Applied Biodynamics — Issue 022 (Winter 1997–1998)

Issue 022 documents biodynamic preparation work as a discipline that combines conceptual clarity, precise handling, and willingness to report outcomes with explicit limits.

The opening editorial notes a structural change in publication rhythm: Applied Biodynamics will move from quarterly issues to three issues per year. This is framed as a practical adjustment to concentrate labor and financial resources on preparation production, training, and research support rather than publication volume. Additional notices introduce telephone consultation hours and fees, signaling a shift toward formalized advisory work alongside education.

The issue’s primary conceptual contribution is introduced by Hugh Courtney through an overview of Manfred Klett, longtime head of the Agriculture Section at the Goetheanum. Courtney situates Klett’s work as central to international biodynamic education and notes the scarcity of English-language access to his lectures. The featured text, “The Yarrow Preparation” by Manfred Klett, is presented as a lecture-based exploration of BD 502, not as a procedural manual but as an exposition of underlying principles governing the preparations as a group.

Klett’s treatment of yarrow emphasizes sulfur and potassium as organizing forces in protein formation and metabolic regulation. He anchors these ideas in direct plant observation: yarrow’s preference for sunny, open transitional habitats; its deeply divided leaves that combine differentiation with succulence; persistent, lignifying stems; strong aromatic bitterness; and a dual root system that penetrates deeply while also spreading laterally. These characteristics are interpreted as expressions of concentration and differentiation, qualities Klett associates with the preparation’s role in compost.

The lecture then addresses the preparation process itself as a seasonal and spatial sequence rather than a technical recipe. The stag bladder is described as contributing both form and substance, with emphasis placed on the animal’s heightened sensory organization. Hanging the filled bladder in summer and burying it in winter is presented as a rhythmic exposure to warmth, air, moisture, and earth over time. While interpretive, this section establishes the intended handling logic and temporal structure that informs practical BD 502 making.

“Looking Back on the JPI Prep Seminar (Oct. 29–Nov. 1, 1997)” by Robert Grimes provides the issue’s most concrete procedural documentation. The seminar report describes a multi-day, hands-on format involving fourteen participants rotating through preparation stations. Specific handling details are recorded: sewing mesentery into three-sided pockets for BD 506, moistening and stuffing dandelion blossoms before sealing; flushing and trimming intestines for BD 503, tightly stuffing moistened chamomile blossoms, tying ends, and forming sealed units; grinding oak bark for BD 505; and large-scale horn packing for BD 500, with approximately two thousand horns prepared and buried during the seminar. The report stresses careful, attentive work as essential to meaningful preparation outcomes.

The “Observations and Experiments” section includes two short reports that model the issue’s empirical posture by pairing strong observations with explicit uncertainty.

In “Some Effects of the BD Preps,” Stephen Storch reports on a long-term observation centered on a mature English yew transplanted with severe root damage. The tree was placed in a mound filled with composting materials, and BD 500 was applied repeatedly over subsequent years. Later excavation reportedly revealed extensive new hair-root development extending beyond the original root boundary. A secondary observation describes unusually good storage quality in pumpkins and gourds grown nearby, with fruits remaining firm long after vine death despite regional disease pressure. Multiple inputs are acknowledged, including BD 501 and horsetail sprays, and the article does not isolate causation; the strength of the report lies in the documented initial damage and later root-state inspection.

In “Horsetail Tea and Bees,” Evrett Lunquist reports feeding a newly installed bee package with sugar syrup made using horsetail tea. The hive reportedly built strongly through the season. A comparison is offered with another beekeeper’s hive from the same supplier that struggled despite medication. The article explicitly lists confounding factors, including forage differences, isolation from chemical exposure, lack of direct observation of the comparison hive, and the loss of one hive to a bear. The report is framed as a research prompt rather than proof, suggesting further exploration of compost-preparation herbs in bee management.

The issue concludes with a short book review evaluating Gardening Basics by Beth Wieting as an accessible entry point for beginners interested in composting and biodynamic preparations, positioned as a bridge for readers who find biodynamics conceptually difficult at first exposure.

Key Topics Covered

• Shift from quarterly publication to three issues per year
• Formalization of consultation services alongside education
• Manfred Klett’s role in international biodynamic education
• Conceptual framework for BD 502 emphasizing sulfur potassium and protein formation
• Field-identification characteristics of yarrow relevant to preparation interpretation
• Seasonal hanging and burial sequence as formative process for BD 502
• Prep seminar procedures for BD 506 mesentery pocket construction
• Prep seminar procedures for BD 503 chamomile sausage formation
• Large-scale BD 500 horn packing during seminar
• Observed root regeneration following repeated BD 500 application
• Reported storage quality differences associated with biodynamic context
• Horsetail tea use in bee feeding with stated confounding variables
• Beginner biodynamic gardening text reviewed as an entry pathway

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 022, Josephine Porter Institute, 1997–1998.