Applied Biodynamics — Issue No. 105 (Autumn 2022)

Issue No. 105 centers on the maturation of farm organisms—both institutional and individual—through infrastructure development, repeated biodynamic practice, and conscious perceptual engagement. The issue combines operational reporting, a detailed farm case study, and a philosophically grounded exploration of biodynamics as applied spiritual science.

Mike Biltonen’s “News From the Farm—A Fall Update” documents a period of structural consolidation and expansion at the Josephine Porter Institute. The article reports the near completion of fencing to support permanent cattle integration, explicitly framing cows as essential contributors to manure quality and life forces required for preparation making. Staff roles are clearly delineated, including preparation leadership, apprenticeship, fulfillment, and publication management. Fall practices are discussed in applied terms, including compost construction, use of biodynamic compost preparations, autumn application of horn manure (BD 500), barrel compost sprays, cover crop treatment, and timing of soil incorporation. The article emphasizes fall as the beginning of the spiritual and agricultural year, with preparations applied before soil cultivation to ensure integration. Observational evaluation is grounded in soil condition, compost heat, and seasonal readiness rather than yield metrics alone.

Erin Dreistadt’s “Aspen Moon Farm: Hope, Passion, and a Bit of Crazy” provides a comprehensive case study of a large-scale, community-oriented biodynamic and organic vegetable farm in Colorado. The article documents land use ratios (approximately 25 acres cultivated within a 99-acre holding), long crop rotations, insectary strips, riparian buffers, and livestock integration. Biodynamic practices include the use of BD 500, BD 501, barrel compost, fermented nettle and comfrey teas, and fully prepared compost piles using all six compost preparations. Cow integration is described in practical terms: fall grazing on cover crops, winter manure collection, and compost heating. The article explicitly addresses logistical constraints, including the relinquishment of Demeter certification due to administrative burden while maintaining biodynamic practice and USDA organic certification. Evaluation criteria include soil vitality, crop resilience, CSA continuity, market adaptability, and long-term community nourishment rather than ideological purity.

Stewart Lundy’s “Growing the Sense-Organ of the Farm: Thoughts from The Philosophy of Freedom” initiates a reflective series linking Rudolf Steiner’s epistemology to biodynamic agriculture. While not a procedural manual, the article articulates a disciplined observational practice: the farmer’s thinking evolves alongside the farm’s developmental stages, from infrastructure establishment to mature organism stewardship. The article frames perception, intuition, and conceptual clarity as repeatable inner practices that condition how biodynamic methods are applied. Examples from apprenticeship, compost observation, and seasonal differentiation are used to demonstrate how conceptual development affects practical discernment. The article explicitly rejects template-based replication of farms, arguing instead for universal principles that must be particularized through lived experience.

Articles

• News From The Farm (M. Biltonen)
• Fall Practices for a Biodynamic Garden (S. Lundy)
• Aspen Moon Farm: Hope, Passion, and a Bit of Crazy (E. Dreistadt)
• Growing the Sense Organ of the Farm: Thoughts from The Philosophy of Freedom (S. Lundy)

Key Topics Covered

• Institutional farm organism development at JPI
• Integration of cows for manure and preparation quality
• Autumn compost building and preparation application
• Fall application of horn manure and barrel compost
• Large-scale biodynamic vegetable production logistics
• Compost preparation and fermented plant teas
• CSA and market adaptation under climate stress
• Farm scale evaluation through soil vitality and continuity
• Philosophical foundations of biodynamic perception

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue No. 105, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Autumn 2022.