Applied Biodynamics — Issue 011 (Spring 1995)

Issue 011 (Spring 1995) is methodologically dense and reflective, combining highly detailed field practice with institutional self-assessment and disciplined introspection on preparation work. The issue balances empirical reporting, procedural refinement, and careful limits on what can and cannot yet be claimed.

The lead article, “Direct Seeding” by Charlie Townsend and Rick Walker with editorial assistance from Candace Coffin, is built explicitly from structured telephone interviews using five fixed questions. Direct seeding is defined operationally as planting seed directly into prepared beds without transplants, and the article distinguishes two biodynamic market-garden systems operating at different scales and climates.

Charlie Townsend farms approximately 7½ acres in Texas using tractor-based ridge tillage and direct seeding. Bed preparation is described step by step across an annual cycle: fall disking to incorporate residues and weeds, winter spraying of BD #500 and Barrel Compost, spring bed reworking to control winter weeds, and planting directly into freshly skimmed soil using a planter mounted behind a sweep. Compost is not used due to equipment constraints; instead, fertility is managed through cover crops, repeated BD #500 applications, and monthly Barrel Compost spraying when field access allows. Charlie reports longitudinal soil test improvement verified through university analysis, despite the absence of compost, and explicitly frames biodynamic preparations as effective even under climatic extremes of winter saturation and summer drought.

Rick Walker operates an intensive one-acre market garden in North Carolina and provides the most granular procedural detail in the issue. Bed dimensions, subsoiling depth, labor time per bed, compost volumes, rock dust use, tillage depth, preparation sequence, and timing windows are all specified. Rick applies approximately twelve wheelbarrow loads of compost per 750-square-foot bed, forks beds to a depth of about one foot without inversion, and integrates BD #500 and Barrel Compost through repeated spray-and-rake cycles prior to seeding. Direct seeding tools include modified Earthway seeders, custom-drilled plates, and improvised broadcast devices for precision sowing. Germination rates of saved seed are reported at greater than 95%, with observed improvements in vigor and stress resistance. Seed soaks, seed pelletizing with limestone, and calendar-based planting decisions are described as adaptive responses to weather, labor, and equipment limits.

“Reflections on the Past and Prospects for the Future at JPI” by Hugh Courtney documents a major institutional transition. The article traces the evolution of JPI from informal preparation making into a formal nonprofit organization with expanded responsibilities in production, education, and research. Staffing changes, financial constraints, and the decision to construct permanent facilities are presented as practical necessities rather than visionary abstractions. The article emphasizes that expanded infrastructure is required not only for preparation distribution but for disciplined education and research into preparation use—acknowledging that such research remains underdeveloped due to limited institutional support elsewhere.

“More on Biodynamic Composting – II” by Hugh Courtney is one of the most technically explicit compost essays in the archive. It argues, with reference to comparative compost trials, that biodynamic compost preparations must be inserted at the earliest possible stage of composting rather than after peak heating. Evidence is cited from comparative piles showing lower initial temperatures, reduced volatilization losses, earlier fungal development, earlier worm colonization, and faster stabilization in prepared piles versus unprepared controls. High initial heat is treated as a failure mode that delays maturation and increases nutrient loss. The compost pile is explicitly conceptualized as a developing organism whose functional “organs” are supplied by the preparations, and delayed insertion is framed as biologically disruptive rather than neutral.

“Offerings for the Spring Table” by Betsy Cashen grounds biodynamic plant knowledge in nutritional application. Stinging nettle and dandelion—already familiar as compost preparations—are treated as spring tonics with defined mineral content, physiological effects, and preparation methods. Harvest timing, storage methods, cooking durations, and tea concentrations are specified. The article consistently links plant vitality, mineral bioavailability, and seasonal physiology without making therapeutic claims beyond observable effects and traditional usage.

Two reflective essays close the issue. “Reflections on Making BD #500” by Chris Watts describes a controlled group experiment in which horns were deliberately marked by maker to test variability in preparation quality, explicitly postponing judgment until excavation. “Reflections on Working with the Preparations” by Nicholas Franceschelli contrasts Lilly Kolisko’s extensive experimental legacy with his own experiential uncertainty, emphasizing that biodynamic preparations must be understood as processes unfolding over time rather than static inputs. The essay insists that objective communication about preparations depends on recognizing their “footprint” in soil, plant, and animal systems, not on certainty or belief.

Overall, Issue 011 exemplifies biodynamics practiced as disciplined agriculture: detailed methods, transparent constraints, comparative observation, and explicit acknowledgment of unanswered questions.

Articles

• Direct Seeding (C. Townsend, R. Walker)  
• Reflections on the Past and Prospects for the Future at JPI (H.  Courtney)  
• More on Biodynamic Composting – II (H. Courtney) Offerings for  the Spring Table (B. Cashen) Reflections on Making BD #500  (C. Watts)  
• Reflections on Working with the Preparations (N. Franceschelli) 

Key Topics Covered

• Direct seeding systems compared across tractor-scale and intensive hand-scale gardens
• Annual bed preparation cycles integrating cover crops BD #500 and Barrel Compost
• Quantified compost volumes and labor inputs per bed
• Subsoiling depth and non-inversion tillage for seedbed preparation
• Seed saving germination rates and stress resistance observations
• Seed pelletizing techniques using limestone and clay
• Early insertion of biodynamic compost preparations as a temperature control strategy
• Comparative compost pile temperature and maturation outcomes
• Institutional development of JPI for research education and preparation production
• Nettle and dandelion as spring tonics with defined preparation methods
• Experimental marking of BD #500 horns to test maker variability
• Experiential criteria for recognizing preparation effects in the field

Citation

Source: Applied Biodynamics, Issue 011, Josephine Porter Institute, 1995.