Applied Biodynamics — Issue 012 (Summer 1995)

Applied Biodynamics Issue 012 (Summer 1995) is organized around method development and research-minded practice. The issue foregrounds BD #501 (horn silica) not as a fixed tradition but as a preparation whose source materials, grinding method, and soil-context fit are treated as variables for study. Alongside this, the issue publishes a detailed “case report” on an amethyst-based spray, documents an introductory workshop as a repeatable training format (with specific stirring times and insertion procedures), and profiles Chris Stearn’s background as a biodynamics practitioner committed to demonstrable research outcomes.

A short editorial section frames summer as the St. John’s season and positions biodynamic work as active observation aimed at enhancing growth and healing processes. A reader letter raises methodological concerns about sequential spraying research, specifically confounders (eclipses, nodes, retrogrades) and the implications for treated vs control plot spacing if weather effects extend beyond the treated area. The editor notes an intent to address these research questions in upcoming issues. The mission statement reiterates JPI’s purposes: production of preparations and expansion into education and research.

“BD #501 – The Horn Silica Preparation” by Hugh J. Courtney is the technical centerpiece. The article argues that BD #501 has been undervalued in practice and that the biodynamic movement has largely ignored a key detail in Steiner’s indications: quartz is named first, but orthoclase feldspar is also explicitly mentioned as an alternative source. The article develops a polarity framework (lime–silica) and proposes that clay mediates between the two, then extends the argument: because feldspars can carry calcium/potash/sodium relationships more strongly than pure quartz, soils with predominantly sandy character may benefit from a BD #501 made from orthoclase or feldspar rather than quartz alone. The article identifies this as a theoretical construct requiring trials, while stating an intent to make a feldspar form available for practical testing. The article also records practical “research prompts” derived from Steiner’s Q&A and appended notes: grinding guidance including mortar work, very fine powder requirements, and the noteworthy mention of an iron pestle, which leads to an experimental question about deliberate iron incorporation. Multiple experimental BD #501 variants are described as hypotheses-in-practice, including a “crystal sand” approach used without grinding and a “rectorite” matrix context, with earlier use linked to strong observational outcomes. The article repeatedly emphasizes that lack of visible “dramatic” results does not constitute proof of ineffectiveness, and it frames BD #501 as necessary to complement BD #500 by establishing a full growing zone above and below the plant “diaphragm” boundary described in Steiner’s agriculture lectures.

“Attention Readers – Ehrenfried Pfeiffer: Notes and Lectures” functions as a directed reading notice. The item positions Pfeiffer’s notes and lectures as a resource for practitioners seeking historically grounded technical context and method development, consistent with this issue’s emphasis on disciplined study rather than repetition.

“Amethyst Spray” by Dennis Klocek is presented as an applied experiment with explicit material handling and outcome reporting. The rationale begins in mineral chemistry and plant gesture: amethyst is treated as a silicate with a calcium-bearing gesture relative to quartz, and its iron-peroxide and manganese content is interpreted as relevant to oxygen and vegetative processes. The method is described stepwise: amethyst points are pulverized and ground to a fine meal; the material is diluted and triturated with orthoclase feldspar and then with flint to a 3x potentization; part of the meal is used immediately as a spray while the remainder is placed into a cow horn for summer burial. Application is described with timing and handling constraints: stirred for 20 minutes in rainwater, applied on leaf days, often in the evening due to extreme dryness, and alternated with Barrel Compost in the spray cycle. The cabbage production system is disclosed with confounders rather than hidden: heavy mulch, drip irrigation under mulch, and side-dressing with a stabilized liquid ferment are all stated. Results are reported in observable terms under high heat and aridity: steady growth, very large heads by early September, sweetness and crispness, some sun-scald during head formation (with a proposed correction via shade cloth), and notable internal moisture beads at cutting despite no overhead watering. The article closes by proposing a repeated trial the following season, explicitly treating the report as a “doubtful experiment” that produced unusually strong outcomes under disclosed conditions.

“Introductory Biodynamic Workshop a Success” by Erin Coffin documents a training day structured to provide repeatable competence rather than inspiration. The workshop format is operational: participants are divided into groups, each learning vortex creation and stirring procedures for BD #500 (one hour), BD #501 (one hour), BD #508 (20 minutes), and Barrel Compost (20 minutes). A distinctive hands-on exercise operationalizes sensory comparison: participants spray Barrel Compost on a section of garden bed, rake it in, then rake an unsprayed section to compare tactile qualities; the same “spray and rake” sequence is repeated with BD #500, for a total of three repetitions. Compost-preparation training is detailed as a replicable method: BD #502–506 are inserted into designated holes using a “handful of compost” ball placed down each hole, while BD #507 (valerian) is partly poured into its hole and the remainder sprayed over the pile. The report includes qualitative participant comments about bed feel (“silky,” “smoother”), and it includes practical workshop logistics (outdoor tents, meal schedule, evaluation forms, and distribution of materials). A linked question-and-answer handout included with the workshop supplies standardized guidance on containers, water chlorination mitigation, compost age appropriateness by crop type (young compost for heavy feeders vs well-aged compost for carrots), Barrel Compost frequency guidance, calendar use as a guide with explicit warning to observe blackout periods, and a strong statement that BD #501 is necessary for full preparation effect.

“Interview with Chris Stearn” by Candace Coffin profiles JPI’s new Assistant Director through a career narrative anchored in agriculture and research. The interview describes Stearn’s early dairy-farm work, military aviation period, and return to agronomy and biodynamic work beginning with early 1970s conferences and employment at the Pfeiffer Foundation. The account treats biodynamics as difficult rather than automatic: concepts were initially opaque, and the organic vs biodynamic distinction is narrated as becoming clear through the preparations. The interview then emphasizes a research posture: graduate work and later research aim to detect measurable differences between preparations from different makers, with reported plant-response indicators including increased root surface area, root length, and root hairs when biodynamic preparations are used relative to controls, and an identification of an organism (Azotobacter) associated with horn silica material. The interview also records professional context: sustainable agriculture technology transfer work in Central/South America and Asia, development of composting systems suited to tropical constraints, and a critique of chemical misuse due to unreadable labels and extreme over-application. The profile closes by identifying research program development at JPI—methods capable of demonstrating preparation effectiveness—as a central priority, including explicit recognition that assumptions within biodynamics require more scientific scrutiny.

Key Topics Covered

• BD 501 source-material choice quartz versus orthoclase feldspar as a testable variable
• Clay mediation concept between silica and lime polarity in BD 501 rationale
• Grinding method controls including iron pestle and ultra-fine powder requirement
• Experimental BD 501 variants including crystal sand and iron-associated mineral sources
• BD 501 framed as complementary to BD 500 through a full plant growing-zone model
• Research implications of weather-affecting sprays for treated versus control plot spacing
• Ehrenfried Pfeiffer notes and lectures presented as practitioner study resources
• Amethyst spray as a disclosed field case including trituration steps and application timing
• Cabbage production outcomes reported under extreme heat with disclosed irrigation mulch and fermentation inputs
• Introductory workshop protocol including timed stirring BD 500 BD 501 BD 508 and Barrel Compost
• Spray-and-rake training method for comparing treated versus untreated bed feel
• Compost-preparation insertion method using designated holes and BD 507 pour-and-spray sequence
• Workshop Q and A guidance on containers compost maturity by crop chlorinated water and calendar use
• Chris Stearn profile emphasizing measurable root-response indicators and research priorities at JPI

Articles

• BD #501 – The Horn Silica Preparation (H. Courtney)
• Attention  Readers – Ehrenfried Pfeiffer: Notes and Lectures
• Amethyst  Spray (D. Klocek)  
• Introductory Biodynamic Workshop a Success (E. Coffin) Interview  with Chris Stearn (C. Coffin) 

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 012, Josephine Porter Institute, 1995.