Hugh Courtney’s journey into biodynamics was born not from academic theory, but from practical devotion and a calling to heal the earth. After studying with Josephine Porter—herself a student of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer—Hugh took up the work of making and distributing biodynamic preparations in the wake of Josephine’s passing in 1984. In 1985, he formally founded the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics (JPI) to preserve and carry forward her legacy.
Though not a farmer by trade, Hugh became one of North America’s most experienced and influential preparation makers. As Stewart Lundy recalls:
Still, there is no one I know of in North America who has made as many preparations and for as long a time as Hugh Courtney... his light passed to many other candles.
–Biodynamics for Beginners (JPI, 2023), p. 26.
Hugh's teachings emphasized that biodynamics is not a mental exercise but a path of the will. He often said:
Biodynamics is not an intellectual path. Biodynamics is a path of the will.
–Biodynamics for Beginners (JPI, 2023), p. 25.
He believed in starting with the hands—practical work in the soil—which would slowly transform the heart and, eventually, the mind. This reversal of the usual hierarchy of knowledge gave his workshops a unique character: deeply rooted, spiritually awake, and challenging in all the right ways.
Though he was modest about it, Hugh was a teacher to many. He often deflected questions with a simple: “Let me know what you find out.” This wasn't evasion—it was an invitation to experience biodynamics firsthand.
As frustrating as that can be for a neophyte seeking ready-made answers, it deflected people’s focus away from him and back to the work at hand... Hugh did not shy away from making you wrestle with biodynamics by having you test it yourself.
–Biodynamics for Beginners (JPI, 2023), p. 26.
One of his students recalls being sent to drive a tractor down a slippery Virginia hillside to help bury oak bark skulls for BD 505. Hugh walked briskly ahead of the vehicle—cane in hand, unafraid—embodying the spirit of one who, as the student put it, “walked like someone who knew he couldn’t die until it was time to die.”
Hugh didn’t just preserve the biodynamic preparations—he fought to ensure their integrity. In 1995, when the Pfeiffer Foundation was being displaced, JPI under Hugh’s leadership offered refuge for the continued production of Pfeiffer’s BD Compost Starter and BD Field Spray.
Even in the face of criticism from some in the biodynamic community who accused him of “commercializing” Steiner’s legacy, Hugh stood firm in his commitment:
JPI will continue to provide a ‘home for the preparations’ as was Josephine Porter’s hope.
–Biodynamics for Beginners (JPI, 2023), p. 259.
He saw biodynamics as fundamentally spiritual—dedicated to human freedom and the healing of the Earth.
In his final year, Hugh passed the torch to the next generation. During one of his last workshops in 2019, he handed over the teaching of one of his favorite preparations, the oak bark, to Stewart Lundy whom he told:
The next generation needs to take over biodynamics now.
–Biodynamics for Beginners (JPI, 2023), p. 24.
Hugh crossed the threshold the following year, but not before kindling countless other flames. His legacy lives on in the soil, in the workshops, and in the renewed imagination of biodynamic farmers across the continent. He continues to support us from the other side.
Who is Hugh Courtney and what is his significance?
Hugh J. Courtney learned biodynamic preparation-making from Josephine Porter and founded the Josephine Porter Institute in 1985 to carry her work forward. He made preparations, taught workshops, and wrote practical articles; Biodynamics for Beginners gathers material from his teaching.
What does the phrase 'A Mantle is Passed' imply in the context of Hugh Courtney?
The title describes continuity across generations: after Porter’s death in 1984, Courtney founded JPI in 1985; at a 2019 workshop he entrusted oak-bark preparation (BD 505) teaching to Stewart Lundy and encouraged the next generation to take up the work. The vignette shows preparation knowledge, teaching, and responsibility being carried forward.
What are biodynamics and how did Hugh Courtney contribute to this field?
Biodynamics is an agricultural approach that combines farm stewardship with specific compost and field preparations. Courtney’s contribution centered on making preparations, teaching growers, and publishing hands-on guidance. The JPI archive he sustained also preserves field observations and experiments from the wider biodynamic community.
How can I learn more about Hugh Courtney's work or biodynamics?
Start with Biodynamics for Beginners, edited by Courtney and Stewart Lundy, and JPI's Applied Biodynamics account of making BD 500. This page's recommended-reading links lead to more of his writing.
