Applied Biodynamics — Issue 069 (Summer 2010)

Issue 069 is a practice-plus-context issue that integrates a detailed professional interview, applied troubleshooting guidance, introduction of a new preparation for trial use, and curated literature relevant to biodynamic method and perception. The issue emphasizes organizational structure, repeatable practice, and evaluative discipline rather than novel technique.

The lead feature, “Frey Vineyards: Cultivating Biodynamics in an Evolving Social Organism,” by Hunter Francis, is an extended interview with Luke Frey conducted during a winter gathering of the Biodynamic Association of Northern California. The interview reconstructs the farm’s development from a family-run ranch to a large-scale winery producing approximately ninety-five thousand cases annually, integrating organic and biodynamic management across owned and purchased fruit.

Operational details are documented: early dry-farmed vineyard establishment; hand irrigation and cultivation during establishment; gradual build-out of fermentation facilities; transition to on-site preparation making beginning in the mid-1990s; and Demeter certification achieved in 1996. Frey describes infrastructure for preparation storage, stirring, and spraying, and specifies ongoing participation in regional preparation groups that centralize quality control and distribution.

Field observations are presented comparatively and longitudinally. Frey reports changes in soil structure (friability, moisture retention, odor), plant diversity, canopy character, grape skin thickness, native yeast presence on skins, and fermentation aromatics after adopting biodynamic practices. These observations are framed as qualitative and comparative rather than causal claims. The interview also documents non-sulfited winemaking protocols, including extended trial periods, process adjustments, and sensory evaluation, situating biodynamics within broader quality control systems.

The article explicitly frames the farm as a social organism, detailing extended family labor, regional association work, workshops hosted on-site, and educational outreach. Growth of regional participation—from small meetings to gatherings of hundreds—is documented as an observable social outcome accompanying agricultural practice.

“Anecdotes and Antidotes – Biodynamics at Work,” by Hugh Courtney, provides applied responses to practitioner questions with quantified guidance and decision logic. Topics include tree paste formulation variables (manure, clay, mineral components, oils for adhesion), shelf life and transition of fresh to fermented BD 508, and material selection for BD 501 silica sources. Each response specifies constraints, alternatives, and references to prior issues or booklets, modeling how practices are evaluated before recommendation.

In “Harmonizing Preparation of Hugo Erbe Now Available,” Courtney announces the availability of the Hugo Erbe Harmonizing Preparation (HE #9) for trial use. The article specifies composition (common biodynamic food substances), anaerobic fermentation, application rate per acre, and use constraints: the preparation is presented as complementary and should not be used in isolation without prior and ongoing use of the foundational nine biodynamic preparations. Timing guidance centers on the Michaelmas season, with a defined window extending from the fall equinox to Advent. The piece positions HE #9 as an experimental offering, inviting careful observation rather than prescriptive adoption.

The issue concludes with book notices and brief reviews of newly acquired titles relevant to biodynamics and phenomenological science. The reviews distinguish between memoir-style reflections grounded in long practice and research-based works employing Goethean methods to study metamorphosis and organismal development. The section functions as a reference expansion, not as methodological instruction.

Across all sections, Issue 069 presents biodynamics as a disciplined, community-embedded practice that advances through documentation, comparison, and continuity rather than assertion.

Articles

• Frey Vineyards: Cultivating Biodynamics in an Evolving Social Organism (H. Francis interviews L. Frey)  
• Anecdotes and Antidotes – Biodynamics at Work (H. Courtney) 
• Harmonizing Preparation of Hugo Erbe Now Available (H.  Courtney)  
• New Book Titles Just Arrived – Deep Gardening: Soul Lessons from 17 Gardens, Biodynamic Memories by Woody 
• Woodraska and Farming Soul: A Tale of Initiation by Patricia Damery  
• Other Newly Acquired Titles – Metamorphosis: Evolution in Action  by Andreas Suchantke and Wisdom of the Bees: Principles for  Biodynamic Beekeeping by Erik Berrevoets (Reviews from book  jacket excerpt and H. Courtney)  

Key Topics Covered

• Longitudinal development of a biodynamic winery
• Preparation making infrastructure and regional coordination
• Comparative soil and vine observations over time
• Non-sulfited winemaking protocols and evaluation
• Farm as a social and economic organism
• Applied practitioner guidance with quantified variables
• Tree paste formulation and adhesion considerations
• BD #508 shelf life and fermentation transition
• Introduction and constraints of Hugo Erbe Harmonizing Preparation
• Seasonal timing guidance for experimental preparations
• Curated literature on biodynamics and phenomenological science

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue 069, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Summer 2010.