Applied Biodynamics — Issue 026 (Spring 1999)

Applied Biodynamics Issue 026 is explicitly framed around the idea of standing at a threshold—both agriculturally and culturally—as the year 2000 approached. Rather than focusing on seasonal field technique, the issue centers on resilience, preparedness, and continuity of biodynamic practice under uncertain conditions.

A short introductory excerpt from Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s New Directions in Agriculture situates biodynamics historically as a response to agricultural and civilizational crisis. Pfeiffer’s text emphasizes the farm organism as a stabilizing, regenerating system capable of maintaining vitality under external disruption, setting the conceptual tone for the issue.

This theme is developed practically in Hugh Courtney’s “Y2K Preparedness and the Biodynamic Preparations.” Courtney treats Y2K not as a technical curiosity but as a stress test for agricultural dependency. The article argues for on-farm preparation making and stockpiling, explicitly naming vulnerabilities in centralized distribution of preparations, materials, and knowledge. BD 500, BD 501, and BC (Biodynamic Compound Preparation) are discussed in terms of storage stability, replication, and the need for farmers to regain procedural competence rather than rely on institutional supply.

Courtney’s companion article, “JPI at the Threshold,” extends this preparedness lens to the Josephine Porter Institute itself. The piece reflects on institutional capacity, leadership transition, and the responsibility of JPI to serve as a stabilizing node for biodynamic practice. The article is operational rather than promotional, acknowledging limitations and the need for decentralized competence.

A highly practical article, “Brick Pit BC (Thun Recipe Compost),” documents an alternative, low-technology method for producing Biodynamic Compound Preparation using a brick-lined pit. The article specifies pit dimensions, layering sequence, manure preparation, insertion of BD compost preparations, moisture control, and covering methods. The method is explicitly framed as appropriate for farmers seeking self-reliance without specialized equipment.

Human and cultural dimensions are addressed in Nicola Franceschelli’s interview with Walter Stuber, which explores lived biodynamic practice, long-term observation, and the integration of spiritual science with agricultural work. The interview emphasizes discipline, patience, and repeated observation rather than novelty or innovation.

Two articles focus on dandelion (BD 506) from complementary angles. “The Innocent Dandelion—A Messenger from Heaven” by Mary Gardner treats dandelion as a cosmological and medicinal plant, linking its form and growth habit to soil–cosmos mediation. This is followed by “Efficient Dandelion Picking or How to Pick When Your Back Hurts” by Alice Porter, which grounds the discussion in ergonomics, specifying body mechanics, tools, harvesting posture, and pacing to enable large-scale flower collection without injury.

The issue concludes with book reviews of Wilhelm Pelikan’s Healing Plants: Insights Through Spiritual Science (Vol. 1) and Christopher Williams’ Bringing a Garden to Life, both reinforcing observation, plant gesture, and inner discipline as foundations for practical work rather than abstract belief.

Articles

• Partial text from New Directions in Agriculture (E. Pfeiffer)  New ATTRA Publication on Biodynamics  
• Interview with Walter Stuber (N. Franceschelli)  
• JPI at the Threshold (H. Courtney)  
• Y2K Preparedness and the Biodynamic Preparations (H.  Courtney)  
• Brick Pit BC (Thun Recipe Compost) (H. Courtney)  
• The Innocent Dandelion—A Messenger from Heaven (M.  Gardner) 
• Efficient Dandelion Picking or How to Pick When Your Back  Hurts (A. Porter)  
• Book Reviews: Healing Plants: Insights Through Spiritual  Science, Vol.1, by W. Pelikan (M. Gardner), Bringing a  Garden to Life by C. Williams (J. Muir)  

Key Topics Covered

• Agricultural resilience and preparedness at the Y2K threshold
• On-farm self-reliance in biodynamic preparation making
• Brick-pit method for BC (Biodynamic Compound Preparation)
• Institutional reflection on JPI’s role and limitations
• Interview-based reflection on lived biodynamic practice
• Dandelion (BD 506) significance: cosmological and practical
• Ergonomic techniques for large-scale dandelion harvesting
  Book reviews emphasizing observation and spiritual science

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 026, Josephine Porter Institute, Spring 1999.