear to the current JPI Team that we stand on the shoulders of every former JPI Board member, employee, mentor, client, supplier, sponsor, donor, supporter, and volunteer, both in this physical world and in the spiritual realm. We carry all of them with us into the future. We hope the JPI Merit Grant becomes an annual event. With your help, it will be!
Watch our website for the launch of the JPI Merit Grant on January 6, 2026! Follow the links there and apply. We are looking forward to hearing your stories and sharing our biodynamic preparations with you.
As the three wise men traveled a long way to offer up their gifts, so JPI is offering a gift through you to the earth. We share the same home, and she is counting on us. We can do it! Together.
With deep gratitude,
Teresa O’Shaughnessy
President
The Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics
The Josephine Porter Institute - Applied Biodynamics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
