Applied Biodynamics — Issue 070 (Autumn 2010)

Issue 070 is an institutional and research-planning issue that articulates JPI’s next phase of work while grounding that vision in defined research questions, comparative methods, and on-farm inquiry. The issue integrates organizational transparency, methodological rigor, and practitioner engagement.

In “Looking to the Future for JPI,” Hugh Courtney presents an economic and strategic biography of the Institute. The article recounts JPI’s founding emphasis on producing high-quality biodynamic preparations as a prerequisite for credible education and research. It explains how product distribution sustained the organization during its early decades while research initiatives were deferred due to funding constraints. The article then sets a clear direction: increased fundraising to support structured research projects, grant applications, and expanded educational programming. Environmental context is provided through reference to water pollution, nutrient runoff, and long-standing gaps between regulatory promises and outcomes. The article frames biodynamic preparations as non-polluting tools whose efficacy must be documented through disciplined research.

“Social and Environmental Importance of Biodynamic Preparations-Based Research,” by Cindi Courter, details a portfolio of eight proposed research projects designed with explicit controls, comparative treatments, and measurable indicators. The projects include: combined versus separate application of BD 500 and Barrel Compound; biodynamic treatment of animal waste in poultry, hog, and cattle systems with monitoring of ammonia, leachate, and mortality; conversion protocols from chemically farmed soils to biodynamically active soils with soil and tissue analyses; sequential spraying for drought response; seed bath efficacy; pest pepper development; planting calendar research using all nine preparations; and comparative efficacy of BD 501 variants. Each project includes scope, duration, and estimated cost, emphasizing repeatable protocols, multiple sites, and third-party analytical methods such as chromatography and capillary dynamolysis.

In “Bringing Biodynamic Research to My Own Backyard,” Courter documents a practitioner-led remediation following agrochemical damage to trees. The account specifies materials and sequence: preparation of a paste using Pfeiffer BD Field and Garden Spray, soil, and BD 508 to treat trunk wounds; subsequent soil application of the Field and Garden Spray; and follow-up application of Barrel Compound around the drip line. The article frames the work as an ongoing field inquiry with planned observation and reporting, illustrating how small-scale interventions can be documented within a research mindset.

“Anecdotes and Antidotes – Biodynamics at Work,” by Hugh Courtney, provides quantified guidance in response to reader questions. The featured response addresses Pfeiffer BD Compost Starter: water volumes per ton, unit-to-material ratios, moisture targets, cautions against over-turning to preserve colloidal humus formation, conditions warranting turning, supplemental dosing after turning, and timeframes for finished compost depending on materials. Decision logic and constraints are explicit.

The issue also announces Cindi Courter as East Coast Editor, outlining her background in non-profit management and research coordination, and Ruth Kempf, PhD, joining the JPI Board as Research Director. Kempf’s credentials in physical chemistry and large-scale safeguards research are presented alongside her biodynamic practice, positioning JPI to lead methodologically credible, farmer-involved research.

Across all articles, Issue 070 positions biodynamics as a field ready for coordinated research execution, with transparent costs, defined methods, and practitioner participation.

Articles

• Looking to the Future for JPI (H. Courtney)  
• Social and Environmental Importance of Biodynamic Preparations-Based Research (C. Courter)  
• Bringing Biodynamic Research to My Own Backyard (C. Courter) 
• Cindi Courter, New East Coast Editor for Applied Biodynamics
• Anecdotes and Antidotes – Biodynamics at Work (H. Courtney) 
• Ruth Kempf, PhD, Professional Researcher and Biodynamic Practitioner, Joins JPI Board of Directors (H. Courtney)  

Key Topics Covered

• Strategic planning and fundraising for biodynamic research
• Defined portfolio of preparations-based research projects
• Comparative and controlled study designs
• Use of chromatography and capillary dynamolysis
• Animal waste treatment and watershed protection
• Protocols for converting chemically farmed soils
• Sequential spraying and drought inquiry
• Seed bath and pest pepper research frameworks
• Practitioner-led remediation with documented sequence
• Quantified composting guidance and decision logic
• Research leadership and institutional capacity building

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue 070, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Autumn 2010.