Field Notes
Letter from the President
In this Michaelmas 2026 letter, JPI president Teresa O’Shaughnessy shares the move of packing and shipping to Perennial Roots Farm and introduces the people carrying the work forward. The update renews JPI’s commitment to accessible preparations while honoring a season of rest for its Floyd...
From the Field Notes archive
Latest writing
Offerings for the Spring Table
First published in Applied Biodynamics in spring 1995, Betsy Cashen’s seasonal essay brings nettle and dandelion from the preparation garden to the table. It pairs biodynamic plant portraits with ideas for cooked greens, soups, sauces, teas, and the pleasure of noticing spring’s edible abundance.
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The Reality of the Zodiac
What can grazing animals and their manure reveal about a farm’s inner relationships? Stewart Lundy begins with observations of sheep, cows, and wild roses, then explores planetary qualities, plant affinities, and the transformation of distinct manures into balanced, mature compost.
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Cosmic Journal
April’s growing momentum asks for both purposeful work and patience with the land. This 2024 Cosmic Journal follows sowing, cultivation, preparation sprays, and the April solar eclipse, encouraging growers to combine calendar awareness with observation of their own soil, weather, and plants.
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Invite your friends to read Josephine Porter Institute - Applied Biodynamics
This March 2024 invitation encouraged readers to share Applied Biodynamics with friends and help widen the circle of biodynamic learning. The post explained the publication’s Substack referral program and thanked the community whose enthusiasm and support made its continuing work possible.
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Holy Week
The anointing imagery of Holy Week opens a meditation on valerian, gypsum, and the renewal of spring growth. Stewart Lundy brings Christian symbolism into conversation with biodynamic preparation work, exploring aromatic offerings to the soil and the relationship between earthly substance and upward striving.
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Happy Equinox!
An equinox stir becomes a way to contemplate the breathing of the year. Stewart Lundy shares his farm’s use of barrel compound in seed mixes, cultivation, and transplanting, then explores valerian’s place in helping plants begin life with a strong connection between earth and light....
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Cosmic Journal
The spring equinox and Easter frame this March 2024 Cosmic Journal’s reflections on balance, renewal, and land care. Its calendar connects orchard work, root crops, soil cultivation, and preparation offerings with attention to the farm’s changing needs and the inner meaning of the season.
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Equisetum and Fungus: Good and Bad
Horsetail invites a richer picture of fungal balance in biodynamic soil care. Stewart Lundy connects Equisetum with mineral and plant development, exploring how active fungal life in the soil can support healthy plants and help transform the accumulated richness of organic matter.
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Book Signing Reminder
This March 2024 reminder thanked readers supporting Biodynamics for Beginners and explained how paid subscribers could have their purchased copies personalized. It also honored the editorial team and the heart of the collection: Hugh Courtney’s enduring contribution to biodynamic preparation making.
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The Dynamics of Becoming Like a Plant
Root, leaf, flower, and seed become images for inner development in this meditation on learning from plants. Drawing on Steiner, Goethe, and other spiritual voices, Stewart Lundy explores attentive will, freedom, love, and the renewal of individuality through a life that bears fruit for others....
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Cosmic Journal #016
Spring’s approach brings seed sowing, grafting wood, orchard care, and fresh preparation work into focus. This March 2024 Cosmic Journal follows the ascending and descending Moon while inviting gratitude, careful observation, and a conscious welcome to the growing season.
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Interview: Introducing Biodynamics for Beginners
In this interview, Stewart Lundy shares the story behind Biodynamics for Beginners and the preparation-making legacy of Hugh Courtney. The conversation explores mentorship, artistic collaboration, the farmer’s conscious role, and a vision of JPI as a place where practical knowledge helps new farmers grow.
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