Applied Biodynamics — Issue 037 (Summer 2002)

Applied Biodynamics Issue 037 is deliberately constructed as a making-and-meaning issue. A complete procedural manual for BD 502 is paired with interpretive work on yarrow’s role within the compost preparations, then grounded by a candid farm report on preparation self-sufficiency and a field-oriented book review. Editorial framing emphasizes that BD 502 is more than a single act; it is a process extending across a full year and multiple seasonal thresholds.

The technical center is “How to Make the Yarrow Preparation (BD #502)”, presented as a comprehensive, step-by-step workflow. Harvest timing is specified by plant morphology: flower heads begin to protrude, losing their flat disc shape, and petals begin to turn downward. Blossoms may be used fresh or dried; drying is done on racks or screens, with paper bags for storage. Florets are clipped nearly stem-free to avoid puncturing the stag bladder, while stems and leaves are reserved to make a yarrow tea later used for moistening blossoms and rehydrating the sheath.

Sheath preparation is unusually explicit. The article specifies sourcing a stag bladder with clear identification, avoiding rinsing so urine may be retained for later use, and freezing the bladder fully submerged in water if immediate use is not possible. Vacuum sealing is discouraged due to toughening from moisture loss. Preparation involves trimming to expose the urinary tract, inflating with a needle pump, tying with yarn, and managing the work as a two-person operation. A contingency method is provided for punctured bladders using an internal balloon, allowing damaged sheaths to be salvaged or repaired.

Stuffing instructions include precise moisture diagnostics: moistened blossoms should express only a drop or two of liquid when squeezed. Loose packing is explicitly warned against, as trapped air leads to drying and stalled transformation. Packing continues until finger pressure leaves no depression and the sheath feels uniformly firm. The opening is sewn closed with reinforced stitching, and the filled bladder is covered in cheesecloth to protect against splitting, insects, and animals.

The seasonal sequence is strictly staged. Stuffing occurs in early to mid-summer. The covered bladder hangs outdoors until fall, protected from impact and animals. After the fall equinox, it is taken down, inspected, repaired if necessary, and buried. Burial guidance specifies copper screening for protection and recovery, rejection of galvanized steel, well-drained siting away from roots, defined pit dimensions, dusk burial timing, and careful marking. Lifting occurs near St. John’s Day (June 24). Finished BD 502 is identified by a thinner bladder membrane and transformed yarrow that is light brown and feathery in texture. The material is screened and stored in cool, dark, breathable containers buffered with peat moss. Uses include compost insertion and seed soaking for grasses such as rye.

The interpretive essay “Achillea millefolium Esoterica” insists that preparations must be understood not as substances but as formative influences. Drawing on Steiner, the article frames compost preparations as carriers of living forces rather than nutrient supplements. Yarrow’s role is developed in relation to potassium processes, sulfur mediation, and the ability of soil to take up extremely fine, “cosmic” influences. Interpretation is presented as a discipline that accompanies exact method, not a substitute for it.

A community-scale harvesting note documents organized dandelion collection for BD 506, specifying harvest readiness by visible “bulls-eye” centers and highlighting the dependence of preparation work on coordinated labor and stage-accurate collection.

“Prep Making Efforts at Dogwood Spring Farm” provides a grounded case study of transitioning toward full on-farm preparation production. The report itemizes available resources (manure, horns, quartz, certain herbs), identified constraints (insufficient chamomile and inconsistent yarrow), and practical solutions including supplemental sourcing from biodynamically managed herb growers. Animal sheath sourcing is described as a significant logistical hurdle addressed through regional relationships and group work sessions. The article documents infrastructure planning (additional crocks, root cellar) and explicitly notes that increased self-sufficiency deepens reliance on JPI expertise for quality criteria, timing, and sourcing guidance.

The issue concludes with a detailed review of Gardening for Life – The Biodynamic Way, emphasizing its practical orientation: zodiac and elemental timing for field work, compost and cowpat preparations, weed and pest ashes, horsetail harvest and use for fungal pressure, and pragmatic guidance for gardeners working within time constraints. The review presents timing discipline, not belief, as the book’s central contribution.

Articles

• How to Make the Yarrow Preparation (BD #502) (P.  Smith)
• Achillea millefolium Esoterica (H. Courtney) 
• Prep  Making Efforts at Dogwood Spring Farm (C. Korrow) 
• Book Review: Gardening for Life – The Biodynamic Way by M.  Thun (A. Petty, D. Petty, C. Watts) 

Key Topics Covered

• Step-by-step BD 502 yarrow preparation-making workflow used at JPI (harvest stage criteria, clipping, sheath handling, seasonal sequence, storage)
• Stag bladder procurement and preparation controls (identity confirmation, inflation/tying, freezing-in-water guidance, puncture contingency with balloon)
• Moisture and packing diagnostics for stuffing (squeeze-test moisture rule; firmness criterion; transformation risk from excess air)
• Protection, hanging, burial, and recovery protocol (cheesecloth cover; copper screening; pit size; dusk burial; marking; lift timing near St. John’s Day)
• Finished-preparation quality indicators and storage requirements (membrane thinning; light-brown feathery texture; screening; cool/dark breathing storage with peat)
• “Esoterica” interpreted as operational comprehension of preparations as forces (potassium transformation, sulfur relation, compost vitality framing via Steiner)
• Community-scale harvesting logistics for BD 506 (stage-accurate dandelion picking; organized labor through school/farm partnerships)
• Farm case study of preparation self-sufficiency (horn/quartz sourcing; herb cultivation limits; slaughterhouse sheath sourcing; infrastructure planning for storage)
• Maria Thun book review as applied scheduling and intervention guide (zodiac/element timing; composting; nettle extracts; weed/pest ashes; horsetail antifungal use)

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 037, Josephine Porter Institute, Summer 2002.