The JPI Merit Grant

Who?

JPI is seeking to close the gap in the availability of biodynamic preparations and their rejuvenating power, particularly to those already working in regenerative agriculture or biodynamics, whose communities are negatively affected by: 

• economic disparity, 
• environmental contamination, 
• educational needs, 
• extreme weather conditions.

Our mission statement ends by pledging support for “farmers, gardeners, ranchers, and others in the creation and use of biodynamic preparations.” The fact that you are putting your hands in the dirt and tending living soil demonstrates your commitment already. Whether you just want to be part of this community or whether you’ve suffered a climate catastrophe or pollution, you belong with us already. 

What?

The Merit Grant program is at the heart of JPI’s mission to advance biodynamic outreach. It is a way to honor our commitment to support anyone who is currently using biodynamic preparations or is interested in learning how to use them. 

Biodynamics is not an exclusive practice reserved for a select few – it is as natural as dandelions and as common as the soil beneath our feet. Because biodynamics works, it should be available to all. 

Suppose your application helps support JPI’s mission and demonstrates merit or special need; in that case, we will provide complementary biodynamic compost in collaboration with Cure Soil, infused with all JPI’s biodynamic compost preparations, as well as JPI’s proprietary Pfeiffer™ Compost Starter. This exceptional concentrate of quality biodynamic preparations condensed into superior compost is ideal for use in compost teas, foliar sprays, or directly under your favorite plants. In larger situations, biodynamic preparations such as the Pfeiffer™ Field and Garden Spray may be awarded for field applications. 

For some locations, what is needed is someone to travel and teach communities how to make these biodynamic remedies for themselves. That is part of what we are offering in this Merit Grant, on the contingency that any community that is taught turns around and teaches others to do likewise. For travel and such education to be justified, there must be strong evidence of community interest and need.

If we can support your work in other ways, please let us know. 

When?

Launching during Michaelmas 2025, the JPI team will evaluate each application in the order it is received within 2-4 weeks, after which time you will be given a formal response. If you are selected as a recipient, you can expect to receive your products from us within 2 weeks. 

Where?

JPI’s focus is not limited to the United States; our work is international in scope. We are open to all applications, but we also recognize that there may be practical limitations that can complicate things internationally. It is anywhere that good work can be demonstrated and where our products can most help provide you and your community with environmental remediation, soil health, and nutrient density. Our family is worldwide. 

Why?

Climate challenges and environmental pollution make gardening and farming harder. Biodynamics is about making life better for those who need it most. People have been working in isolation for too long; what was once a community-driven effort is now a fractured system of disconnection. But no matter how far apart we may seem in space, we are, in fact, all connected in spirit. The JPI Merit Grant program aims to unite the community aspect of biodynamic farming and establish this bond clearly worldwide. 

The JPI Merit grant helps JPI fulfill its mission statement, which is, "To heal the earth through biodynamic preparations and the practice of biodynamic agriculture. We fulfill this mission by serving as a national provider of high-quality biodynamic preparations, as well as by advancing biodynamic preparation research, education, and outreach activities. Additionally, the Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) supports farmers, gardeners, ranchers, and others in the creation and use of biodynamic preparations."

Your application helps us fulfill our mission as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. It is not about size. It is about your pledge to be part of this stewardship of the earth. One attentive gardener tending carefully one small plot can do enormously more than any large farm that is managed carelessly.

How?

By using JPI’s biodynamic preparations to demonstrate results and share your stories, you will see for yourself how the soil improves, pests and diseases begin to decrease, and nutrient density, color, and flavor improve. Grant recipients automatically become JPI Fellows and commit themselves to sharing their story and how this work has helped them. Our Fellows promise to share photos and stories to promote their own work and our ongoing collaboration. Each applicant also pledges to recommend other individuals for this grant, thereby extending our cycle of giving beyond our own limits and to our entire human family. 

Common Ground

This is a reminder to each of us that if you’ve taken up biodynamics, there is a vital spiritual aspect to a worldwide community of earth stewards. You are a member now. Regardless of your own frame of reference, we are all performing work with spiritual beings. 

To perpetuate this into the future, not just this next century, but as a basis for regenerating the earth for centuries to come, JPI is committed to working with biodynamic practitioners around the world and sharing this knowledge as widely as possible. Look here, not behind you. 

This isn’t merely about who has already been involved, but the fact that you are interested. That interest – a heart disposition – already makes you part of this. You don’t have to do this perfectly or have years of practice. It all starts now, and we invite you all to join us. Clarity comes from action. By doing, we quickly gain practical experience.

We want your stories and your pictures: your hands, your smiles, and your produce. You inspire us, and we want your work to inspire others as well.