About Us

The Josephine Porter Institute

Leading Biodynamics

The Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics (JPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping heal the earth.

JPI makes biodynamic preparations by hand using the ingredients documented in our Product Information resources. Our workshops and research honor a lineage of dedicated stewards who understood agriculture as both a practical responsibility and a long-term commitment to the living earth.

Continuing this legacy, JPI makes and distributes biodynamic preparations and shares practical educational resources with farmers and gardeners around the world.

Seeds of a New Agriculture

In 1924, amid growing concern over declining agricultural health, philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner delivered a series of lectures known today as the Agriculture Course. These lectures introduced biodynamics—an approach to agriculture that sees farms not merely as plots of land, but as living organisms deeply interconnected with cosmic rhythms. This revolutionary vision planted seeds that continue to flourish around the world today.

OUR NAMESAKE

Josephine Porter Herself

Among those early pioneers inspired by Steiner was Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, who devoted his life to developing biodynamic preparations—natural substances carefully crafted to restore soil vitality and plant health. Pfeiffer passed on this specialized knowledge to Josephine Porter, an exceptionally dedicated student. Josephine worked tirelessly, making these precious preparations accessible to farmers and gardeners seeking healthier, more resilient plants and soil.

When Josephine Porter passed away in 1984, biodynamics in North America faced a critical juncture. Who would carry on this essential work?

ThE FOUNDING OF JPI

Hugh Courtney

Answering this call, Hugh Courtney—who had learned directly from Josephine Porter—stepped forward. Recognizing the urgent need to preserve Josephine’s legacy, Hugh founded the Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) in 1985 on his family farm in Woolwine, Virginia. Under his guidance, JPI quickly became a vital center for biodynamic education, preparation-making, and spiritual-scientific research.

In 1992, Hugh established Applied Biodynamics, a journal that would soon become a cornerstone resource for practitioners worldwide. With insightful articles, practical instructions, and thoughtful reflections, the journal deepened understanding of Steiner’s vision and helped farmers implement biodynamic practices in real, everyday ways.

Read Hugh Courtney's Book

CONTINUITY WITH BIODYNAMIC PIONEERS

Preserving Pfeiffer's Legacy

In the mid-1990s, JPI faced another pivotal moment. The Pfeiffer Foundation, stewarding Ehrenfried Pfeiffer's biodynamic formulas, found itself without a home. Hugh Courtney graciously welcomed Pfeiffer’s work to JPI’s Virginia headquarters. This bold step integrated Pfeiffer’s famous BD Compost Starter and Field Spray formulas directly into JPI’s preparation offerings, greatly expanding the institute’s impact.

Despite occasional controversies and skepticism from mainstream agricultural circles, Hugh steadfastly advocated that biodynamics was not simply a niche method but a necessary path for agricultural renewal. His unwavering belief was that healing the earth required commitment, courage, and collaboration.

Today, JPI remains committed to the mission first envisioned by Rudolf Steiner, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, and Josephine Porter. It is not merely a place but a movement—a community where farmers, gardeners, and researchers gather to rediscover agriculture's deeper meaning, healing the earth, and revitalizing the human spirit.

Further Reading and Resources

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Board Members

  • Teresa O'Shaughnessy, President

    Teresa came to biodynamics through Waldorf Education in Austin, Texas where her children attended AWS from kindergarten through 12th grade. As a former graphic designer, teacher, beekeeper, political coordinator, and child advocate, she witnessed the importance of being aware of the subtleties of the spiritual capacity within every person and being. Teresa continues to study and honor the festivals of the year and brings their images and energy into everything she does. She remains an avid biodynamic gardener and advocate for healing the earth through biodynamics. Teresa served on the JPI Board for several years and became the inaugural member of the Advisory Council. 

  • Jody Grossman, Secretary

    Jody Grossman serves as Secretary of the Josephine Porter Institute Board of Directors.

  • Ian Hunter, Director

    Ian is a regenerative land steward and botanist committed to advancing the principles and practice of biodynamic agriculture. He holds a degree in Botany from Oregon State University and has over 20 years of experience in biodynamic farming, compost production, and ecological land management.

    Earlier in his career, Ian served as a Biodynamic Inspector with Demeter USA, supporting the integrity and implementation of biodynamic certification standards. His international work includes leading compost and biochar initiatives in Papua New Guinea, where he collaborated with Indigenous communities to create regenerative livelihood opportunities through sustainable soil production.

    Based in Marin County, California, Ian is the owner of Cure Soil Compost, Inc. a biodynamic compost company located in Marin County, integrating biodynamic methodology with advanced microbial analysis and regional waste recovery systems. His approach bridges scientific understanding and spiritual awareness, emphasizing the living relationship between soil, community, and the unseen forces governing life on earth.

  • Sean Jackson, Director

    Sean is a Managing Director in EY’s Government and Public Sector practice where he provides insights and guidance to leaders
    in state and local governments, higher education, and healthcare. He is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt with expertise in business and technology strategy, operational transformation, innovation, and continuous improvement. 

     
    An avid gardener and farmer for nearly half a century, Sean is a self-confessed "compost nerd." He and his wife Marianne have homesteaded for decades and are now partners in the development of Monticiano Farms, located in Floyd County, Virginia. Marianne and Sean have incorporated biodynamic practices into their regenerative farm with the goal of realizing their vision of flavor forward farming and how it can help heal the Earth.

  • Michael Judge, Director

    Michael was born in Washington, DC, to Irish immigrant parents. From a young age, he had a keen interest in history and the living earth. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he studied history, politics, prehistory, and earth science. Michael has worked as a teacher in both conventional and Waldorf education and holds teaching certifications. As a young man, he encountered the work of Rudolf Steiner and Steiner’s philosophy of anthroposophy. Finding it deeply substantive, he has continued to study it, examining spiritual and Goethean science alongside natural science. Michael became aware of biodynamic agriculture within regenerative agriculture at a young age. His interest in the health of the earth led him to work in several organic and biodynamic food and agricultural-products businesses.

    He has founded and remains active in biodynamic community-supported agriculture projects, with more than 40 years of involvement. Michael founded the Chesapeake Biodynamic Network in 2012. The network connects biodynamic farms, CSAs, gardens, and activities—including meetings, lectures, and workshops—across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Washington, DC, and West Virginia. Michael landscapes the network’s two-acre site, which serves as a regional center for biodynamics. In 2022, he established an annual regional biodynamic conference to connect the area’s many resources. The conference continues to grow each year.

Stewart Lundy, Executive Director

Stewart Lundy is a biodynamic farmer, educator, writer, consultant, and Executive Director of the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics. He co-founded Perennial Roots Farm in Accomac, Virginia, and has farmed there since 2010. His work includes biodynamic preparation making, circular chromatography, teaching, writing, farm consultation, and national and international presentations.

View Stewart Lundy's complete professional dossier