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
How-To: Balancing Biodynamic Soils
Healthy soil asks for coordinated care of structure, minerals, biology, and living rhythms. Drawing on farming experience and a broad reading list, Stewart Lundy outlines a practical sequence for soil renewal that brings observation, mineral testing, cover crops, compost, and biodynamic preparations together.
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Under The Influence of Walden: To Build A House
Inspired by Walden and traditional building, John Carr recounts hand-hewing a timber-frame cabin from trees on his Vermont land. The work becomes a meditation on place, inherited skills, conscious attention, and the beginnings of a homestead shaped by the individuality of its landscape.
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Cosmic Journal #015
Late winter’s garden work unfolds within a larger rhythm in this February 2024 Cosmic Journal. Transplanting, fruit-tree pruning, seed sowing, and preparation sprays are considered alongside the descending Moon, the full Moon, and the meeting of lunar and Saturnian influences.
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JPI Biodynamic Winter Farm Update
Winter at JPI brought new connections, new garden spaces, and two Highland cows with a special history. Ben Nommay shares progress in compost making, perennial plantings, and herd care, alongside a personal reflection on the cattle that helped inspire his life in biodynamics.
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2024 Study Group - Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture: Life based on Love
A companion to the 2024 Agriculture Course study with Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary, this short post gathers a resource folder, recording information, and a place for questions. It supports shared exploration of Steiner’s lectures and the spiritual foundations of agricultural renewal.
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New Book Release: Biodynamics for Beginners
Biodynamics for Beginners gathers practical wisdom from Applied Biodynamics into an illustrated guide to preparation making. This release announcement introduces the collection, shares Stewart Lundy’s reflections on living nature, and previews a contents list shaped by generations of hands-on biodynamic experience.
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Liron Israely: A Journey to Biodynamics in the Holy Land
Liron Israely traces a decade of building biodynamic practice in Israel through apprenticeship, local relationships, and patient experimentation. His story follows the search for preparation materials, the growth of an herb nursery, adaptation to Mediterranean seasons, and the development of a chromatography laboratory.
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Biodynamic Tree Paste Recipe
Biodynamic tree paste brings attentive care directly to orchard trunks and branches. This illustrated guide explains the place of clay and preparations in tree care, shows ways to apply the paste, and shares both Pfeiffer’s original formula and JPI’s adapted recipe.
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Cosmic Journal #014
As winter begins its turn toward spring, this February 2024 Cosmic Journal follows the interplay of garden tasks, lunar rhythms, and inner attention. Orchard pruning, soil preparations, horn silica, and transplant planning become opportunities to deepen a living relationship with the farm.
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The Future of JPI: Applied Biodynamics
Applied Biodynamics entered a new chapter online after 109 print issues. This account honors the editors and contributors who shaped the newsletter and explains how a digital publication serves JPI’s enduring purpose: sharing preparation knowledge, widening access, and supporting biodynamic practice around the world.
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FOPM 2024 Conference Experience
Curiosity, shared experience, and preparation research animated the Fellowship of Preparation Makers’ 2024 gathering. This brief photographic report celebrates the people behind the work, with glimpses of yarrow preparations, valerian chromatograms, planetary tree relationships, and JPI’s participation.
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Announcement: 2024 Agriculture Course
This 2024 announcement introduced a year-long Agriculture Course study co-led by Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary and JPI. Eleven webinars brought Steiner’s foundational lectures into conversation with farming, beekeeping, preparation making, and a shared devotion to healing the Earth.
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