Applied Biodynamics — Issue 054 (Fall 2006)

Issue 054 is a practice-forward farm report combined with institutional transition, illustrating how biodynamics functions simultaneously as an on-the-ground production method and as a knowledge system requiring careful editorial stewardship.

The central article, “Growing Biodynamically at Blueberry Gardens,” authored by Kara LeBeau and based on extensive interviews with grower Robert True, provides a detailed case study of long-term biodynamic management of a perennial fruit system in the eastern United States. The article traces True’s farming background from conventional poultry, dairy, and row-crop systems through gradual adoption of biodynamics following repeated exposure to biodynamically grown food and soil results.

Blueberry Gardens comprises approximately fifteen acres, with three acres in blueberry production and the remainder in woodland or unused land. Blueberries were selected deliberately for their regional suitability, longevity, and relatively low disease pressure. Soil preparation emphasized delayed planting, with cover crops grown and incorporated for a full season before establishment. Organic matter content is reported to have increased from approximately 1.5–2 percent to 3.5–4 percent over ten years through systematic mulching and preparation use.

The article provides specific management data. Blueberries are mulched annually with locally sourced woodchips applied at eight to ten inches depth, equating to roughly 400 cubic yards per acre. Biodynamic Compound Preparation is applied immediately after mulching to stimulate breakdown, with observed decomposition rates of 40–60 percent by the following season. Compost applications were reduced once organic matter levels stabilized, relying instead on continued preparation use, though the grower later concluded that small annual compost additions remain beneficial.

Preparation use is described with explicit corrective learning. Horn silica (BD 501) is reported to improve flavor in mid-season varieties after a prior year of poor taste, with three applications during the season and plans for additional spraying. Application technique evolved from hand distribution with cedar branches to sprayers and irrigation injection, with screening added to prevent nozzle clogging. Recovery from Japanese beetle defoliation is documented through combined use of compost teas, BD 500, BD 504, and BD 505, resulting in visible regrowth by late summer.

The article also details non-preparation management decisions with economic consequences. Use of bare-root blueberry stock is strongly recommended over container plants based on cost and establishment outcomes. Variety selection failures are candidly discussed, with two cultivars removed after four years of stagnation. Irrigation design errors are analyzed in detail, emphasizing emitter placement at individual plants rather than reliance on pre-spaced lines. Deer exclusion is identified as the single most dramatic yield factor, with fencing increasing sales from hundreds to thousands of dollars annually.

The operation functions as a U-pick system using an honor-based payment model, with reported seasonal revenues reaching five figures with minimal labor input. The farm also integrates a small healing center, described as complementary rather than substitutive to agricultural work, reinforcing the concept of the farm as a social organism.

In “Publication Future for Applied Biodynamics,” Hugh Courtney addresses the immediate and medium-term editorial trajectory of the journal. The article documents the transition from long-term editor Patricia Smith to a distributed editorial model using guest editors. Courtney emphasizes continuity of editorial standards, the importance of scientific literacy alongside biodynamic understanding, and the practical limits imposed by preparation-making schedules and institutional workload. Planning for the subsequent publication year is framed as deliberate rather than reactive.

“Introducing the East Coast Editor for Applied Biodynamics – Kara LeBeau” provides a professional biography grounding editorial authority in scientific training. LeBeau describes formal education in religious studies and Chinese language, professional experience in geoscience writing, and exposure to peer-reviewed agricultural research comparing organic, biodynamic, and conventional systems. The introduction explicitly links editorial intent to scientific accountability, policy relevance, and careful translation of biodynamic concepts without dilution.

The issue concludes with “The Secrets of Metals by Wilhelm Pelikan Is Back in Print!”, announcing the reissue of a foundational text examining metals through spiritual-scientific and historical lenses. The notice situates the book as relevant for biodynamic practitioners, geologists, and anthroposophical students, emphasizing its treatment of both classical and lesser-considered metals and its closing focus on sulfur as a mediating element. The announcement functions as bibliographic continuity rather than review.

Together, Issue 054 demonstrates biodynamics as a technically demanding perennial cropping system, a publication requiring institutional care, and a tradition sustained through disciplined study rather than novelty.

Articles

• Growing Biodynamically at Blueberry Gardens (K. LeBeau)
• Publication Future for Applied Biodynamics (H. Courtney)
• Introducing the East Coast Editor for Applied Biodynamics – Kara LeBeau  
• The Secrets of Metals by Wilhelm Pelikan Is Back in Print!

Key Topics Covered

• Long-term biodynamic blueberry production in the eastern United States
• Delayed planting and cover-crop soil preparation strategy
• Measured increases in soil organic matter over a decade
• Quantified woodchip mulching rates and decomposition outcomes
• Targeted use of BD 501 to correct fruit flavor issues
• Preparation delivery through sprayers and irrigation systems
• Documented recovery from insect defoliation using combined preparations
• Economic impact of deer exclusion fencing
• Bare-root versus container plant establishment comparison
• Irrigation emitter placement as a critical survival factor
• Editorial transition and future publication planning
• Scientific background of the new East Coast editor
• Reissue of a foundational text on metals and spiritual science

Citation

Applied Biodynamics, Issue 054, Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics, Fall 2006.