Star and Furrow 106

JOURNAL OF THE BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION ■ ISSUE NO: 106 ■ WINTER 2006 ■ ISSN NO: 1472-4634 ■ £4.00

CARBON assess your farm

ARE WE WHAT WE EAT?

CHINESE YAM the new potato?

UNDERSTANDING THE PLANTING CALENDAR

THE BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION (BDAA)

Apprentice Training A two year practical apprentice training course is offered in biodynamic agriculture and horticulture.Apprentices work in exchange for board and lodging on established The Association exists in order to supbiodynamic farms and gardens and receive port, promote and develop the biodynamic tutorial guidance and instruction from exapproach to farming, gardening and forestry. perienced practitioners. Practical training is This unique form of organic husbandry is supported with regular theoretical sessions inspired by the research of Rudolf Steiner either on the farm or in coordination with (1861-1925) and is founded on a holistic and other local centres.Two week-long block spiritual understanding of nature and the courses are offered to all UK apprentices human being. each year. Graduating apprentices receive a certificate from the BDAA. The Association tries to keep abreast of developments in science, nutrition, education, Funding health and social reform. It is linked to the The Association is a small organisation Agricultural Department of the School of wholly dependent on subscriptions, donaSpiritual Science (Switzerland) and affiliated tions and grants.There is a healthy and as a group of the Anthroposophical Society growing interest in biodynamics and to meet in Great Britain. It is also a full member of this welcome development additional funds Demeter International, SUSTAIN, IFOAM are being sought to supplement the limited and the Five Year Freeze. resources available. Becoming a member and encouraging others to join is an important Membership is open to everyone interested way of supporting the work. Donations over in working with, developing or learning about and above the recommended membership biodynamics. Current rates are £30 (£12.50 subscription are also extremely helpful. Even concessions). Members receive a quarterly the smallest contribution can make a real difnewsletter, Star and Furrow twice a year, ference. For those considering making a Will regular information on events and access to and possibly leaving something to support a member’s library. Many local groups exist biodynamic development, a legacy leaflet is for further study and the exchange of practi- now available. Please contact the office for cal experiences. a copy.

STAR & FURROW Journal of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association Published twice yearly Issue Number 106 - Winter 2006 ISSN 1472-4634

The BDAA stocks more than a hundred For information on all aspects of the books on biodynamic agriculture and related Association’s work contact: subjects.These are available from the office by mail order.

Biodynamic Agricultural Association, Painswick Inn Project, Seed development project Gloucester Street, Stroud, The Association is working to develop a sus- Glos, GL5 1QG tainable on farm plant breeding programme, Tel. 0044 (0)1453 759501 increase the availability of high quality seed varieties suited to organic growing condiEmail: office@biodynamic.org.uk tions and encourage the establishment of a cooperative network of biodynamic seed Website: www.biodynamic.org.uk producers.The breeding and development of appropriate site adapted varieties is of vital interest to biodynamic farmers and offers the only long term alternative to biotechnology. It also requires an ongoing research commitment that is entirely dependant on gifts and donations.

Final dates for contributions are 1st April for the summer issue and 1st October for the winter issue. Copy should either, be typed/printed in black on A4 paper, on disk in a format accessible to Microsoft Word or sent by e-mail. Please send articles to the editor at the BDAA Office.

Demeter Certification The Association owns and administers the Demeter Certification Mark that is used by biodynamic producers in the UK to guarantee to consumers that internationally recognised biodynamic production standards are being followed.These standards cover both production and processing and apply in more than forty countries.They are equivalent to or higher than basic organic standards.The Demeter scheme is recognised in the UK as Front cover picture: © Richard Swann Organic Certification UK6.

STAR & FURROW is the membership magazine of The Biodynamic Agricultural Association (BDAA). It is issued free to members.

Non members can also purchase Star and Furrow. For two copies per annum the rates are: UK £8.50 including postage Europe (airmail) £9.50 Rest of the World (airmail) £11 Editor: Richard Swann, Contact via the BDAA Office or E-mail: starfurrow@biodynamic.org.uk Design & layout: Dave Thorp Printed on 100% recycled paper

by Severnprint, Gloucester Published by the Biodynamic Agricultural Association © B.D.A.A. 2006 Charity No: 269036 The function of Star and Furrow is to encourage the free exchange of ideas and experience among those who work with, or are interested in biodynamic farming, gardening and related subjects. Contributors subscribe to no dogma and are bound by no rules.Their contributions are personal documents, not official utterances by the Association.

BDAA COUNCIL Chairman: Nick Raeside Vice Chairman: Laurence Dungworth Treasurer: Ian Bailey Other Council Members: Brian Cavendish, Liz Ellis, Pat Fleming, Richard Gantlet,Tony Mathews, Paul Pieterse, Chris Stockdale and Peter van Vliet BDAA Executive Director: Bernard Jarman Email: bjarman@biodynamic.org.uk Association Secretary: Jessica Standing Seed Development Fieldsman Peter Brinch Email: pbrinch@biodynamic.org.uk DEMETER STANDARDS COMMITTEE Chairman: Sue Bradley Tel: 01509 673897 Demeter Standards Development Officer: Timothy Brink Tel: 0131 478 1201 Email: timbrink@biodynamic.org.uk Scheme Co-ordinator and Secretary: Fiona Mackie Tel: 0131 6243921 Email: fionamackie@biodynamic.org.uk STAR AND FURROW EDITORIAL GROUP Richard Swann, Bernard Jarman, Jessica Standing, Anna Irwin, Jane Cobbald, Laurence Dungworth

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Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

JOURNAL OF THE BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION ■ ISSUE NO: 106 ■ WINTER 2006 ■ ISSN NO: 1472-4634 ■ £4.00

Editorial Over the past months, several official reports have been published telling us what we already know, that we need to take more care of our environment. Most notably was the Stern Report, which outlined the economic consequences that global warming could potentially have. In this issue of Star and Furrow we have again included a practical means whereby growers can audit the effect their biodynamic work is having on the environment. This is by using a carbon audit as developed at the Bauckhof in Germany.

Another great issue in the news is the one of nutrition. We are told that we are either overweight or underweight and being advised to be more aware of the food we take in. We seem to have lost all sense of what constitutes a good diet not only for the body, but also for the soul and spirit. This past summer a canvas conference was organised to look at aspects of food and nutrition. This ‘Wholesome Food Conference’ included presentations by Laurence Dungworth and Matthew Adams. Not wanting to miss an opportunity I asked them both if they could write something on the theme, which they jumped to and have highlighted two aspects of this vast subject.

As commented on the inside back cover, the Readers’ Survey was very successful giving us important feedback to help develop the magazine. Again, I would like to thank all of you who replied. As a result we have made a start by including a couple of articles that straddle the boundaries between biodynamics and other approaches.

Jan Martin Bang continues from the last issue by suggesting how Permaculture can be of help to biodynamic growers. There may be many readers who have already trodden this (and other) paths and it would be great to hear of your experiences.

Finally, during the latter half of the year a few people closely connected to the biodynamic work have died. Our thoughts go out to their families as well as gratitude for the individual contributions each has made.

CONTENTS Aims and Objectives Contents/editorial Carbon the Great Plastician Bernard Jarman The Monastery Study (Joachim Bauck) Richard Swann Are we what we eat?

Laurence Dungworth Sustainable Nutrition Matthew Adams Dioscorea Batata Potato of the Future?

Bernard Jarman F1 Hybrids & the decline of Plant Genetic Resources Peter Brinch Understanding the Star Planting Calendar Peter Proctor Learning Biodynamics Liz Ellis Foot and Mouth Update Chris Stockdale So what makes you, yes you…

Mark Moodie How can Permaculture help Biodynamic farmers?

Jan Bang Bee workshop Anna Irwin Reviews Bees and Honey Sue Peat Natrata Salad Oil Julie Gardner Ecovillages Jan Bang Obituaries Richard Smith Cecil Reilly Market place Survey Richard Swann

Richard Swann EDITOR Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

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page IFC 1 4 8 9 13 20 23 26 31 34 35 38 42

44 45 46 47 48 51

Carbonthe Great Plastician Bernard Jarman

THE CARBON CYCLE

Atmosphere 750 CO2

0.5 121.3

5.5

Vegetation 610 60 1.6 60

Fossil fuels and cement production 4,000 92 90

Surface Ocean 1,020

50 Marine Biota 3 6 Dissolved Organic Carbon <700

Rivers

40 4 6

91.6

100

Deep Ocean 38,100 0.2

Storage in GtC Fluxes in GtC/yr

Sediments 150

Grain growing at Hungary Lane Farm, Leicestershire ©Richard Swann

GLOBAL WARMING today is occurring as a result of our collective burning of vast amounts of the sequestered carbon of a bygone age.At that time vast forests of equisetum-like plants covered the earth.We can imagine how they once grew out of the earth and in the course of one year attained heights of a hundred feet or more and had girths greater than the largest of our present day forest trees and then in the autumn died back and decayed like our present day equisetum plants. If they did this each year for thousands of years, we can begin to understand how it came to be that such vast amounts of organic matter could accumulate and form the coal measures.The decay and building up of layer upon layer of carbonaceous deposit would suggest a growing medium that was at least partly waterlogged - an environment in which soil and humus formation would have been almost non-existent and for the plants growing at the time unnecessary. It is believed that our oil reserves came about in a similar way through the anaerobic decay of countless animal remains. Nothing akin to the powerful life of the coal forests or the pools of teeming creatures that existed when oil deposits were created, can be found on the earth today.The earth has grown up. It is now older, far more slow moving and probably much more rigid than it was in that ancient Palaeozoic period.

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Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

The black numbers indicate how much carbon is stored in various reservoirs, in billions of tons (“GtC” stands for GigaTons of Carbon).The red numbers indicate how much carbon moves between reservoirs each year.The sediments, as defined in this diagram, do not include the 70 million GtC of carbonate rock and kerogen (courtesy:Wikipedia)

Huge amounts of carbon dioxide must have been abstracted from the atmosphere while the coal measures were being formed and could have lead to far reaching global climate changes. It was much later with the appearance of flowering plants and the first earthworms that the formation of humus soils began. In wild nature the forming of humus is a very slow process and only attains a significant depth when the conditions are particularly favourable as in the case of the great grasslands (prairies) of the world where huge reserves of humus rich soil has accumulated. Sadly much of this has now been lost as a result of the agricultural “mining” that has occurred over the last hundred years. The fertility of vast areas of cultivated land carefully nurtured for thousands of years by countless generations of peasant farmers, has gone a similar way. This loss is hard to replace but it is possible with careful soil management and the consistent use of the biodynamic preparations.

©NASA

Soils 1,580

OUR HUMUS FOUNDATION Soil humus is a wonderful substance and is like the glue of life. It is not only the medium in which our crop plants can flourish, it also has a mediating and regulating role in the many different cycles of nature. During his visit to the UK last May, Peter Proctor described the rapid desertification taking place across India and elsewhere and how water tables are falling to dangerously low levels. Mineral fertilisation has depleted the soil of humus to such an extent that water simply runs through it and disappears. This is becoming so serious that severe water shortages are becoming a daily experience everywhere. He then described how this dire situation a rapidly increasing interest in biodynamic methods is developing as more and more people in India recognise that a good soil containing at least 3% humus is the first requirement for future survival to be assured. A humus-rich soil holds the water which falls upon it and allows it to drain away slowly, feeding the springs and water veins of the landscape as it goes. Along with its capacity to hold water, humus also absorbs and holds carbon. It has been calculated that if as little as one centimetre of humus were to be laid over the earth’s soil, the problem of global warming would be solved.

In his Agriculture Course (lecture 3), Rudolf Steiner describes how carbon “is the bearer of all the creatively formative processes in nature. Whatever in nature is formed and shaped - be it in the form of the plant persisting for a comparatively short time or the eternally changing configuration of the animal body - carbon is everywhere the great plastician”.

We generally think of carbon simply as one of the elements in the periodic table with certain chemical and electromagnetic attributes. If however we think of it as a sculptor crafting the structures of life then the way we work with the carbon-rich organic matter of the soil becomes of the highest importance. A key task is to ensure that sufficient living carbon is available to work creatively in the farm. This requires continuous vigilance by the farmer for while nitrogen will come (and go) by itself when husbandry methods are correct, continuous efforts are required to maintain adequate levels of carbon in the soil.

At the BDAA Annual General Meeting weekend held at Sturts Farm in Hampshire, the special guest was Joachim Bauck from one of the oldest biodynamic farms in Germany (founded in 1932). For much of its post-war development phase this farm was the focus for the lifelong on-farm research of biodynamic consultant Nikolaus

Remer1. He worked tirelessly to unlock the mysteries of the farm organism and in particular the alchemy of the soil.

Some of his published work is now available in English notably “Laws of Life in Agriculture” and “Organic Manure”. A major concern of his was how to enhance the farm management of carbon.

ASSESSING CARBON ON THE FARM Joachim Bauck drew on these experiences, made over many years, to affirm that care for the carbon cycle is the key to a healthy and prosperous production system. In order to develop a strong and productive farm individuality it is important to maintain a strong and healthy carbon cycle. Close attention must therefore be paid to all the carbon containing materials in the farm organism and to ensure that they are retained and replenished on the farm. All farm crops contain carbonaceous material: straw, husks, plant residues but also the root mass remaining in the soil. This material is lost when crops are sold off the farm but is retained when they are fed to livestock, ploughed in or used for bedding and returned to the land with the manure.

At the Bauckhof a simple way of assessing the amount of carbon retained on the farm has been developed.

This is now used as an important tool for farm development in the north German region. Parallel to the Demeter inspection process an arrangement exists whereby each year every farmer is visited by two others from the region for one day to provide support and share experiences. This is hugely valuable for its own sake but the visits have also been formalised to the extent that a record is kept of the progress made from year to year. One subject which is always looked at and assessed during these visits, is the carbon balance on the farm.

Assessing the carbon balance of a farm is an important way to evaluate the whole organisation of a farm and in particular its crop rotation, ratio of fodder to cash crops and its use of catch crops and green manures. To record this information in a simple way, the following form has been developed. The values given for the dry matter content of various crops makes it easier to calculate how much carbon is being produced, retained or lost on the given farm. The total carbon balance needs to be at least 3 tons per hectare.4 Below 2.5 tons/ha too little 2.5 - 3.0 tons /ha adequate 3.0 - 3.5 tons/ha good over 3.5 tons/ha excellent

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An obituary of Nikolaus Remer was published in Star and Furrow no. 96 as well as a description of the Bauckhof.

Manure heap, Hungary Lane Farm ©Richard Swann

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Types of Crop

ha a

ROOT MASS

Total (a x b) c

HARVEST/ TOP GROWTH

(30-40) (20-25) (15-20) (5-15)

(40-80) (40-80) (40-80)

Dry Matter 100Kg/ha (corn & straw separate) d (20-40) (25-45) (25-45) (20-40) (25-45)

Straw (Total: all threshed crops) Clover Grass In 1st year Ley or In 2nd Year Lucerne In 3rd Year Arable silage Set Aside (Grass) (6-16) (6-16) (8-16) (5-10)

(10-30) (20-40) (20-40) (30-50)

Dry Matter 100Kg/ha b (10-18) (8-16) (8-16) (6-14) (8-16) (12-20) (12-20)

Potatoes Roots Silage maize Vegetables

(10-30) (6-10) (15-30) (20-30) (Total excluding catch crops)

Rye Wheat Winter Barley Spring Barley Oats Field Beans Peas

Under Sown Crops Autumn Catch Crops Winter Cover Crop Rye/Vetch mix Arable area in ha

100Kg Carbon Cropping Area (ha)

(20-40) (40-80) (50-90) (40-80) (30-50)

Total/2 = Carbon

Total (a x d) e

Amount fed Manure (from e) (f/2) f g

Carbon turnover (100Kg) per ha

Bedding, worked in Compost (from e) h

Total

ORGANIC MATTER

Organic matter in the Soil (c + g + h)

CARBON TURNOVER CALCULATION

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EXPLANATION OF THE FORM The area planted with each kind of crop is entered in column (a) remembering that the total quantity of straw, including that from beans and peas, will be calculated separately.

Where clover grass leys and lucerne crops are grown for more than one season, calculations are made for each year of their growth and not only the year when they are turned in. This takes into account the increase in root growth during the second and third years. (Note: A fourth year is not included on this form perhaps because it is not common practice in Germany. It is likely however that a fourth year could result in a significantly greater root mass and hence affect the dry matter calculation.)

The yield of root crops and cereals need to take account of prevailing conditions and be entered in terms of dry matter, (b) and (d). Average values are given in brackets to serve as a guide. The dry matter content of potatoes for example can be estimated at around 23% and turnips and vegetables around 12%.

Column (c) shows the total yield of root mass in terms of dry matter and column (e) the yield of dry matter in fruiting and green mass.

From the total values given in column (e), (f) shows the proportion which is being fed to livestock. When divided by two this figure shows the amount returned to the field in the dung (g). That portion of (e) used for bedding, composting or direct incorporation is then entered in column (h).

The last column is the sum of (c), (g) and (h). This is the total amount of organic matter in the soil. This figure is divided by 2 to give the total amount of carbon and then divided by the total number of hectares to give the amount of carbon per hectare per year.

Areas of permanent grassland are not included in the calculation. It is assumed that what is removed is largely balanced by what comes back in the form of dung. If this is not the case then the calculation will need adjusting.

Finally anything which is bought in from outside - feed, straw or manure, and the role it plays in managing the farm - is also factored in.

The information collected in this way then helps the farmer to decide whether additional ways of increasing the carbon balance are needed. Where carbon is low, a good way to increase it is through the planting of catch crops and green manures. These are then either turned in or allowed to decay on the surface. Their primary purpose is to provide organic matter upon which the earthworm population can feed over winter. Earthworms are masters at transforming carbonaceous materials into stable soil humus. It is their efforts which ensure that the additional carbon remains actively present in the farm organism. Feeding the earthworms and therefore the soil is the best way to improve both the carbon balance and soil fertility. It follows from this that manure and organic materials are best applied to the soil in the autumn.

Joachim Bauck described how earthworms are most active in the soil in late November, December and January and how important it is to leave the soil in peace during this time. They create a network of tunnels that give them air and moisture and enable them to survive even when frost penetrates deeply into the earth. Disturbing the soil at this time disturbs their lifelines and could be fatal in a hard winter. By contrast earthworms have their dormant period between June and August. At the Bauckhof ploughing and the spreading of manure is undertaken as far as possible in late summer and early autumn and avoided completely during winter and in the spring. This has been found to be beneficial for earthworm activity, the carbon balance and for subsequent healthy plant growth. â&#x2013;

Bernard Jarman is Executive Director of the BDAA

Joachim Bauck and friend ŠRichard Swann

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The Monastery Studythe case for biodynamic food

by Richard Swann (based on a lecture by Joachim Bauck)

AT THE Biodynamic Agricultural Association AGM, which was held at Sturts Farm in Dorset this year, we were very pleased to have the presence of Joachim Bauck for the weekend. On the first evening he delivered a very inspiring lecture called ‘What Biodynamic Farming means for the Earth and Humanity’ where he raised several important themes of interest to those working in the biodynamic movement.As an introduction to the two following articles, it is worth noting the comments he made about the importance of nutrition and especially the way the food is grown.

In 1922, Rudolf Steiner was travelling with Dr Ehrenfried Pfeiffer i who said that much had been spoken about but that there was little to show for it: ‘He had been speaking of the need for a deepening of esoteric life, and in this connection mentioned certain faults typically found in spiritual movements. I then asked, “How can it happen that the spiritual impulse, and especially the inner schooling, for which you are constantly providing stimulus and guidance bear so little fruit? Why do the people concerned give so little evidence of spiritual experience, in spite of all their efforts? Why, worst of all, is the will for action, for the carrying out of these spiritual impulses, so weak?”

I was particularly anxious to get an answer to the question as to how one could build a bridge to active participation and the carrying out of spiritual intentions without being pulled off the right path by personal ambition, illusions and petty jealousies; for these were the negative qualities Rudolf Steiner had named as the main inner hindrances.

Then came the thought-provoking and surprising answer: “This is a problem of nutrition. Nutrition as it is to-day does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this.” ii Ehrenfried Pfeiffer Even though the predominant agriculture at the time that Steiner made these remarks was organic, people still did not have the necessary forces to build this bridge.

Two years after this conversation he went on to give the Agricultural Course where he showed how one could develop the necessary will power.

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Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

MONASTERY TRIAL Bauck said that he had long pondered on how one could demonstrate the difference between conventional, organic and biodynamic. Then in July 2004, an experiment was carried out with the help of twenty three nuns from the monastery of Heiligenbronn in the Black Forest in Germany. The aim was to see what differences could be detected through eating biodynamic food. It was set up in such a way that for two weeks they ate conventionally grown food, followed by four weeks Demeter biodynamic food and after that a further two weeks of conventionally grown food. At the beginning of the trial each nun was examined both physically and psychologically, again after 28 days as well as at the end.

During the course of the experiment their food intake was weighed out each day.

The monastery’s cook thought that all this was nonsense and insisted that the daily menus would continue.

This was agreed upon as long as the menus were cooked using Demeter food for the allocated 28 day period. This even went beyond the kitchen with one nun who loves chocolate even being supplied with Demeter chocolate to satisfy her craving!

In 2005 at the annual Biofach Trade Fair in Germanyiii, three of the nuns were invited to speak about their experiences. One described the eczema she was suffering from and said that about three quarters through the 28 day period she found that she could do without the ointment she normally used for controlling the itching. In fact, her doctor even accused her of changing doctors! This simple change (although only for the period of the trial) came about through the food.

Another nun had been fasting before Easter as she found that it helped her with her prayer and thinking. She said that at around the same point in the trial she found that she could think and pray in the same way as when she had been fasting. The other nuns agreed with her.

Another nun had arthritis. When she played the piano she usually needed to warm her hands in warm water to make them supple before playing. At the same point in the trial, she found that her hands were supple enough to play without needing to warm them.

Scientists also observed that in the middle of the ‘Demeter period’ the nuns were eating 15% less. The cook also noticed this and consequently ordered 15% less. One can thus imagine consequences such findings could have on one’s finances! Tests also showed that the nuns’ blood pressure had improved. A film of this experiment was shown on German Television three times.

Even though the trial was short, it was possible to come to some conclusions and hopefully pave the way for further research.

A report of this study has been published in English and is available from the BDAA website: www.biodynamic.org.uk/research ■ i More about the life and work of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer can be found in: Maria C. Linder, Quality testing Celebrating the life of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer one hundred years after his birth, Star and Furrow no 94, Winter 2000 ii Preface Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture Course (BDAA 1974) iii International Organic Trade Fair held annually in February in Nuremberg - see www.biofach.de

by Laurence Dungworth

Forces Conventional thinking has it that this substance that we eat is then used to make up our body and enable our daily activity. However, Steiner distinguished between the substance that we take in with our food and the forces that are contained within it. An essential element of digestion is the overcoming of these forces. The vitality of the food is determined by the growing method, including the health of the soil, method of fertilising etc. as well as the amount of processing. Cooking can be seen as a continuation of the fruiting process, whereas other processing might not be so beneficial. Logic would tell us that if we need to ‘kill’ our food then the less vital it is the easier it is to digest and therefore it is better for us as it is less of a strain on the body.

Counter-intuitively though, the reality is, that the overcoming of these forces cultivates our own inner forces and therefore the more vital the food, the more forces we are able to develop and therefore the healthier we are.

Wishing to avoid generalisation, this can possibly be seen with people who eat raw food, who are often more active because they have had to develop their digestive system more intensively to overcome the stronger forces conDIGESTION tained within the raw food. Fruit, stem and leaves could be considered as not being purely raw food, as they have been Substance Digestion is actually where we meet the world. Our experi- ‘cooked’ by the sun. However, there is always a case for balance, and having to overcome the more vital raw food may ence of the world through the senses is a guarded one, as create a situation where we have excessive forces and neglect well as very subjective. Indeed, we see the world ‘through our own eyes’. With food it seems we take it straight into our our own inner activity. Warmed, cooked and ripened foods are able to work on the inner man, helping the individualisorganism when we eat it, but in fact the whole alimentary canal is a transitory state, being open to the outside world at ing process.

Another example is with meat, which is more both ends. Food in the stomach is not in the outside world anymore, but it is also not inside our body. It is only when it similar to us and therefore is more familiar to the body. As a food this needs less overcoming and therefore in the long passes through the gut wall that this occurs.

The body though, will only absorb food on its own term may result in particular conditions affecting meat-eaters that are not found in vegetarians because they have had terms. And this means that the food must lose its physical a more active digestion. But, again, what is right must be and chemical structure. This necessitates a whole process of destruction that actually begins when we smell the food, determined by the individual and this will also change over and saliva containing enzymes specific to the breakdown of time.

This process of absorption of the substance and that food is secreted. Physically the food is chewed in the mouth to break it up, and this continues in the stomach and the overcoming of the forces contained within the food we muscular gut. At the same time there is also a chemical pro- eat, Steiner termed earthly nutrition. It is only one element cess breaking down the food, so that it can be reduced to its of this complex subject and we can prepare ourselves for the simplest state and then absorbed by the villi. The resultant wider picture by looking at some exceptions.4 chyme is then taken up by the blood, and travels through the organs - liver, heart and lungs - thus going through a reenlivening and humanising process to prepare it for our use.

ONE OF THE GREAT MYSTERIES that Steiner gave us in the Agriculture Course is that of nutrition, and it seems that it is a subject we don’t give the attention it deserves. Cynics may say that this is a result of it being contained in the last lecture of the course, so for a start, by the time we get to it we are so full of new knowledge and understanding that it is hard to absorb any more. Or, perhaps we are in a bit of a rush to get to the end of the lecture to be able to pronounce ‘I have read the Agriculture Course’, so that we seem to take it for granted. Or maybe it is, as Steiner says, that it is a subject that is,‘not easily expressed as general formulas or the like, since (it is) subject to a great deal of individualisation and personal discretion.

And that is why it is so important to acquire spiritual-scientific insights into the subject; they enable us to adapt our practices to individual situations in an intelligent manner’ (Steiner 1924: lecture 8) I don’t necessarily offer spiritual-scientific insights here, but hopefully a little clarity so that we can begin to work in an intelligent manner.

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Blackboard drawing in connection with Lecture 8 of the Agriculture Course

by Rudolf Steiner

ANOMALIES It is a reality that there have been, and still are individuals who are able to fast for long periods of time, yet still stay alive. Generally these are often people who are on a spiritual path not being very active outwardly, and spending long periods meditating, possibly creating their own inner stimulation without recourse to the vitality of food.

At the other extreme is the terrible experiment carried out under Nazi Germany. There were two groups of orphans both receiving the same healthy diet. One group were cared for normally, given attention and affection, and the other was deprived of this. The latter group stopped growing and then died - through a lack of love.

These examples show that our digestion depends upon more than the food we take in through our mouths.

condensed cosmic substance that is found in the atmosphere. The atmosphere consists mainly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen - the main constituents of protein and carbohydrates - as well as most elements being found there, along with tons of dust from outer space. Brian Keats observed that whilst the earthly substance is point centred, entering at one point (mouth), being deposited at one (head) and the excess being excreted through one (anus), the cosmic substance has a more peripheral nature. It is absorbed through the breathing, all the senses and even the skin. It is deposited throughout the whole of the body and the excess is lost through the shedding of hair, nails and skin.

He also suggests that the organ connected with the digestion of cosmic substance may be the sinus. (Koepf regards the lymph gland as being significant, but these are not mutually COSMIC AND EARTHLY NUTRITION exclusive.) These contain cilia, which are similar to villi, and Conventionally it is recognised that a combination of healthy the network of tubes can be seen to mirror the intestines. food and a good environment lead, through proper digesThe allergy question would also fit with this (see box). tion, to an active and thoughtful individual, and that the two influences are clearly distinct. Steiner, whilst agreeing with Forces the starting point as well as the end result, posits that there is Now, if we turn to the nutritional forces, there are again quite a different process in the middle and that environment earthly and cosmic forces. With regard the forces Steiner has and diet are completely intertwined. the following to say: ‘With respect to forces, however, the reverse is true. In the head Substance we have to do with cosmic forces, since the cosmos is perceived Looking first at the substance that makes up our body, with the senses, which are located primarily in the head. In the Steiner states: metabolic-limb system, on the other hand, we have to do with ‘Now, everything in the way of substance in the head earthly forces’ (Steiner 1924:lecture 8) system consists entirely of earthly matter’ (Steiner 1924:lecture 8) As outlined earlier, the vitality of our food deterand, mines the cultivation of earthly forces and these enable the ‘…the substances of our metabolic-limb system - evmetabolic-limb system to function. That is, to carry out our erything constituting our intestines, limbs, muscles, bones and so daily physical activity. Therefore, quite uncontroversially, in forth - does not come from the earth, but from what is absorbed order to be very active, we need to have healthy food that has out of the air and warmth above the earth. That is cosmic sub- been produced in such a way that it is very vital. If our food stantiality’ (Steiner 1924:lecture 8) lacks sufficient vitality to stimulate higher will activity, we So, it is only our head and senses that are made become inactive, leading to excessive laying down of cosmic up out of the food we eat. All other parts of our body are substance possibly resulting in obesity.

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know a food, the better our relationship with it.This can be through cooking or growing it, but it may be enough to know its source.When this relationship is disrupted and the food changed through unnatural growing, genetic engineering and addition of additives our body can choose to reject it. In the UK this is happening with wheat and dairy products, in the US with wheat and corn, and in Asia with rice.

The cosmic forces that we absorb, through our senses, are to stimulate our thinking and develop our consciousness. And what is it that does this? Anything that inspires us or ‘feeds’ us on a deeper level. This can include meditation, art, music, conversation, beauty, goodness, love, the special quality of a meal - a grace, flowers, the presentation of food. Basically anything of a spiritual nature provides us with these essential cosmic forces.

Thus far we can come up with the following: Earthly substance Cosmic substance Earthly forces Cosmic forces

Builds up the brain and the sense organs Builds up the rest of the body To enable us to be active To develop thinking and consciousness

Now obviously these do not work in isolation, as Steiner explains, ‘…what the animals eat is simply there to develop its forces of movement [earthly forces], so that the cosmic factor [cosmic substance] can be driven into its metabolic-limb system…’

(Steiner 1924:lecture 8) and also, ‘…the substances used by the head [earthly substance] have to be derived from the fodder itself…(and)…the head can assimilate the nourishment it receives from the body only if it can obtain the forces from the cosmos’ (Steiner 1924: lecture 8) I find the complexity of nutrition as explained in this way, is rendered understandable through the imagination of the development of a child’s digestion. At birth the child needs an easily digestible earthly substance. The food that is closest to the child is the milk from its own mother.

The forces need minimal overcoming, so basically it is almost pure earthly substance. This substance is used to build up the nerve-sense system and the brain, but only if there are sufficient cosmic forces present i.e. the child is surrounded by love - the ultimate cosmic force. The sense

©Richard Swann

ALLERGIES Allergies seem to appear through foods (earthly nutrition) or on the skin or in the sinuses (cosmic nutrition).

Intolerances of this kind can be understood as a result of the body being unable to overcome the foreign nature of what comes to it.This can be a result of it being profoundly changed or due to the body being weakened. Looking at food, digestion starts with the senses and the more we

organs are then refined by positive impressions that surround the child - goodness and beauty for instance. These sense organs are then able to absorb cosmic substance to build up the body. Necessary for this though, are earthly forces from the food. Most of the forces that the child takes in initially are used for this inner movement of cosmic substance into the body, and the child spends much time sleeping. It is only after several months that there is enough to be used for outer will activity and the child can begin to crawl and then walk. As this happens it is necessary for the child to eat more ‘foreign’ foods. Firstly fruiting food, such as carrots and apples - often cooked to continue that fruiting process.

As the child eats more, and more ‘foreign’ foods more of the earthly forces are used for increased will activity and more of the earthly substance is used to develop the brain. This is the seat for the cosmic forces to develop, and slowly universal thinking and consciousness are able to unfold.4

©Jan Bang

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©Jan Bang

THINKING AND EGO CONSCIOUSNESS This development of thinking and ego consciousness is only possible through proper digestion. It is the cosmic forces that enable this thinking, but they need to have somewhere to develop, and this is the brain - the foundation of the ego as Steiner refers to it. And this is only possible if sufficient earthly matter has been taken up through the food.

As Steiner states: ‘The intestinal organs are truly the reverse side of the brain. For you to be relieved of physical activity so that you can think, you must burden the other end of your organism with the functions of a fully developed colon and bladder. Thus the highest soul-spiritual activity that a human being manifests in the physical world, insofar as it depends on a fully developed brain, is at the same time dependent on a corresponding development of the intestine. This is an extraordinarily important connection, and one that sheds a great deal of light on the way nature works’ (Steiner 1920) This correspondence between what is above and what is below in the human organism may be something familiar and points to the polarised nature of the human being. Further to this Steiner explains: ‘The substance of the brain is simply intestinal content taken as far as possible, whereas premature brain deposits pass out through the intestine. The contents of the intestine, as regards their processes, are very much related to the contents of the brain.

It would be crass to say that what is present in the brain is simply a more highly developed manure pile, but objectively this is quite correct.’ (Steiner 1924:lecture 8) This means that to fulfil our potential with regard thinking, we must have a properly functioning digestive system as well as healthy food. Already in Steiner’s time he identified the need for proper nutrition. When asked why peoples’ actions seemed so distant from spiritual intentions, Steiner replied: ‘This is a problem of nutrition. Nutrition as it is today does not supply the strength necessary for manifesting the spirit in physical life. A bridge can no longer be built from thinking to will

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and action. Food plants no longer contain the forces people need for this’ (Steiner 1924:Preface to 1974 edition) And it was to this end that Steiner then went on to give the Agriculture Course - in order for food to be produced that contained these forces. In the development of agriculture it can be seen that initially people produced food based on warmth - natural growing and ripening. In Persia the light/air element was utilised through the cultivation of the soil and then in Egypt the realm of water was used to fertilise the land through flooding. This fertility building then progressed onto the earth realm with the development of composting and rotation as started by the Romans.

Liebig’s work unfortunately drew us back into the watery realm, but with Steiner’s insights we can take all we have learnt and developed in the physical world and imbue it with the etheric nature carried by the work of the preparations.

In this way our food will carry not only the right substances to develop our brain, the foundation of our ego, but also will contain the forces such that our will activity can develop to manifest the spirit in physical life. We are not just what we eat, but we can become what we will. ■ Quotes from: Steiner, Rudolf (1920), Spiritual Science and Medicine (GA 312). Pub Rudolf Steiner Press, 1975 Steiner, Rudolf (1924), Agriculture Course GA 327 Creeger/Gardner translation. Pub Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, 1993, Quote reported by Pfeiffer taken from the preface to the 1958 George Adams translation of the Agriculture Course.

Further inspiration from: Brian Keats - Betwixt Heaven and Earth, Pub Brian Keats Karl Koenig - Earth and Man, Pub. Biodynamic Literature 1982 Gerhard Schmidt - The Dynamics of Nutrition. Pub. Biodynamic Literature 1980

Laurence Dungworth is a farmer with the Stroud Community Agriculture and a Council Member of the BDAA.

SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION

by Matthew Adams

INTRODUCTION I AM DEEPLY INTERESTED in nutrition. Not as a practitioner, but as a Deep Ecologist, Environmental Manager, director of The Good Gardeners Association (GGA) and as an individual who is concerned about the issues surrounding sustainable development. I believe that nutrition is central to the health and well-being of humans and the environment and that they are inextricably linked.

The Good Gardeners Association, established in 1966, is a national membership based charity. We promote the no-dig method of growing food which relies on feeding the life in the soil with compost being applied as mulch which mimics the natural cycle of the redistribution of nutrients. An old saying of the Good Gardeners is, “anything that once lived can live again in another plant.

No-dig gardening works, and naturally our curiosity has been aroused to develop a deeper understanding of the life in the soil and how it works in symbiosis with the plants. We believe that food grown this way i.e. in tune with nature, can potentially be more nutritious, richer in minerals and trace minerals - the building blocks of nutrition - whilst at the same time caring for the planet.

Over 40% of key minerals from the food chain has been lost during the 20th century and can be linked to the degenerating health of the nation and the dominance of Western philosophy. The purpose of this article is to explore this link using nutrition and health to question whether the way we think about nature has the potential to reverse this decline.

How does the way we treat the life in the soil affect the nutritional quality of our food? In 2004 The GGA, BDAA, Hiram Trust and recently joined partners, Waldorf College, began a project called GREEN at Upper Grange, Stroud. The aim is to investigate the difference in the nutritional qualities of the same crops but grown under different methods of cultivation, single dig, double dig and no dig.

The whole garden is being managed bio-dynamically and is planned to last four years.

DEEP ECOLOGY Deep Ecology is a deep green philosophy that argues; if our present mechanistic world view has created the environmental problems we face today how can that same philosophy help solve these problems? It argues that what is required is a change in the human nature relationship. Two opposing philosophies are described, one the mechanistic world view (some times called technocentric), attempts to dominate and control nature. The view holds a blind faith in technology and believes that through invention we can mitigate environmental problems. This is offset by the ecological world view, which sees humans as an integral part of nature. The logical conclusion derived from this is the realisation that to harm nature is to harm one’s self.

If we focus on the nutritional qualities of food which relates to our approach to nature and the methods we use to grow it then becomes a little clearer. According to government led research we have lost over 40% of key minerals from the food chain since records began in the late 1930’s.

For me this connects the industrialised approach to growing food with the loss of nutrients. It involves an increased use of technology and machinery which attacks the land with such aggression that it is destroying the very fabric of nature, the microscopic life in the soil.

WORKING WITH THE LIFE IN THE SOIL A key focus for the GGA has been to understand the life in the soil and in particular we have focussed on the occurrence of mycorrhiza - symbiosis in action. It refers to a special relationship between plant roots, soil fungi and living creatures. Mycorrhizal fungi live in the darkness of the soil where its network of hyphal strands create a matrix of tiny little threads that range throughout. The fungi harmlessly colonise plant roots and explore the soil to obtain nutrients, which are supplied to their plant hosts. In return they receive carbohydrates from the plants. As you can see from the picture below, a root colonised by mycorrhizal fungi is able to effectively extend the plants root system and increase it supply of nutrients. 4

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©Symbio

Without mycorrhiza

Steiner’s drawing of a plant: taken from the Kingdom of Childhood, 1924

It is a relationship which according to the fossil record has been ongoing ever since plants first came from the sea to live on land. In scientific circles mycorrhiza was only discovered by the mid twentieth century and is now recognised that around 95% of the worlds 250,000 species of plants will form a symbiotic relationship with it. Those that do not, e.g. brassicas, will form relationships with other soil life.

There is universal consensus today that mycorrhiza is essential for plant health. However, unfortunately even before it was discovered we have been consistently destroying it through modern methods of growing food. The action of deep digging / ploughing and the application of chemicals such as fungicide destroy the mycorrhiza and once lost, it may be that it never returns.

Perhaps Steiner already knew about its existence, long before the scientific community, because I was startled when I found this picture and quote in The Kingdom of Childhood, written in 1924.

“Here we have a plant (see drawing) but this alone is not the plant, for the soil beneath it also belongs to the plant, spread out on all sides and maybe a very long way. There are some plants that send out little roots a very long way....something else is living with the plant; this part here (below the line in the drawing) lives with it and belongs to the plant; the earth lives with the plant.”

Unlike plants and many animals you cannot see the life in the soil. Instead you have to build your own picture based on snippets of information. Steiner’s picture matches

Mineral Vegetables (27 varieties) Sodium (Na) Less 49% Potassium (K) Less 16% Phosphorus (P) Plus 9% Magnesium (Mg) Less 24% Calcium (Ca) Less 46% Iron (Fe) Less 27% Copper (Cu) Less 76% Examples Carrots 75% less magnesium, 48% less calcium, 46% less iron, 75% less copper

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Fruit (17 varieties) Less 29% Less 19% Plus 2% Less 16% Less 16% Less 24% Less 20% Potatoes 30% less magnesium, 35% less calcium, 45% less iron, 47% less copper

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With mycorrhiza (Symbiosis)

my own independent thoughts and understanding of how the soil food-web may look and work.

THE LOSS OF NUTRIENTS IN THE FOOD CHAIN Ironically, ever since we learnt more about the value of nutrition in food and its relationship to health, the nutritional qualities of our food has been in steady decline. Today you can visit a supermarket to buy your fresh food and at the same time purchase a bottle of nutritional supplements.

Nutrition as a science began in 1906 when it was discovered that scurvy could be cured with Vitamin C. To help understand more about the source of nutrition the idea of compiling a British Food Table was later proposed by nutritionist Else Widdowson. In the mid 1930s research began, commissioned by the Ministry of Farming and Food (MAFF), to analyse a range of typical foods, available to us as a nation, to reveal their content of key minerals and other nutritional indicators. This included 27 vegetables, 17 fruits, ten cuts of meat, milk and cheese. The research was first published in 1941 and has been replicated at ten year intervals ever since. study in 2003, by nutritionist David Thomas, compared the data from five consecutive food tables, a fifty year period. What he revealed was that on average we have lost over 40% of key minerals from the food chain.1 Table 1 below, shows a summary of this research.

Meat (10 cuts) Less 30% Less 16% Less 28% Less 10% Less 41% Less 54% Less 24%

Average Less 36% Less 17% Less 6% Less 17% Less 34% Less 35% Less 40%

Table 1: Summary of changes in the mineral content of some foods in 1991 as compared to the same foods in1940

There are several things to note about the food tables which offer important protection against disease such as cancers.

The action of industrialised processing is not highlight specific areas of interest and concern. recognised today as having a serious affect on the nutritional quality of our food. Instead we may reach for the bottle of 1) Chemical agriculture dominated the way we grew our food following the end of the Second World War. Note, after nutritional supplements but how can humans ever hope to match the complexities of nature? The following account the first British Food Table was compiled. demonstrates how complex nutrient interactions can be and 2) Widdowson and her colleague R. A. McCance developed how important it is to get right if we want to promote long and advised the government on war time rationing, based on term health: An increase in vitamin C increases the effect their knowledge of nutrition in food. It is generally accepted that the health of the nation has never been better than dur- of vitamin E, folic acid and iron. The increase in vitamin E then increases the effect of selenium and ing this period of history. vitamin A. Vitamin A further increases the effect of 3) The importance of trace minerals such as selenium and iron, and so on. Because of these interactions, small increases (or equally decreases of toxic substances), boron were not realised and therefore, were not recorded. over the many nutrients in a food, can have a much Between 1953 and 1990 twelve trace elements have been bigger effect than would be expected from looking at recognised for their beneficial effect on animal health and the individual nutrient levels. Nutritionally speaking, in most cases, human health too.2 Likewise other nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants were not included in the the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And tests but we can assume they have suffered too. For example, small differences in nutrient levels can matter a lot.5 British researchers believe that most of the produce we eat is low in important cancer-fighting compounds called salves- WHAT IS NUTRITION? trols. A typical five-a-day diet would give you only 10 per Good nutrition encompasses everything we eat. Proteins, cent of the beneficial compounds you need to keep cancer at fats and carbohydrates are the main elements used by the bay.3 Understanding this we may well ask how is the produc- body for growth, tissue repair and energy. The vitamins and trace minerals act mainly as catalysts. They are essential in tion of salvestrols affected by the composition of minerals, helping the body’s metabolism to regulate all the thousands which in turn may be dictated by the life in the soil. of chemical reactions that keep us alive. Nutritionists have defined the word nutrition to mean, 4) There are some critics of these tables. The Food Stanthe sum of the processes involved in taking in dards Agency (FSA) comment that since the study began nutrients, assimilating and utilising them.6 technology and, in particular, analytical equipment has improved. This may indeed be valid but I puzzle over the Essential nutrients are those substances (proteins, idea that values have gone down, except phosphorus, part of carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, etc) necessary the NPK fertiliser, which has gone up. for growth, normal functioning, and maintaining life; they What the table suggests to me is that the nutrimust be supplied by foods because they cannot be made by tional content of the food we typically eat has been in decline the body. This definition can be extended to include other ever since modern methods of growing food really took a components that are necessary for human life. These could hold. This relates to the mechanistic view of the Western include oxygen and water, and some would even say emoMind and we can begin to see the linkage between method tional and psychological ‘nutrients’ such as love.7 (philosophy) and the food’s nutritional qualities (physical This definition relates to human nutrition but I beoutcome). The loss of nutrients continues and is further lieve it should have a wider scope that includes the nutritioncompounded by the affects of industrialised processing. al qualities of the food we grow and eat. After all, growing Vitamin levels in fresh fruit decrease after they food is a process that makes up part of the sum. As we have are picked, and particularly after they have been cut and seen from above the methods predominantly used today to exposed to air or sunlight. Much of the peeling and chopgrow our food is found to be lacking in many essential nutriping of ready-prepared produce is now done abroad and the ents. Therefore, to achieve good nutrition may require us to food then undergoes a long journey before reaching British change our methods to a more nature based philosophy, if it supermarket shelves. can be shown to increase the content and quality of essential An investigation by the UK-based Consumer’s nutrients.

Association Which? into prepacked fruit and vegetables “It is above all in the interpreting of the results of restocked in UK supermarkets found that many had vitamin search that the work of Dr Steiner can be so immensely valuable.

C levels far below normal for unprepared produce. Asda He gives a clue to many of the mysteries of nature, so that, with sliced runner beans, for example, contained just 11 per cent open minds, thought, study and experiment, we shall surely come of the textbook level of vitamin C, and Marks & Spencer’s to that fuller understanding of the vital relationships between fresh mango contained just 42 per cent.4 soil, plant, animal, man and the universe.”8 4 Malcolm Coles, editor of Which?, said: “The report offers further evidence that the British public may not be getting adequate vitamin intake through their daily diets.” It claims that nutrition is not a priority for many supermarkets. The UK’s food authority says that adults need 40mg of vitamin C daily although some research suggests that higher amounts can

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1) The food we have grown at GREEN appears to be far superior to anything we have grown or eaten in the last 70 years, according to the mineral data. The graphs in Figures GREEN (GARDENS FOR RESEARCH EXPERIENTIAL 1 and 2 show the historical data (1940 & 1991) compared to the GREEN data (2004 & 2005) for potatoes and leeks.

EDUCATION AND NUTRITION) In 2004 The GGA, BDAA, Hiram Trust and recently joined Note the GREEN data is an average for the whole garden partners, Waldorf College, began a project called GREEN at (all four plots).

Upper Grange, Stroud. The aim is to investigate the difference in the nutritional qualities of the same crops but grown The values for Calcium, Iron and Magnesium as well as the amounts and ratios of Zinc and Copper were all much under different methods of cultivation, single dig, double higher for GREEN. Deficiencies in these minerals can be dig and no dig.

The same source and amounts of compost are used linked to: for each plot, except the control which has none. The idea behind the different methods is to create varying degrees of ■ Poor bone development i.e. soil disturbance to affect the soil’s natural ecology, from the osteoporosis and arthritis (Calcium). parent material to the top soil. Four vegetables have been selected for this study; potatoes, carrots, spinach and leeks. ■ Muscle fatigue, the synthesis of protein, allowing cells to communicate with one another via electrical impulses, and The reason for this is they all have a recorded history of the regulation of calcium to the heart on which our heart mineral decline and so we have something to compare our beat depends (Magnesium). results with. The current research is designed to last four years and our measure of success will be based on the food’s ■ Susceptibility to infections including, thrush and herpes, nutritional qualities. anaemia, loss of hair and general weakness (Iron).

THE ANALYSIS The analysis is designed to assess the flow of essential nutri- ■ Proper functioning of the brain, eyesight, normal growth, ents from soil to crop in relation to its method of cultivation. protection against infections, gene activity, immune system, We are testing the soil for its chemical properties (23 miner- reproductive health (Zinc). als), micro-biology (including bacteria, fungi and mycorrhiza) and its vitality, using chromatography. Once the crops ■ Proper functioning of the brain, weak blood vessels, premature aging, high cholesterol levels in the blood, fluid are harvested from each of the plots the same 23 minerals are tested to see what actually happened. Chromatography retention and impaired fertility (Copper). is also repeated on the vegetables. Other tests include visual 2) Whilst the mineral data from GREEN, as a whole, is assessment, taste and yield.

After only two years we have begun to summarise very good there does appear to be differences in the mineral composition between each of the four plots. This is shown some of our findings which makes for interesting reading.

Whilst no conclusions can be made at this early stage some using a mineral score (an average of all the minerals combined) in Figures 3 and 4.4 of the key points include:

Figure 1: Mineral composition of potatoes Comparing historical data to GREEN

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Notes: Some caution must be applied in making direct comparisons for the following reasons: A) the variety of potatoes and leeks analysed to compile the historical data is not known (the intention for the study was to reflect a typical diet and their nutritional values, available to us as a nation).

B) the number of samples used for historical data is not known and so higher values for some crops may have been recorded (GREEN average uses 12 samples).

C) the historical values for leeks are for boiled leeks.

All crops analysed at GREEN are raw.

D) the techniques used today for chemical analysis are different to how they were measured historically E) in 1940 zinc was not recorded.

Figure 3: Mineral score - Comparing the difference in mineral content at GREEN between each of the four plots

Minerals score - Potatoes 2004 The combined ratio of all 23 chemical elements compared to the average Ratio

0.85

1 0.8

0.74

1.01

1.2

1.39

1.4

0.6 Minerals score - Potatoes 2005 The combined ratio of all 23 chemical elements compared to the average Ratio 1.4

0.8

0.88

0.82

1

1.23

1.2

0.6

Figure 2: Mineral composition of leeks Comparing historical data to GREEN

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It’s no use looking to our politicians for help and 3) The theory of soil science for example, pH and available nutrients, to predict nutrient uptake did not correlate to advice on this one because they seem confused. On the one hand they are predicting we shall live longer, hence the need what actually happened when the plants were analysed. to review provision for pensions and increase the age of retire4) An analysis of the soil’s micro-biology has revealed dif- ment. And on the other hand they are making rather gloomy ferences between each of the four plots and that these differ- predications about our children dying before their parents. ences relate to an increased uptake of minerals, in particular According to the House of Commons Health Committee “England has the fastest growing obesity problem the trace minerals. in Europe and that childhood obesity has tripled in 20 years, I must stress that the key findings above are not prompting the gloomy prediction that this will be the first generaconclusive. More testing over time and in different geotion where children die before their parents as a consequence of graphical areas under a different climate and in different soils may give different results. However, I believe the design childhood obesity.” 9 of the research gives the potential to generate really useful A species can be defined as having the ability to results that can help distinguish the difference between a reproduce. If it can not it will cease to exist. The occurrence method or philosophy using nutrition and its relationship to of degenerative disease is on the increase especially amongst health. What these results are suggesting is that to concen- the youngest of our population. In addition to obesity there trate on the welfare of the soil’s microscopic life forms is a is diabetes which, like obesity, can lead to an increased risk far superior way to manage soil resources than knowledge of from heart disease and stroke. In Britain, childhood diabetes soil chemistry. If what we are trying to achieve is food that has been increasing by 4% a year since 1984 - with a staggerprovides health. ing 11% annual increase in the under-fives.10 Mental and behavioural disorders are a serious and A PICTURE OF UK HEALTH growing public health problem too. Representing four of the The greatest burden of ill health today is from the onset of leading ten causes of disability worldwide, mental disorders degenerative disease such as mental ill health, heart disease, affect more than 25% of all people at some point in their cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis and infertility, all of which lives. At current rates, it is predicted that depression will have strong links to poor nutrition. Linked to poor nutrition become the second cause of the global disease burden within also is the rise of diabetes and obesity both of which can lead the next 20 years.11 to premature death from one or more of the above degeneraChildhood cancer is on the rise. Statistics show that tive diseases. after accidents, childhood cancer is the second biggest killer It is popularly assumed amongst many people and in the UK.12 1 in 3 people will today, develop cancer during reinforced by the government that the current burden of their lives and one in four people of those will die from ill health is as a result of us now living longer and that our cancer.13 health is degenerating from old age. I do not agree with this Infertility - According to the World Health Organianalysis. The idea that we will continue adding years to our sation some 10% of couples in the West experience difficulty life expectancy is an assumption. To me degenerative disease conceiving and many look towards infertility treatment such is the result of poor health being passed from one generation as IVF as a solution. The rates of success, however remains to the next. low - only 22% of couples undergoing IVF end up with a This means that from the 1940’s each succeslive baby. 14 sive generation that’s born will inherit their parent’s poor In many cases nutritionists and nutritional therahealth plus a declining quality of nutrition from their diet. pists are showing how they can help reverse some of these This affect may then result in future generations developtrends but they often rely on using supplements from a ing degenerative disease at a much earlier part of their life. bottle. This may be necessary to correct already established Assuming that a generation takes twenty five years we have health problems but to prevent more occurring in the future now entered a third generation so we can ask ourselves is we need to think about how we can make sure the food we there a correlation between the loss of nutrients in the food grow is truly nutritious, especially, if the only way to achieve chain and the occurrence of degenerative disease in an ever such standards requires a change in philosophy that sees younger population? humans as a part of nature.

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CONCLUSION Despite the fact that mineral content has been on the decline since the 1940’s, what we have grown at GREEN appears to be far superior to anything we have been eating in the last 70 years - that is, for potatoes and leeks. However, had we been growing food conventionally, with a knowledge of soil science, we may have been tempted to alter the soil’s chemistry by reducing the pH value, for example. Had we done this, would GREEN still have produced such nutritious food?

It appears that the life in the soil was quite happy and so to were the plants.

Can we relate soil biology to mineral uptake and its relationship to human health? We do not have enough experience or replication of the research to answer this question at present. However, the results are encouraging which justifies the need to continue and develop the research as this may help also to change our current thinking.

For some four to five hundred years the Western view has perceived nature to be little more than a machine.

This mechanistic view of the world has led to reductionism and the domination of nature which, for the past five centuries, has progressively produced food of diminishing quality. The domestication of plants and animals began in earnest around this time and today it’s moved on to genetic engineering.

These practices can be seen amongst all the world’s nations who subscribe to this view of the world. I believe associated with this philosophy is the development and increased burden of ill health from degenerative disease.

Ironically America appears to be leading the way. In addition the environmental impact this philosophy is creating is self evident. I think the loss of biodiversity, or rather creativity, is alarming and yet the loss we see above ground is nothing compared to the loss under the ground.

If it were possible to in some way turn this situation around then I believe the way forward would be to concentrate on the nutritional qualities of the food we grow as a measure of success. This would help differentiate between one method/philosophy and another where increased health for both humans and the planet are favoured.

In 1948 The World Health Organisation came up with a definition of what health is.

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.15 But they never asked the question where does health come from? An internet search comes up with nothing. Perhaps it’s just too obvious a question to be asked and I am just being a little simple to ask it but to me it appears perfectly logical that, health comes from nature! This may not sit comfortably to the Western Mind, which views nature as something to be dominated, exploited and controlled because if health comes from nature then it may be logical to assume the following, that to harm nature is to harm ourselves. ■

1

A study on the mineral depletion of the foods available to us as a nation over the period 1940 to 1991, Nutrition and Health Vol. 17: No. 2, 2003,The Journal of the McCarrison Society for Nutrition and Health. Note:The data used as the basis for this study was published in 5 Editions, initially under the auspices of the Medical Research Council and later the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Foods and the Royal Society of Chemistry: Authors R.A. McCance and E.M. Widdowson.

2

Bergner, P,The Healing Power of Minerals, 1997, PRIMA HEALTH 3

Daily Mail,You’re eating the WRONG fruit and veg!, Louise Atkinson, 04/07/06. Based on research published in the British Naturopathic Journal, Gerry Potter, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, and Dan Burke, Emeritus Professor of Pharmaceutical Metabolism.

4

Food Production Daily.com 09/06/2004 http:// foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=52669&n =dh161&ec=udzflpstxiinvbc 5

Worthington,Virginia, Nutrition and Biodynamics: Evidence for the Nutritional Superiority of Organic Crops, 1999, Biodynamics 224 (USA), July/August.

This article has been reproduced in web format and can be found at http://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamicsarticles/worth.html

6

Davies, Dr S & Stewart, Dr A, Nutritional Medicine, 1987; Pan Books 7

ditto

8

Taken from the Journal of the Soil Association, Mother Earth, Autumn 1948.

9

Horizons, 2004, Issue 29,The Office for National Statistics, p21 (a report of the conclusions drawn from the House of Commons Health Committee 27th May 2004)

10

What Doctors Don’t Tell You; March 2003 vol 13 no 12

11

Van de Weyer, C. Changing Diets, Changing Minds: 2006, A Sustain Publication ISBN 1-903060-40-0

12

National statistics, Mortality Statistics: Childhood, Infant, and Parental, London, HMSO, 1999

13

National Statistics, 2006, http://www.statistics.gov. uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=920

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WDDTY Dec. 2003 Vol 14 No 9

15

Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19-22 June, 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.

Matt Adams is Director of the Good Gardeners Association and a member of the GREEN support group.

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DIOSCOREA BATATA Potato of the Future?

by Bernard Jarman POTATOES HAVE BEEN PART of our western culture for several hundred years. Before that they were unknown in Europe and there may well come a time when they are less popular than they are today.Already there are far fewer potatoes consumed than there were some 80 or 90 years ago. Between 1968 and 1988 annual per head consumption in Germany fell from 114Kg to 56Kg and it is probably not dissimilar in the UK. In the eighth lecture of his Agriculture Course, Rudolf Steiner spoke about the effect of the potato on the human organism. Having described the independent growth habit of the tomato and how it thrives on its own compost, he went on to speak about the second staple nightshade in our diet, the potato: “To some extent the potato is akin to the tomato. The potato too works in a highly independent way, so independent in fact that it passes easily through the digestive process and penetrates the brain to make it independent - independent even of the influences of the other organs in the body. Indeed the exaggerated use of potatoes is one of the factors, which have made people and animals materialistic since the introduction of potato cultivation to Europe. We should only eat enough potatoes to stimulate our brain and head nature. The eating of potatoes above all should not be overdone.”i

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Elsewhere he suggests that like other elements in our modern diet the potato has played an important and necessary role in human development. Today however we need to evolve further and become less materialistic.

After the conclusion of the Agriculture Course Rudolf Steiner was asked by a participant whether food produced using the new biodynamic methods would be sufficient on its own to meet the nutritional needs of a spiritually evolving humanity.

“On its own this will not be enough” he replied “The Chinese Yam Dioscerea batata will need to be introduced into Europe so that it can eventually replace the potato as a diet staple. This is the only plant, which can store ‘light ether’ii and in the future these light forces will be absolutely vital to human nutrition.”

We can begin to understand the importance of these light forces if we consider how much of our culture and the food we eat has become earthbound. When food crops are grown under intensive conditions with a focus only on the nutrient intake and the end yield, it is as though we walk through the world with our heads down oblivious to all that goes on around us. A key task of biodynamic agriculture is to work not only with the processes going on inside the earth but also to connect them with the influences streaming in from the surrounding cosmos including light.

Biodynamic horn silica when sprayed on the crops helps to enhance these light qualities and improve the nutritional value of the crops being grown. Dioscorea batata appears to have a particularly strong concentration of this light quality in its roots.

Following the Agriculture Course some yam roots were brought back to the Goetheanum from China to test and try out where they have been grown and maintained ever since. More recently they have been grown commercially in the Bodensee region of Germany. Various qualitytesting methods were used to confirm this light quality in the Chinese Yam. While doing so it was found that other varieties of yam growing in Africa and South America did not have this property to the same degree. More recent research

by Dorian Schmidtiii has also confirmed that this particular variety of yam is very rich in light ether. To distinguish it Dioscorea batata has become known in Germany as “Lichtwurzel” (light root).

DESCRIPTION The yam is a monocotyledon. It grows as a climber similar to runner beans and is capable of reaching heights of between 3m and 8m. In the course of the growing season the stems become very woody. The leaves are heart shaped and not dissimilar to those of black briony. It produces numerous cinnamon scented racemes of white flowers that hang down from the leaf nodes. Both male and female flowers are found but occur on different plants. Female plants are rarely present when the crop is cultivated. In the Far East they were even thought of as different species. The roots can grow down to 2m and tend to develop their swollen tubers well below the surface presenting a particular challenge for cultivation.

Dioscorea batata is native to the north eastern provinces of China where it was traditionally grown in the

mountains on shallow slate soils. These soils prevented the yam roots from penetrating to any depth. They were cultivated on specially prepared raised beds that were large enough to grow pumpkins and cucumbers on either slope and in the middle to plant a row of yam. They were supported as they grew with long poles in much the same way as runner beans. It was a fairly labour intensive method.

Most of the crop was sold in dried form for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It was especially known for its ability to give hair an extra shine. According to Chinese herbalists it stimulates the stomach and spleen and has a tonic effect on the lungs and kidneys. It stimulates appetite, helps the metabolism, has a general rejuvenating effect and is very effective in supporting the immune system. Tea made from the leaves is also used as a treatment for poor appetite, diarrhoea, asthma, coughs, diabetes and emotional instability. It is also used externally on ulcers, boils and abscesses.

GROWING Cultivation of the plant in Europe has been a big challenge and is at least as labour intensive as the raised bed system of China. The largest acreage of Chinese yams grown in Germany is to be found in the Bodensee region. Here the soil is fairly deep and fertile. To get around the need for digging two meters down in order to retrieve the roots a novel solution has been invented. Large wooden boxes are constructed (2m x 1.3m x 0.5m) and filled with earth. Two rows of 25 plants are put into these boxes and then suitable4

All photographs ©Ralf Rößner: www.lichtwurzel.de

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poles or other clamber material is built on top so that the leafage can develop. This system has the advantage of allowing the plants to attain their full depth and therefore attain maximum vitality.

The plants are mainly propagated vegetatively.

A piece of root planted out in May will grow into a full size plant in one year. The plant also produces nodules at the leaf nodes. The nodules begin to form from the end of May. These early ones can be planted out immediately and will produce a crop the following year. Nodules that form after mid-summer should only be planted out the following year from about Candlemas time. The small beech nut-like seeds produced by the female plants can also be used for propagation. These should be sown in the autumn since they need a dormant period in the earth. The seed will of course produce female as well as male plants.

The plants prefer a light well-drained soil, which retains moisture. It can be grown in Britain but like the potato is frost sensitive. A sunny aspect is best since the more the plant is exposed to the light the higher the root yield will be. The root cuttings are usually planted in early spring, grow throughout the summer and are ready to harvest in October and November once the leaves have died down.

Harvesting involves unscrewing one of the sidewalls of each box and carefully removing the roots. They are very brittle and it helps if the boxes are left un-watered for a week before harvest. The soil can then fall off more easily and this reduces the possibility of damage. The harvested roots are then laid out in the light for 2 or 3 days before being put in a storage box. A cellar with an average temperature of about 4 degrees and a humidity of 60% - 70% is ideal. The roots should not be stored in an electrically cooled room since it is important that no electro-magnetic field should come into contact with them. They store well and keep for a long time.

THE BIODYNAMIC LAND FUND Robert Lord Since the fund was announced in Star and Furrow last year, donations have started to accumulate and the total to date is £6326.00*. In addition to those who have responded to our request for ‘trickle’ contributions, we have been pleasantly surprised by several substantial one-off donations, which have given the fund an early boost.

It is heartening to have this expression of support and to feel that the biodynamic movement stands behind us when we approach commercial organisations. For it is with retailers and middlemen trading in the biodynamic market from whom we expect to obtain the greater part of the funding. We believe that traders will wish to be able to inform their customers that they are investing a percentage of their profits or turnover in the fund.

Likewise, BD supporters will be more inclined to trade with a company that is investing in the fund.

To encourage this we have set up a website for the fund: www.bdlandfund.org. Companies that are supporting the fund are featured with a photo, a short description about their business and a link to their own site. If you know of a trader you think we should approach, please let us know.

■ The idea of the Biodynamic Land Fund is to raise capital through many small regular contributions. The aim is to buy land that would be held in perpetuity for BD farming. For further information contact: Cultural Freedom Fund, West Wing One, Chelwood Vachery, TN22 3HR, Tel: 0870 321 0221, Email: bdlandfund@cftrust.freeuk.com

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The cooked root has a floury texture similar to a potato and can be eaten as a vegetable or used in soups and sauces.

It is also good in salads but the slime like covering to the root can cause skin irritation when it is being prepared. This property disappears when it is eaten or when cooked. It is very important that no electrical kitchen gadgets are used in its preparation otherwise the unique ‘light giving’ property of this vegetable will disappear.

The root can also be used as an ingredient in other products. They will then be imbued with the light ether quality even if only small amounts are used. Imton GmbH of Überlingen produces a range of products containing yam root including bread, biscuits, herb salt, spelt coffee and also soap and skin cream. Lichtwurzelkaffee (roasted spelt with yam roots) is particularly tasty. All ingredients are grown and produced to Demeter standards. More information about the products can be found (in German) at www.lichtwurzel.de ■ Notes i Agriculture Course: Lecture 8 ii

Light ether is one of four ethers corresponding to but also complimenting the four elements earth, water, air and fire described already by the ancient Greeks the foundation of our world.

Earth is complimented by life ether, water by sound or chemistry ether, air by light ether and fire by warmth ether.

The concept of ether today is usually limited to the invisible waves of radio transmission. It used to be applied far more widely in scientific circles to describe cosmic energy streams.

Whereas air is expansive and fills space, light is directed and moves in straight lines - clearly complimentary

to one another. In addition to the physical light, Rudolf Steiner indicates that an invisible life stream accompanies it which stimulates and structures growth processes. iii Dorian Schmidt has opened up a whole new field of research into etheric formative forces. It involves training ones own inner organs of perception in order to perceive the streams of movement surrounding living organisms. It is proving a very useful means for assessing the vital qualities of different plants and foods. More information can be found in “Observations in the Field of Formative Forces in Nature - Methods and Results” by Dorian Schmidt. It is available from the BDAA at £2.00 plus p+p.

F1 hybrids and the decline of Plant Genetic Resources in farming communities

by Peter Brinch THE SCIENCE OF CROP PRODUCTION and plant breeding during the last 40 years has seen food production soar to the extent of over production, but with severe consequences for soils, food plant diversity and the environment.

In this article I wish to highlight the present situation which has seen a complete reversal in the use of seed during these 40 years from using non-hybrids, also known as open pollinators to using predominantly hybrid seeds and what implications this has for our food plant culture.

In the past farmers and gardeners were able to save their own seeds from agricultural or horticultural cultivars with selection taking place to adapt and suit varieties to localities, climates and soils. All varieties, which were then open pollinators bred true to type and seed exchange between farming communities was a common practice. In other words, the farming communities were active in plant breeding.

For clarification, open pollinators are plants, which pollinate freely or openly with their own kind, largely not accepting their own pollen for propagation thus always exchanging genetic characteristics and information.

Through selection and adaptation over centuries the great diversity of varieties created had laid the foundation for modern plant breeding. However this food plant genetic legacy has increasingly been used to breed food plants especially vegetables which no longer yield seeds able to neither breed true to type nor may be fertile. Such food plants are called F1 hybrids.

Since the late 1960s F1 hybrid seeds started coming on the market, with more and more varieties becoming available each decade, particularly during the last 15 - 20 years. A great deal of attention has been given to this method of plant breeding and seed production to the extent that most commercial vegetable growers today rely heavily on hybrid seeds for their crops. These crops concern our major food plant staples and include, carrots, parsnips, radish, beetroots, cauliflower, cabbage, calabrese, brussel sprouts, kohlrabi, onion, leek, celery, spinach, chicory, courgettes,

cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and sweet corn. Where once, the vast majority of seeds available were of open pollinated stock, today comparatively few are left. The marketing drive of seed companies and demands from supermarkets to insist on growers producing uniform, glossy looking vegetables which can be harvested en mass and withstand long travel distances has caused large numbers of very good and productive open pollinating varieties to be removed from the national and European seed lists and catalogues.

A recent study carried out in Germany (Studie zur Sortenvielfalt im Gemuesebau-Dec. 2005),( Study of varietal diversity in vegetable production) has shown startling figures from the European common seed catalogue stating that today 63% of onion varieties are produced as hybrids, of cauliflower varieties 74% are hybrids, of carrot varieties 80%, of broccoli varieties 85%, of spinach varieties 87%, of tomato varieties 89%, of salad cucumber varieties 92% to mention only a few species.

Today, hybrid varieties may start their life in petri dishes in sterile laboratories quite removed from the natural environment. They also undergo prolonged inbreeding (having to accept their own pollen) causing inbreeding depression (loss of genetic diversity) in the breeding process.

The breeding methods are multiple and result in hybrid varieties being bred using Cytoplasmic Male Sterility (CMS), Cytoplasmic Male Sterility protoplast fusion, (not allowed in Biodynamic crop production) Ovary-/Embryo Culture in vitro pollination and Anther-/Microspore culture. Organic hybrid seed may originate from any of these breeding methods except from CMS protoplast fusion methods.

It is fairly well known amongst growers and gardeners that an F1 hybrid will not breed true to type. The desirable F1 traits such as increased vigour, uniformity, and yield can not be sustained in the F2 generation. Therefore seed saving can not be a serious consideration. 4

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where the majority of vegetables are still from open pollinated seed, more open pollinators are again to be found on the European vegetable seed list but one wonders for how long.

The efforts to maintain and improve open pollinators also rely and call for wider support from consumers and retailers.

Organic, Biodynamic and Conventional producers growing for vegetable box schemes, farmers markets, farm shops and retail shops as well as home gardeners could very well choose open pollinating varieties rather than hybrids where uniformity and en-mass harvesting is not essential. It may be possible to use 75-80% or more of ones entire seed needs from open pollinating stock, keeping hybrids to a minimum. A bigger demand for open pollinators should send a clear message to seed companies to change their methods of breeding.

Vegetables could well be sold with their varietal names attached or certainly stating the variety as being an open pollinator (OP) (Order of Priority!) or a hybrid (F1).

Informing consumers of the cultural importance to use OP’s and pointing out the repercussions of using hybrids would give them an informed choice and could make many people feel co-responsible towards maintaining and developing sustainable food plant diversity.

It is worth mentioning that more than 20 years ago, on the Continent in particular the Biodynamic movement started an initiative in seed production and soon after in plant breeding. The obvious reason for the initiative was to make Biodynamic seeds grown in an environment more akin to the Biodynamic and Organic soils available to the farmers and growers. Only seeds of open pollinated stock were introduced guaranteeing continuous possibilities for adaptation and breeding. The initiative also meant becoming more independent from conventional seed companies, a necessary move due to the knowledge of increased contrary principals and biotechnology. The Biodynamic seed initiative which has spread to many European Countries has seen continuous increase in seed production and plant breeding with Biodynamic seed companies set up in Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy and the United Kingdom. The growers and breeders grow over 400 different open pollinating varieties today with more varieties being introduced each year. ■ Peter Brinch Seed Development Fieldsman, Biodynamic Agricultural Association.

For further information please call 01342-826067 email pbrinch@biodynamic.org.uk To help us encourage the use of open pollinators and disseminate information and advice concerning maintenance and development of our food plant diversity we ask for donations towards this work.

For donations please contact Biodynamic Agricultural Association, Painswick Inn Project, Gloucester Street, Stroud, GL5 1QG, Glos.

Tel. 01453 759501 Email; office@biodynamic.org.uk For Biodynamic seeds, see www.biodynamic.org.uk click ‘seed development project’.

All photographs ©Stormy Hall Seeds, Botton Village

In a manner of speaking, the hybrid vigour effect, also called heterosis has been exhausted and we are seeing a side effect of an enforced reproduction method, which relies on inbreeding.

There are however other side effects associated with the use of hybrids. We find ourselves in the cynical situation where hybrid food plants have been bred to produce but not reproduce (satisfactorily). This conveniently clever breeding method is thus forcing growers and gardeners to buy seeds anew every year giving seed companies control of the key to food production.

We are caught up in an unhealthy dependency where we inadvertently support methods of plant breeding, that is to say hybrid breeding which binds the farmer/grower/gardener to seed companies. Through buying hybrid seeds, we at the same time fund the company’s biotechnology research and development work whether we like it or not, which may have little or no value for food plant diversity or organic plant breeding.

The greater part of the Plant Genetic Resources of our cultivated food plants has ended up in the possession of seed and plant breeding companies where it is being utilised for selfish gains for example patents. As may be known, the seed company Seminis was bought out by Monsanto in January 2005 (for $ 1.4 billion) and is now the worlds largest fruit and vegetable seed industry. This company holds the world’s largest plant breeding resources of 1.5 million breeding lines of vegetables and fruits.

The necessity to develop or breed food plants which prevents further erosion of Food Plant Genetic Resources has not been taken up by seed companies. There may be more varieties on the market but since most of these are hybrids and produced for one generation only not being able to adapt to locations and as such can not develop, the F1s can hardly be said to contribute to the bio diversity of food plants.

We need plant breeders and seed producers to grow good Organic and Biodynamic seed whether this be on farms, gardens or/and in seed companies.

The result of successful breeding of open pollinating varieties can be on par with hybrid breeding as can be verified by breeders. It is the skilled and careful attention given to hybrid breeding, which has brought about the sought after results.

The true development of food plants must however essentially happen again in conjunction with gardeners, growers and farmers. It is important to claim back, grow and evolve plant species in farming and gardening communities where these can express their true nature and develop under diverse climatic and geological conditions. To develop varieties, which breed true year on year yielding fertile and viable seeds for purposes of healthy, robust, nutritious crops, regional selection, seed saving and genetic diversity is a must.

Our food plants and their diversity depend on our efforts and sense of responsibility. It is a cultural necessity to source and cultivate open pollinating varieties and it means using listed National and European open pollinated varieties. Varieties, which can be found in seed catalogues, garden centres and hardware shops up and down the country. Since the new Eastern European countries have joined the EC

Supplier of Bio-Dynamically Grown Vegetable, Herb and Flower Seeds

Catalogue available on request Stormy Hall Farm, Danby, Whitby. North Yorkshire YO21 2NJ Tel 01287 661368 Fax 01287 661369 E-mail : stormy.hall.botton@camphill.org.uk

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Understanding the Planting Calendar

by Peter Proctor

Moon

ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH THE NEW MOON ● Avoid sowing seeds ● Fell timber ● Traditional Indian Agriculture recognised the day before New Moon as No Moon day, a day on which no agricultural work is done.

Earth

THE FOLLOWING NOTES are from a handout which was written and given out at workshops by Peter Proctor.The indications that followed should be studied in conjunction with the Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar by Maria and Matthias Thun, which is available from the Biodynamic Agricultural Association.

What follows is a brief description of the Moon, Solar, Planetary, and Constellation Rhythms that are considered when working with the Planting and Sowing Calendar:

Saturn

©wikipedea

ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH FULL MOON ● Sow seeds at times of low humidity and warmth (48 hours before) ● Apply liquid manures including Cow Pat Pit (48 hours before) ● Fungus control - Spray with Equisetum preparation 508 tincture or D5 potency, or Sodium silicate 0.5% ● Insect control.Watch out for chewing and sucking insects. ● Use a Garlic / Ginger / Chilli pepper spray, ● Natural pyrethrum, ● Neem oil. ● Stinging Nettle together with 5% Cow urine. ● Watch out for slugs and snails. Surround plant with diatomaceous earth. ● Drench animals for internal parasites, 48 hours before on an empty stomach with e.g. garlic and cider vinegar.

FULL MOON Waxing and Waning occurs approximately every 29.5 days. ● In the 48 hours leading up to Full Moon there appears a distinct increase in the moisture content of the earth.The growth forces of the plants seem to be enhanced. ● The Full Moon period is connected with the growth tendency of the plant with quick germination of seeds, fast growth and a rapid regrowth of any cut, mown or pruned vegetation. ● There appears to be a quicker cell division and a tendency to elongation of growth. ● Seed germination is fast but may be soft and prone to fungus attack, particularly in warm conditions and a high humidity. ● The influence of the Full Moon appears to provide favourable conditions for the growth of fungus on all plants.

This is related to the increase of moisture and humidity. ● There is an increase in insect activity. Particularly slugs and snails, and internal worm parasites in humans and animals. ● These conditions allow good absorption of liquid manures. ● Often there is a tendency for rain at Full Moon.

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MOON AND SATURN IN OPPOSITION This occurs every 27.5 days.

Basically, it is when the Moon and Saturn are standing on opposite sides of the earth and their forces are raying in to the earth from each direction.The Moon forces bring in the calcium processesi, which are connected to propagation, and growth forms, while the Saturn forces bring in the silica processes, which are connected to the building up substance of the plant in root, leaf and fruit.The balancing effect of these two influences streaming into the earth produces very strong plants from seed sown at this time.

As well, a strengthening effect is observed when transplanting seedlings at this time. It has also been found that spraying with 501 (Horn Silica) at this time, strengthens the plant to the extent that it can resist plant diseases and certain insect attack.

©Floris Books

ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH MOON OPPOSITE SATURN 1. Seed sowing and transplanting 2. Spray with Horn Silica Preparation (501) in the very early morning on the day or on the day before the aspect for fungus, e.g. mildew and botrytis on grapes, black spot on apples and roses and mildew on curcubits. NB Horn Silica Preparation is not a fungicide but strengthens the plant to help it overcome the fungus. Horn Silica Preparation at this time improves the keeping quality and the taste of all fruits and vegetables.

ASCENDING AND DESCENDING OF THE MOON This cycle is 27.3 days

Ascending

Descending

The ascending and descending of the moon can be related to the yearly rhythm of the sun as it passes in front of the twelve Zodiac constellations during the course of the year.

From January to June, the sun passes through Sagittarius to Taurus which is the spring/summer time of the year.This can seen as the ascending movement of the sun when the sun’s arc gets higher each day until mid summer. From July to December it passes through Gemini to Capricorn which is the beginning of autumn and winter time.This can be seen as the descending movement of the sun when the sun’s arc gets lower each day.

Now the Moon has exactly the same rhythm of ascending and descending through the Zodiac constellation as does the Sun, only it takes 27.3 days to do what the sun does in one year.The moon’s daily path across the sky as seen from the earth is not always the same. Sometimes it is higher in the sky, sometimes lower, similar to the sun during its yearly cycle from mid summer to mid winter, only the Moon goes through this cycle every 27.3 days.We see the Moon moving in an arc from East to West and when we see these arcs getting higher every day, the Moon is Ascending and when we see them getting lower every day the Moon is Descending. So as the Moon takes 27.3 days to complete this cycle, each ascending and descending period lasts about two weeks.The effects of the ascending and descending period can be compared to the gestures presented by the seasons.The ascending period is much like the spring and summer of the year, the earth breaths out.We see this as an outpouring of growth activity above the soil surface.

Growth forces and saps flow upwards more strongly and fill the plant with vitality.

Although germination takes place below the ground, it also takes part in this upward striving.This is also the time to spray preparation Horn Silica Preparation.

The descending period on the other hand is related to the activity below the soil surface and can be compared with the autumn / winter of the year.The earth “breathes in” and draws growth forces back down below the soil surface.The lower parts of the plant especially the roots are activated.

This is the time for cultivation, composting, planting and making cuttings.Also the time to apply preparation Horn Manure Preparation.

ACTIVITIES CONNECTED WITH ASCENDING AND DESCENDING Ascending Period: 1. Sow all seeds. Use the appropriate constellation.

Cultivation at the appropriate constellation before sowing.

For example, for ● For Fruits - Warmth constellation - Aries (Ram), ● For Leaf - Water constellation - Pisces (fishes), ● For Flower - Air/light constellation - Gemini (Twins), Aquarius (Waterman) ● For Roots - Earth constellation - Capricorn (Goat), Taurus (Bull).

2. Spray with Horn Silica Preparation at early stages of growth when the plant is recognisable and using appropriate constellation as above.

3. Harvest on an air/light constellation, Aquarius (Waterman), Gemini (Twins): - Fruit and vegetables (not roots) - Plants for making medicines.

- Flowers and plants for biodynamic preparation making - Fodder for animals - Field crops e.g. Silage and Hay. Descending Period: 1. Spray Horn Manure Preparation in the afternoon in autumn and early spring.The soil should be warm.

2. Make and spread compost 3. Transplant seedlings and trees 4. Make and plant cuttings 5. Cultivate soil 6. Harvest root crops for storage on an Earth day e.g.Virgo (virgin) 7. Prune all fruit trees in the appropriate season on fruit day e.g. Leo (lion) or Sagittarius (Archer) 8. Prune flowering trees and shrubs and roses at appropriate season on the appropriate air light day, e.g. Gemini (Twins)or Libra (Scales} NODES Moon node cycles occur at the point where the moon’s path crosses the path of the sun during the ascending and descending. So there is an ascending node and a descending node each month.This is approximately a 28 day rhythm (actual time is 27.2 days), so there is a node approximately every 14 days.The influence of the node lasts for 6 hours approx on either side.The moon whilst crossing in front of the sun will negate the sun’s beneficent influence for this brief period.This negative influence works into soil being freshly cultivated at the time of the node.

So do not cultivate the soil, sow any seeds or plant plants and even do not pruning trees or shrubs so avoid any agricultural or horticultural work at the Node.The effect is similar to that of an eclipse of the Sun by the Moon.4

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©Richard Swann

APOGEE & PERIGEE This occurs every 27.5 days

The moon moves around the earth in an ellipse.The moon’s nearest point to the earth on this ellipse is the Perigee and the further most point is the Apogee.At Perigee, the time when the moon is closest to the earth, it will bring greater moisture to the earth and a tendency towards fungus growth and insect attack.When perigee occurs near full moon which is also the bringer of moisture there is an even greater tendency towards fungus and insect attack.At Apogee it appears to be a good time to plant potatoes as there seems to be always a multiplicity of form (meaning more potatoes) where as at Perigee less potatoes but bigger.

Apogee and Perigee times bring a stress period and seed sowing should be avoided 12 hours on either side of these times (except potatoes).

ACTIVITIES CONNECTED TO MOON RHYTHMS 1. Horn Manure Preparation (500) application during a descending period in the afternoon in the Spring or Autumn 2. Horn Silica Preparation (501) application during an ascending period at the beginning of the plant’s growth and later just before harvest or close to the Moon opposition to Saturn to bring quality and also to strengthen the plant against fungus

MOON IN ZODIAC CONSTELLATIONS 3. Seed Sowing. The following times have been found The Zodiac is a belt of fixed stars, which are in groupings to be beneficial: which we call Constellations.This belt lies behind the ecliptic 1. Moon opposite Saturn path which is the path of the Sun.All the planets including 2. 48 hours before the Full Moon the Moon move in front of the Zodiac Constellations. Here 3. During an ascending period (AVOID NODE,APOGEE, we are concerned with the moon, which passes in front of PERIGEE, NEW MOON) these constellations every 28 days. Because the constella4. Sow at the following times for the particular tions are of different sizes, the Moon stands in front of each constellation effect during the ascending period for a shorter or longer time, approximately between 1 1/2 ■ Air/Light Flower - Aquarius (Waterman) and 3 1/2 days.The different constellations engender certain Gemini (Twin) favourable conditions to the plants which the Moon will ■ Water Leaf Pisces (Fishes) focus as it passes in front of these fixed stars.The effects are ■ Warmth Fruits - Sagittarius (Archer) - Aries (Ram) shown in the following ways.

■ Earth Roots - Capricorn (Goat) - Taurus (Bull) ©Floris Books

4. Compost Making This is best done during the descending period.

5. Compost Spreading Spread during descending period in Autumn or early Spring, depending on the soil conditions and crop requirements.

6. Cultivation & Soil Preparation This is best carried out during the descending period where weather and soil conditions permit.

Note: cultivation and working the soil when it is wet can cause structural damage.

Moon in front of: Virgo (Virgin) - Capricorn (Goat ) - Taurus (Bull ) Gemini ( Twins) - Libra (Scales) - Aquarius (Waterman) Cancer (Crab) - Scorpio (Scorpion) - Pisces (Fishes) Sagittarius (Archer) - Aries (Ram) Leo (Lion)

Development Root Flower Leaf Fruit Seed

The influences of the particular Constellation are brought into the soil through cultivation of the soil, and also by the spraying of Horn Silica Preparation at the appropriate times.

The germinating seed also receives these influences, so if it desired to promote certain influences one cultivates and sows the seed during the favourable constellation period.

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18th Century Persian Astrolabe ©http//:commons.wikipedea.org/wiki

7. Transplanting seedlings, container grown plants, trees and shrubs At the descending period at the appropriate season.

8. Harvesting Generally we have found that all crops keep better and maintain quality in storage if harvested during an air / light period on the ascending Moon. (Gemini (Twins) or Aquarius (Waterman) E.g. fruit, green vegetables, hay and silage.

Insects Insects are burnt in a similar way to weeds but here they are burnt at the time when the sun is in the various Zodiac constellations.The effect ranges from when the Sun is in Aquarius to when the Sun is in Cancer. One needs to know the life cycle of the particular insect, and then determine in which environment does the insect spend the most time. For example the grass grub spends most of its life in the earth, so one would choose an earth constellation, for instance Taurus, or take the common house fly or mosquito spends most of its life in a watery environment in the lava stage, so one would choose a water constellation for instance Pisces or Cancer.

If there are no insects around at the time for burning you will need to save some from when they are prevalent. Here are a few examples:

Avoid Harvesting at Full Moon, Perigee and leaf days (Pisces (Fishes)) these being times of more water in the earth, the crops would hold too much water for satisfactory storage. If seeds are to be saved, or grains harvested choose a period when the moon is in Leo (Lion). Roots and Potatoes should be harvested in a descending period when the moon is in an * Sun in Taurus is best for all hard shelled insects. earth sign e.g.Virgo (Virgin) * Sun in Gemini is best for fruit moths or ants * Sun in Cancer is best for snails and slugs, mosquitoes 9. Liquid Manure Application and Cow Pat Pit and flies.

The best time is just before Full moon in the afternoon.

Maria Thun has added the refinement of using the Liquid Manures can be used several times during the growth Moon in the constellation, as well as the Sun for burning the of the crop. insect. For instance, if one is to burn a hard shelled insect, choose when the Sun is in Taurus (Bull) and the Moon is in 10. Plant Potatoes at Apogee Taurus (mid May to mid June).The resultant ash can be potentized to D6 or D8.The ash can otherwise be mixed with 11. Fungus Control milk sugar or wood ashes and spread.The insect pepper should be applied regularly throughout the season. 4 Full Moon and Perigee.

These are stress times and because of this they bring a watery influence to the earth which can lead to fungus attacks especially during warm weather. From Spring to Autumn spray with Equisetum during days prior to and during these times. Spray with Horn Silica Preparation in the early morning when the Moon is opposite Saturn, which will strengthen the plant to resist the fungus.

12. Pruning Prune all fruit trees and berry shrubs at the descending Moon at the appropriate season. If possible choose a warmth constellation time e.g. Leo (Lion) or Sagittarius (Archer). Prune all flowering shrubs and roses in the appropriate season at the descending Moon. If possible choose an air / light day e.g. Libra (Scales).

PEPPERING What is written here are guide lines for those interested in using the methods of peppering to reduce the incidence of weeds, insects and rodents as indicated by Rudolf Steiner.

Weeds Seeds which are ripe and viable should be burnt at Full moon or when the Moon is in Leo.The seeds are placed into a small tin and placed in a very hot fire.The resultant ash is mixed with fine sand or wood ash and spread over the land or potentised to a D6 or D8 and should be spread at Full Moon, and perhaps several times in the year This can also apply to burning runners of the roots of such weeds as couch grass or the bindweed (morning glory) and then spreading the ash over the affected area.

Note: The potentising can be done by a homeopath.

1675 image of a Chinese Astronomer with an elaborate armillary sphere Šhttp//:commons.wikipedea.org/wiki

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Rodents Rudolf Steiner suggests burning the skin of rodents (mice, rats, etc) when Venus is in conjunction with Scorpion This occurs in a period of three weeks any time from between mid October and first week in January.The burnt skin can be ground up and mixed with ash, milk sugar and sprinkled lightly over the infected areas.The ash can otherwise be potentized to D6 or D8 and can also be sprinkled over. ■ Peter Proctor Biodynamic Outreach India and New Zealand

Further references: ● The Biodynamic SOWING & PLANTING calendar 2007 by Maria Thun is available from the BDAA Office Price £7.00. ● Betwixt Heaven & Earth, B Keats £12 (A compendium of essays pertaining to the Earth as part of a Living Cosmos)

Celestial Orbs as drawn in Peter Apian’s Cosmographia (Antwerp, 1539) ©http//:commons.wikipedea.org/wiki

● BD Growing Guide - B Keats £8 (A4 6 sided full colour fold out guide packed with info on: sun rhythms, biodynamic preparations, moon rhythms, understanding nature-the foundation of biodynamic growing, differences between conventional/ organic/biodynamic methods) i

See Agriculture Course by Rudolf Steiner; lecture 1 for a fuller explanation.

COMPETENCY BASE EDUCATION FOR BIODYNAMIC FARMING AND GARDENING The Biodynamic Education Centre courses offer a unique opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of the biodynamic system and develop the skills and knowledge to implement the biodynamic system within each unique environment.

FOUNDATION COURSE By attending this training course you will gain you a thorough understanding of the biodynamic system.

Foundation course availability 2007 March/April (Weekend course) South Devon April/September (Weekday course) Duchy Home Farm,Tetbury September/October (Weekend course) Scotland, Camphill Murtle Limited places available.

Course fee £396.00 includes three comprehensive course manuals.

Concession £336.00 South Devon Weekend course Dates: 2007 Level One: Sat 24th and Sun 25th March Level Two: Sat 31st March and Sun 1st April Level Three: Sat 14th and Sun 15th April

CERTIFICATE FOUR EXTERNAL STUDIES COURSE The Certificate Program for Biodynamic Farming and Gardening involves the student in a range of activities.These develop the practical skills required for the design and implementation of all aspects of biodynamic practice.

The Certificate Course is a distance education training program. It has been designed as a competency based course which is implemented in the student’s environment and assessed through workbook tasks.

Course available beginning 2007

FOUNDATION COURSE DATES Duchy Home Farm, Gloucestershire Weekday course Dates: 2007 Levels One and Two: Wed 28th March Tue 10th and Wed 11th April Levels Two and Three: Wed 26th September,Tue 9th and Wed 10th October

Aberdeenshire, Scotland Weekend course Dates: 2007 Level One: Sat 22nd and Sun 23rd Sept.

Level Two: Sat 29th and Sun 30 Sept.

Level Three: Sat 13th and Sun 14th October

Please see Biodynamic Education Centre web site for course details: www.biodynamiceducation.com To register for the Foundation Course please contact Biodynamic Agriculture Association Tel/Fax 01453 759 501, Email: office@biodynamic.org.uk

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Learning Biodynamics

by Liz Ellis

By burning plants and analysing the ash he concluded that plants were made of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and, therefore, that those must be the nutrients they require.

He attacked the view held for centuries by agriculturists that humus was the principal source of nourishment for plants. He carried out his experiments under laboratory conditions where plants were kept in a nutrient solution, isolated from their living surroundings.

However, in 1843 he issued his mea culpa: “I had sinned against the wisdom of our creator and received just punishment for it. I wanted to improve his handiwork and, in my blindness, I believed that in this wonderful chain of laws, which ties life to the surface of the earth and always keeps it rejuvenated, there might be a missing link which had to be replaced by me - this weak powerless nothing...the opinion that plants draw their food from a solution that is formed in the soil through rainwater, was everyone’s belief. This opinion was wrong and the source of my foolish behaviour.

After I learned the lesson why my fertilisers weren’t effective in the proper way, I was like a person that received a new life. Now that this principle is known and clear to all eyes the only thing that remains is the astonishment of why it hadn’t been discovered a long time ago. The human spirit, however, is a strange thing ‘whatever doesn’t fit into the given circle of thinkORIGINS The course began with a talk on the Friday evening explor- ing, doesn’t exist’.”

Unfortunately, this declaration came too late. ing Man’s relationship to Nature through history and the This fertiliser teaching still rules the scientifically orientated realm of agriculture. We gained an understanding of how our current agricultural practices, based on chemicals, were agriculture of today and has led to the creation of dead, lifeless soils. developed from a materialistic viewpoint of the world and “The damage to the environment that we are now we identified how biodynamic agriculture can solve many of witnessing is not solely the result of pollution, but of the isolathe problems associated with conventional agriculture.

Lynette told us how a young German chemist Jus- tion of living organisms from their cosmic surroundings. The tus von Liebig, born in 1803, changed the way soil fertility re-establishment of this contact is vitally important to rejuvenate our ailing planet.” (Author unknown) 4 was approached.

TOGETHER WITH nineteen other people I attended the three weekend course on biodynamics run by Lynette West at Duchy Home Farm. Originating from New Zealand, Lynette moved to Australia in 1979.

After studying and working with biodynamics for twenty years, and overcoming many personal difficulties, she started the Biodynamic Education Centre. She wrote, and started teaching, this Level One Training Course a few years ago. The course handbooks are wonderfully comprehensive and easily understood. She is now writing a Distance Learning Certificate Course in biodynamics.

I found this course a revelation. It encompasses all aspects of biodynamics - the etheric, the philosophical and the practical. The twenty people on the course were gradually touched by the truth of the knowledge she was sharing with us.

People opened up to each other, their faces softened and relaxed. We were a real mixture of students - allotment holders, farmers, gardeners, someone from the Blackthorn Trust, somebody running a wineshop selling organic and biodynamic wines...a real mixture but all with an enthusiasm for biodynamics.

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SECOND WEEK On Sunday of the second weekend preparation 501 (Silica Horn Preparation) was studied. We learned the best way to apply this powerful preparation to produce crops of the highest nutritional value, the best flavour and with enhanced keeping qualities.

We ended the day by taking a soil profile in one of the fields with the hope of returning at a later date to see if there was any improvement in the soil.

The final weekend started with a fascinating session on the vortex observing how the vortex form is seen everywhere in nature as well as in ancient cultures. We learned that the vortex/chaos movement used when stirring the preparations meets the creative impulses of movement behind all living things, understanding that by creating these movements in the water we open the body of water to planetary influences.

Finally, we built a compost heap taking care to balance the four elements of air, water, earth and fire, choosing the correct site and ensuring the right balance of carbon and nitrogen. With twenty people helping the heap grew rapidly, Lynette remarking that it was the largest one she had ever built on a course.

On Sunday we discussed formative forces in nature and Lynette explained how the elementals relate to the different parts of the plant highlighting Rudolf Steiner’s words that “matter is never without spirit” and “spirit is never without matter” and that life shows up in physical form but moves and grows with guidance from the etheric formative forces.

We then discussed how to control weeds and pests using various methods, including peppering, Lynette showing us how to make and use them.

INSPIRATION The final sessions were green manuring, crop rotation and making and applying a biodynamic tree paste to a fruit tree.

Rudolf Steiner’s teaching: “The trunk of the tree can be likened to an elongated mound of the earth upon which the plant grows. A paste, applied to the trunk, carries out a similar function to that of compost spread on the ground. The trunk of the tree must be treated as an extension of the soil. We must manure the trunk, treating it in the same way we would treat the soil” forming the basis of this instruction.

At the end of the course Lynette expressed her gratitude to Bernard Jarman and Jessica Standing from the BDAA for their help with the course registration and administration.

She hopes to return next year to run another course. If you have the time and opportunity to go on any of her courses I hope you would find the experience as much of a revelation as I did.

Lynette is an enlightening and inspiring person and is dedicating her life to biodynamics. Profits made from running the courses are to be used to secure land in trust for education and research into biodynamic agriculture.

Lynette used many wonderful quotations throughout the course, but ended it with these words taken from the Tabula Smaragdina, the oldest of Aryan writings: “Combine the heavenly with the earthly according to the laws of nature and health and happiness will be yours as long as you live”. ■

All photographs ©Liz Ellis

GETTING STARTED On Saturday morning we started promptly at 9.00 with a discussion on the role of the biodynamic preparations in revitalising the earth, why they were developed and how they work in a practical way to create the right conditions for spiritual forces to access, what Rudolf Steiner called, the etheric, astral and ego forces of Nature. After lunch we looked at the role of preparation 500 and how it stimulates the production of humus, improves soil activity and structure and how it’s made and used.

Later on, we were each given a bucket of warmed water and Lynette showed us how vortex stirring should be done. She stressed the importance of chaos in the stirring process as well as the creation of the vortex and, after some splashing and much laughter and plenty of chaos, we all managed it. We then sprayed a section of pasture with the 500 and were intrigued to observe the following day that most of the cows were grazing on the area we had sprayed.

On Sunday we studied the biodynamic Planting Calendar using both Brian Keat’s Northern Star Calendar and Maria Thun’s Sowing and Planting Calendar. Using role play, we learned how the cosmos influences all life on earth as well as how to use the various moon cycles to increase the vitality and strength of plants. The signs and symbols on the planting calendars were clearly explained and we learned to work with Nature’s rhythms - the daily rhythms, lunar cycles and daily and seasonal cycles of Nature.

In the afternoon we stirred and applied preparation 508 - equisetum.

We discussed the reasons for using 508 and how, sometimes, lunar forces can work too strongly within the earth; Lynette illustrating how this can happen when the moon is closer to the earth (perigee), around full moon and after rain in the spring and can bring fungal disease and that preparation 508 applied during these times helps to ward off the development of these diseases.

At about 5pm on Sunday evening we all returned home feeling inspired and enthused by all we had discovered. We needed five days to allow all we had learned to ferment, but were eager to return the following Saturday.

The course was very well structured starting with a talk in the morning, followed by a role play to reinforce what we had learned and then a practical activity in the afternoon.

On the second weekend we started the day exploring what Rudolf Steiner referred to as “within the living realm” and how this principle should guide all our practices. Lynette stressed the role that the compost preparations have in bringing order and balance to composting processes where organic matter is transformed into a colloidal state.

In the afternoon we made manure concentrate and spent a happy hour stirring cow manure to which we had added basalt and eggshells. We learned that, amongst its many uses, it can be added to a compost heap as it’s built, used as a seed bath and sprayed on plants that are under stress from drought or insect attack.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The damage to the environment that we are now witnessing is not solely the result of pollution, but of the isolation of living organisms from their cosmic surroundings.

Lynette West, (seen in the right hand picture, stirring horn manure preparation) who is based in Australia, has been involved in biodynamic agriculture since 1987 and is an accredited trainer, workplace assessor and a qualified field advisor who dedicates her time to researching, writing and teaching the curriculum of competency based programs for biodynamic agriculture and horticulture.

The re-establishment of this contact is vitally important to rejuvenate our ailing planet.â&#x20AC;?

(AUTHOR UNKNOWN)

Liz Ellis is a gardener and a member of the BDAA Council.

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FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE

five years on an update (October 2006) by Chris Stockdale ASTONISHINGLY, so far from the events of 2001, the situation five years on is still fluid, in development and changing day by day.

In March this year ‘Littoral Arts’, supported by the Arts Council of England, and the Universities of Nottingham, Lancaster and Manchester Metropolitan, hosted a three-day event in Manchester Town Hall entitled “Cultural Documents of Foot and Mouth”. This event brilliantly combined veterinary, medical and legal presentations with poetry, film, pictures and books, allowing a high-powered multi-disciplinary group to constantly reaffirm its shared humanity, break down professional cliques and encourage open sharing of data. As usual, the contacts and discussions outside the formal venue were every bit as useful as the programmed agenda.

The Guest of Honour and keynote speaker was Roger Breeze, a British scientist whose brother still farms the family dairy farm in Cheshire. Roger is a very senior figure in American agriculture and defence technology, who came to speak further of the ‘rapid diagnostic’ equipment he and colleagues had developed at Plum Island, New York, (as demonstrated on BBC television in April 2001), a machine 1,000 times more sensitive at detecting FMD virus than any known previously, but still (to this day) not utilised by our government, for example, for screening (pooled) milk samples from creameries as a rapid early detection system (FMD virus can be detected in milk up to 48 hours before clinical signs manifest). Sadly, our scientists decry this machine as being ‘not validated’, although this does not stop the US government using it globally on a daily basis (for both agricultural and security roles), including (utilising a different reagent), monitoring the progress of Avian influenza. (Recent announcements suggest that a British version is near-to-market).

Another outstanding contribution was from Dr Mike Thrusfield, Chair in Veterinary Epidemiology at Edinburgh University, and his colleagues (including Dr. Peter Nettleton, virologist and vet from the Moredun Research Institute) and Mike’s former student Adrian Wingfield (now “an old cow doctor” and himself a Consultant to DEFRA), a vet at the sharp end of the control policy in Cumbria. This group took the field data supplied by Adrian and colleagues, who were physically incapable of carrying out the 3-km culls as instructed by London (due to geographical or resourcing factors) and so fell back onto traditional veterinary expertise (judgement) which upon analysis proved to have been astonishingly accurate in determining which animals should (and which need not) be culled. This fortuitously gained data has been contrasted to the policy determined by the models generated and imposed from London in the febrile pre-election days of spring 2001, to allow a retrospective analysis from which the truth speaks out loud and clear for those that have an interest in hearing it - a truth which informs and drives those of us still involved to this day, namely, that good veterinary judgement, preferably informed by Rogers’ machine (which is affordable - I personally offered to buy one) should determine FMD control policy, not a political timetable!

The above conclusions were further developed in an expert working group (including experts from the Con-

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tinent especially the Netherlands), meeting at Pirbright (Institute for Animal Health and home of the World Reference Laboratory for FMD), and non-attending relevant experts informed via the appropriate media (Veterinary Record, etc).

Thus the debate is now both better informed and targeted.

From the official perspective, the combination of measures introduced post-2001 give a confidence that the lessons learned from that year have resulted in changes which should ensure that that disaster will not be repeated.

These measures include a livestock standstill as soon as disease is confirmed, ongoing six day movement restriction after stock are brought on-farm, improved livestock tagging and movement recording, increased professionalism ensured

by Single Farm Area (subsidy) cross-compliance, the Animal Health Act 2002 (licence to kill ‘whatever, wherever, whenever’), a determination to protect tourism by only closing footpaths in the immediate vicinity of infected premises and an improvement to carcass disposal so that funeral pyres should not be needed. Furthermore, increased transparency (thanks primarily to the internet) and wider stakeholder participation, should further help this prospect.

As readers may know, vaccination may or may not be used in a future outbreak - so many obstacles remain to such, most of which can and may be overridden in a future outbreak but will probably not be. A future article will be needed to elaborate further.

An explanation as to why rapid diagnostic technology has not yet been deployed, promised for our meeting next month, is keenly awaited, not least as the adoption of such could dispense with the need for the vaccination debate altogether.

At the September Stakeholder meeting in London, DEFRA announced potential major changes to the compensation system to farmers for livestock compulsorily slaughtered (including for bovine TB), minutes before departure, as an ‘AOB’, with 10 days left before the EU closed its ‘consultation window’. Fortunately, following stakeholder input, including an excellent letter from our Director, the EU have now cancelled these proposals.

In September, DEFRA officials were at pains to emphasise the partnership between Stakeholders and themselves, without which an effective disease management policy cannot be run. This is a potentially encouraging development, as many of the ‘shadow expert group’ have been driving the Agenda for change, catalysing the process, furnishing data in public domains. Some of these individuals are no longer ‘shadow’ but mainstream, for example, Prof. Sheila Crispin, now President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as well as being a member of the Science Advisory Council. The events described in the preceding paragraph may cause one to wonder at the sincerity of the ‘partnership’, yet recent communications encourage the conviction that the interested stakeholder group will be kept informed and consulted, (and would play a crucial role in communications should vaccination be selected). ■ Chris Stockdale has a farm in Herefordshire. He lost his animals to the measures that the government put into place in 2001 to try and deal with the Foot and Mouth epidemic.

He is also a Council Member of the BDAA.

Biodynamic research

by Mark Moodie THE ISSUE THE ENIGMA OF RUDOLF STEINER poses a problem for a scientifically trained person of our times. For instance, the words and concepts he uses - karma, reincarnation, angel, gnome - are not to be found anywhere else in western science. Many of the areas he works in are not often touched upon by science - dance, the qualities of colour, social reform. Indeed, experts in these fields may feel that their speciality is contaminated by Dr Steiner’s input.And yet, I suspect that he is the epitome of a Scientist.

How can I expect my peers to join me in this opinion and, therefore, induce them to work on the more comprehensive science to which Dr Steiner has introduced us?

One way is to point out that his biography traces the route of a single scientific project; first the basic question of what is knowable is addressed, the conclusion is compared to other epistemologies through history and of his contemporaries. Then the vast amount of research is made available for peer review and the implications in practical fields are worked out.

Frankly, few of my peers are willing to go through that process. In fact few of those who already share my opinion about Dr Steiner have traced this route - it’s hard work even for one who enjoys reading dense texts!

In practice, if I dare mention my admiration for Steiner in company and if that company is willing to listen for a while, the most common of the sympathetic responses is, “Well, show me!’

And because my first interest was the environment I tend to discuss biodynamic agriculture. Here we meet the deep end of Steiner’s practical legacy - cow horns and stags bladders, elemental beings and moon phases. It’s not a gentle introduction to the great man and his legacy. If they don’t get excited by eating the food then my friends want data and comparisons to show that biodynamics is something more than the good sense of organic farming.

So what makes you - yes you reading this Star and Furrow - convinced that biodynamics ‘works’? (I should say that the editor has asked me to ‘shake things up’ after the readers’ survey unveiled a suspicion that things are too cosy and self-congratulatory around here.) What have you, per-

sonally, experienced which you could put to a jury of your peers to demonstrate to their good faith that, even compared to organic agriculture, all this extra voodoo makes the slightest bit of difference?

If biodynamics is the manifestation of agricultural guidance from a scientist (let alone an initiate) of the highest order, surely the result will be so vastly superior that those who wish to care for this ailing planet would be simple to convince. But rather than pushing at an open door one finds, in the main, that biodynamics is ridiculed when it isn’t ignored. The thoughtless mainstream press considers that organic farming is a fad for the neurotic and scientifically unschooled. What is a journalist going to do with preparations, moon planting, and peppering?

And if the media has not earned a dignified reply, what about the scientific community; what can you and I put before a panel of our peers to persuade them that biodynamic practices are not the bizarre rituals of a cult? Indeed what have you experienced that brings you conviction so you can try to be convincing to others?

In one form or another, these are the questions that I have asked for years. I have had some small response but there is not much that I have found which bears scrutiny for such a tough audience as the imagined panel.

Perhaps this has something to do with the lag in getting German information into English. Perhaps we continue to fall short of the ideal Dr Steiner flags up for us in this very field in his address at Koberwitz on the 11th of June 1924. Undoubtedly, the many independent variables within agricultural experiences are a hindrance in showing clear differences (but may also provide a useful screen behind which enthusiasts distort their unsteady convictions). We do have some amazing pioneers to slipstream in this search but so many of their findings have not been reproduced by later researchers. At times I have come to the slightly depressing conclusion that there really is not enough good research to convince me, let alone a panel of sceptical agricultural scientists.

I have been around this mental loop many times and eventually realised that I would like to progress towards answering my own questions. ‘What’, I asked myself, ‘would have to be in place to be convincing?’ 4

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ADDRESSING THE ISSUE We would need to propose a draft hypothesis.

Hmm… how about, ‘Biodynamics is a superior form of agriculture because it can deliver better produce with less environmental damage.’

We would need to clarify our terms. ‘Better produce’: more of it, tastes better, more easily digestible, stores well, robust, less disease, healthier descendents, more beautiful (!?), more invigorating. ‘Less environmental damage’: less odours, leachates, external carbon inputs, and soil erosion, more fairies per pin head...

Statistically analysed demonstrations of applied biodynamics would need to form the backbone of a convincing case. These would show that when one thing is done, the result is significantly and regularly superior to what arises when it is not done.

We would then focus upon the defining techniques that differentiate biodynamics from other agricultural disciplines.

noticed as a result.

To take one instance, we trust that the planting calendars are distilled from the carefully analysed results of years and years of experiments, undertaken primarily by Maria Thun and her team. But even assuming that there was no micromanagement of the experiments and that all was recorded objectively, how do we know that the same results analysed using the 30˚ equal zodiac would not reveal equal or even superior results than the zodiac based upon the constellations? Whilst it may be that for Maria Thun the appropriate zodiac was used in her analysis (Hartmut Speiss’ research and Nick Kollerstrom’s re-evaluation notwithstanding), what about those 100,000 people who purchase her Calendar each year? What works for them I wondered.

SOMETHING NEW - ‘CONSIDERA’ In lecture 5 Dr Steiner presents the home truth that stressing the negative is all very well but it only serves to annoy unless something new is suggested. I have now gotten sufficiently far in crafting a relevant ‘new something’ to want to ■ The preparations - the hypothesis would be that the use share it. This ‘something new’ is, I’m afraid, mainly manifest as a web site - http://www.considera.org. In essence, it is a of the preparations is necessary in guiding a property towards the superior form of agriculture because some aspect way of collecting raw data on planting time and peppering of the ‘better crops’ and ‘less environmental damage’ would experiences and experiments. It is also a place for developing the use of and information concerning the preparations. be absent if they weren’t used.

On this site you can find a literature search, the hypotheses spelled out, an attempt at elucidating the intellectual roots ■ Something similar would be said of the planting times. of biodynamics, a survey of past research and the various experiments which support and weaken the hypotheses. The ■ The use of the peppers to minimise the problem of the pests and weeds should be relatively simple to demonstrate ‘new’ parts follow this evaluation of what already exists.

In relation to the planting times there is a place to report if a difference can be elicited. your own relevant experiments. I have teamed up with an As I pondered what would be needed to make the Estonian man who has developed ‘reverse-astrology’ software. (It is ‘reverse astrology’ because it does not predict on case for biodynamics, I began to realise that the ‘raw’ data would be needed rather than the conclusions of researchers. the basis of the time and place of an event, but simply looks for cosmic patterns correlating with a collection of mundane By this I mean that it would be necessary to have a record of precisely what was done, when and where, and what was results.) This enables one to analyse experiments that note

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time and place amongst the variables of experiments, and to look within this information for correlations to heavenly alignments.

With a modern home computer it takes a matter of minutes to evaluate this collection of ‘raw data’ with different zodiacs and ‘anayamsas’, different moon rhythms, fluctuations in sun spot activity, planetary configurations, geomagnetic index and on and on. We can acknowledge Ahriman’s genius for enabling this can we not?

Having developed this computer programme, we also use it to evaluate experiments for peppering pests and weeds to clarify when the peppers should be burned for optimal results.

However, these two developments are totally useless, a complete waste of my time - unless people (you again?) do experiments and submit the results to the web site or post them to me to submit.

PREPARATIONS The other major piece of original work concerns the preparations. It serves to collate both existing information, and new experiments and experiences with the preparations.

For instance, if you were to notice that Valerian gave you more blossoms on your roses in your garden on the Isle of Jura, you could submit all that information to be gathered together with those things noticed by others anywhere in the world, in the expectation that a fuller picture can emerge of what each preparation does.

Having created this format of a database I realised that it could be used for any agricultural product! So I have solicited input on other products that leave minimal physical residue and this has lead to the uncovering of homoeopathic research in may different countries. (Do look it up on the web site. It has already lead to the publication of the book, ‘Homeopathy For Farm and Garden’, by Vaikunthanath Das Kaviraj.) It is also available for radionic work although I haven’t yet had much luck in rousing response from this community.

Another serendipitous aspect is that I can log on as anyone - such as the author of a pertinent book. This facilitates the organisation of research that has already been published about preparations.

As an example one can type this in your web browser - http://www.considera.org/materiamedicagricultura.html?remtype=3&rem=8

the assistance from Nick Kollerstrom who has provided research which has not been available hitherto, and several other aspects which only became clear to me in the process of creating the site.

But there is something else of value that I would like to highlight. This is that in trying to create something that might convince the scientific community there is now a tool that allows anyone to get involved in research. I have always felt that any experiments I might undertake would of no use along side the heroic work of the pioneers like Lily Kolisko, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, Maria Thun and co. With a family to support and businesses to run, there is absolutely no way that I could muster the necessary factors to create a serious body of experimental work, even if I thought I would be any good at it.

But for those who can manage even one experiment there is now a place where this might be part of the tide of evidence indicating whether we do indeed have the tools to help guide our planet back from the brink. If you have access to an allotment, a garden, a piece of scrub land, a farm, an orchard, a window box, a vineyard, or a few pot plants, there is ‘something new’ that can take your sincere experiences and forge them into a body of work that just might bring biodynamic agriculture forward.

DRAWBACKS I also realise that there are potential pitfalls with such a tool and it makes sense to identify these earlier rather than later.

The main one that occurs to me is that it may lead to seeing biodynamics out of context. The project is essentially an intellectual (analytical) tool rather than one of reason (holistic). I use these terms as Steiner uses them in ‘Epistemology Inherent in Goethe’s World View’. i.e. one could look up a remedy for chocolate spot on broad beans, apply it, and continue to farm without making more fundamental changes that currently go along with biodynamics. The tool makes no contribution towards appreciating the self contained farm entity, and rather draws focus away from it.

There are other drawbacks and potential pitfalls that I have considered, but I think that they are the reverse side of the potential benefits. I am alert to, but comfortable with this dynamic.

MAKING THIS TOOL USEFUL If you - yes, hello, you there - want to get involved by trying moon planting, or using some of the peppers, or by observ- to find what Sattler and Wistinghausen, Peter Proctor, Alex ing the results of using the preparations, you can send your Podolinsky, Maria Thun, Rudolf Steiner, John Soper, Her- results to Considera at Oaklands Park or, preferably, if you are at ease with computers, directly by using the web site bert Koepf, Kuenzel and Lippert, and others have had to say about what 507 does to the soil, plants, water, compost, mentioned. Have a look at the site first to see if you can follow the experimental procedures. and even the environment.

I would also be interested in having assistance in One can also see if there is anything in the collected guiding this work deeper and into other areas of biodynaminformation which might address a specific issue such as ‘ergot’ or ‘bunt’, or ‘flies’ just by entering this ‘keyword’ and ics. All feedback is welcome. ■ looking through what is presented out on your screen. This Mark Moodie means that diagnosis and treatment is facilitated.

Oaklands Park, Newnham, Gloucestershire, GL14 1EF, UK ‘DEMOCRATIC RESEARCH’ I have mentioned some of the pleasant surprises which have emerged by committing myself to answering my own questions, such as finding the homoeopathic research, and

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by Jan Martin Bang

All photographs ©Jan Martin Bang

How can Permaculture help THE IDEA of a permanent agriculture was initially thought up by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren at the University of Tasmania in Australia in the beginning of the 1970s.They foresaw the global environmental and social crisis, and were looking for solutions by designing and planning human support systems based upon models taken from the then emerging science of ecology.They combined this theoretical approach with the idea of each person taking responsibility for putting these ideas into practice, actually going out and doing things.

Within a few years a Permaculture Design Course was developed, with a standard 72 hour curriculum, which was spread worldwide by a committed group of enthusiasts.

They turn inspired new groups of teachers, and by the mid 1980’s Permaculture had reached throughout the world.

If we look for a pattern in this development, we might find a series of steps. Inspired as I am by other teaching systems, I suggest here “Permaculture’s Noble Sevenfold Path of Dissemination”.

■ World crisis.

We are in deep trouble, the environment is warming up, and is disturbed by pollution of many kinds. We see serious resource depletion, and competition between dwindling resources is creating social conflict and war.

■ Design as a solution.

There are many ways of trying to tackle this global crisis. We choose to focus on design and planning. This is to be implemented at many levels, from the design of individual houses and gardens, to villages, social systems, financial enterprises and right up to the level of bioregions.

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■ Human support systems.

At every level, we keep in mind that we are planning systems that will support human life with a minimal negative impact upon the natural world. We take a pragmatic approach, realising that just by our very existence we have an effect upon the environment. The aim here is improvement wherever we can.

■ Based on patterns in nature.

Whenever we design something we use templates or preconceived models that we work from, either consciously or not.

In Permaculture we begin by studying how natural ecological cycles operate, and use these as our models in design. We trust that the natural world operates in an intelligent way, in harmony with the conditions that we find on our particular planet.

■ Fostering a sense of personal responsibility.

We encourage each individual to take a personal commitment to improving the world. Instead of being overwhelmed and paralyzed by the enormity of the global crisis, we ask every single person to define something that they can do in their life, in their immediate locality and neighbourhood, to improve something.

■ Encouraging practical initiatives.

We encourage each individual to actually do something, to move things around in the world.

■ Leading to a global network.

Permaculture has now developed associations in many countries, linked together by regional institutes, with newsletters and meetings. By using the internet as a communication and information tool, it is now possible to travel on every continent and visit Permaculture projects of many different

Biodynamic farmers? kinds. Information and advice can be exchanged on a global basis between individuals very quickly.

■ Helping to solve the world crisis.

We return to our initial step and see that Permaculture is helping to solve problems. Using our global network, we can point to thousands of practically oriented projects in virtually every kind of climatic zone and social context, which is doing something to avert the crisis that motivated us in the first place. This gives us the encouragement we need to carry on.

One of the aspects of Biodynamic farming which has impressed me the most is the idea of regarding the farm as a single organic whole, a living organism. This is an approach very close to the design methods used by Permaculture designers. We look at whole systems first, designing from the whole to the parts. We look for cycles which mimic nature’s cycles which we find in undisturbed ecologies, and use these as starting points to tie together the system that we are designing.

I would like to offer Biodynamic farm designers a couple of tools that Permaculture has developed, and which form some of the basic building blocks of our design education.

NEEDS AND YIELDS The first of these entails looking at each individual element that is going to be incorporated into the farm. Plants, animals, buildings, roads and paths, to name just a few. One quick and efficient way to make this list is to have the group that is involved in the design do a short brain storming session. Here one or two members volunteer to write things down, and it helps to have some large sheets of paper, flip boards or white boards. Everyone is asked to call out the

names of things that they think should be on the farm, and the writers will have to work pretty fast to keep up! It’s essential that no criticism or analysis is offered, this tends to stem the flow of creativity. You can encourage people to be wild, to be ridiculous, to be silly, but the main thing is to be creative. After a few minutes there will be a long list of things, the surge of creativity will die down, and you can start being serious again.

The first thing is to tidy up the list, take out repeats, and delete anything that is too ridiculous. However you do it, you will end up with a readable list of elements that most of you can live with as being important to have on the farm. Now the real work begins.

This is the “Needs and Yields” exercise. Here we can take each element in turn and subject it to a rigorous assessment. Whereas brainstorming works very effectively in larger groups of ten to twenty, this exercise may be better done in small groups of two, three or four. Each element is given the two categories of needs and yields. From Mollison’s Design Manual the example of the chicken has become a standard example in Permaculture literature, and we may as well continue this fine tradition.

The exercise consists of making a list of what the elements needs, and what it gives back. With our chicken we might begin like this: Needs (inputs) Shelter Food Warmth Water Earth to scratch And so on…

Yields (outputs) Eggs Manure Feathers Meat Clearing weeds/insects

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ZONES, SECTORS AND VECTORS The exercise which we use in Permaculture to be more specific and which relates this theoretical approach to an actual site is called Zoning. Whatever the precise site happens to be, the idea of Zoning will be a help in organising thoughts around what should be where. This is based on good old common sense, the principle that the location of activities that you do most frequently should be closest to where you The biodynamic farmer will include in this list also spiritual live.

When it comes to planning on the ground, Permaneeds and gifts. The exercise itself is only a framework, it is culture uses Zoning, further modified by Sectors, and then you the participant that fills it with meaning. Your meanVectors. ing. This is a fun exercise, and can be done for any element within the design. Try tree, and pond, try compost heap, and ZONE 1 - Homes and food (security) gardens. access road.

This includes the house itself and workshops that are in When you have done this with a number of elements, you can cross reference them by matching the yields daily use, as well as gardens for herbs and intensive vegetables, especially those that cannot be stored. Trees would be from one to the needs of another. This exercise will create limited to those giving shade for the houses, or ones that give design by itself. As the various elements link together in a regular and frequently used fruits. functional web, patterns will arise and the first outline of your design will emerge. This is Permaculture design! You are now deep into what Permaculture is really about. You are ZONE 2 - Close Spaces and Orchards. creating a whole ecology, weaving together the elements that This is still an intensively maintained area, the irrigation should be controlled, and egg collecting and daily milking go to make up the actual design of a farm.

If you spend some time doing this, using big sheets can be located here. The actual sheds for these might be on of paper to create intricate interlinked systems, maybe using the border between Zone 2 and 3 giving access for the anismaller bits of paper that you can move around until they fit mals to range in the next Zone. This area would also include pruned trees and mulch gardens. into the right place, you will end up with a pretty complicated and highly theoretical design that probably resembles a plate of spaghetti! The second exercise applies this theory to ZONE 3 - Larger open spaces and gardens.

Water would be available in ponds and streams, but otherreal life. wise unmanaged. Trees would not need regular pruning, but would give yields in the shape of annual gatherings of nuts and fruits. Animals would be able to range freely.

ZONE 4 - Reserves, fuel forests, windbreaks etc.

The managed, designed space that we surround ourselves with gradually gives way here to the semi wild. From this area we gather from the wild, typically we use this for firewood and timber, and for those who eat meat, this would be where we might hunt small animals.

ZONE 5 - Wildlife corridors, native plant sanctuaries.

We stop designing, and let nature take over freely. We need to see nature in action, partly to see how things operate, and partly to nurture our own spirits by connecting to the natural world in a quiet and meditative space.

Microclimate sun trap in northern Germany giving shelter and warmth to a tree which would otherwise not be able to survive in this climate

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These zones are in theory concentric circles, but need modifying with two more factors: Sectors are parts of these circles having specific attributes, such as the sunshine generally coming from a southern direction in the northern hemisphere, the prevailing wind direction, and fire risk areas adjacent to the site.

Occasionally Zone 4 or 5 might be brought quite close to the house in a wedge, giving wildlife the opportunity to move across the site, or the location of a barn, shed or workshop might extend Zone 1 or 2 further away than the perfect concentric circle. The actual topography must of course be taken into account, and should play a large part in determining what goes where.

Vectors further modify the pattern by creating dynamic flows cutting through the site, such as water courses, existing or planned roads and tracks, wildlife corridors and the hills and slopes of the site. While Sectors can be regarded as direction specific, Vectors are often more serendipitous and move more or less where they want.

In the planning of any specific site, these three ideas are further modified by the things that we find there, existing buildings, roads, streams, hills and forests. It is said that Permaculturalists work with what they get. Sometimes there is a need to make major landscape changes, which is always possible, but generally it is better to make do, and not move hills or major watercourses. This means that each design will end up as a unique exercise, applying the theory outlined here to a specific location. It might be said that understanding the theory is the Science of Permaculture, while applying it in practice is the Art. Permaculture is a tool, not a religion or a philosophy. Anyone can use it, and not lose anything of their identity or basic belief systems. Believe me, it will not compromise you! My hope is that Biodynamic farmers will create a connection with permaculturalists that will strengthen the bond between all of us who are motivated to create a better world for the future. ■

Jan Martin Bang Is a Permaculture designer and teacher with extensive experience in the Middle East, now living at Camphill Solborg in Norway, where he has domestic and administrative responsibilities. He is also editor of “Landsbyliv” (Village Life), the Norwegian Camphill magazine. He is currently secretary of the Norwegian Permaculture Association, and is also active within the Norwegian Ecovillage Trust. He has written a book on Permaculture Ecovillage Design published by Floris Books in 2005, called “Ecovillages - a practical guide to sustainable communities”.

His second book “Growing Eco Communities - Practical ways to create sustainability” will be published by Floris books in the spring of 2007.

Short reading list Holmgren, David and Mollison, Bill.

1978. Permaculture One. Australia.

Transworld Publishers.The first one, still a great inspiration, and full of really accessible graphics. Very empowering, even I can draw trees like Bill!

Mars, Ross. 1996. The Basics of Permaculture Design. Australia. Candlelight Trust. This book is the best short introduction that I have found yet. Clear, concise, well written and well illustrated.

If you can only take one light book with you, take this one!

Mollison, Bill and Slay, Reny Mia. 1991.

Introduction to Permaculture. Australia.

Tagari Publications. A really good boiled down version of the Designer’s Manual.

We used to give a copy of this book to each student of the design course in Israel.

Mollison, Bill. 1979. Permaculture Two. Australia.Tagari Publications. Expands the ideas of the Permaculture One. Both these are worth reading to get the sense of how Permaculture has got to where it is today.

Mollison, Bill. 1988. Permaculture - A Designers’ Manual. Australia.Tagari Publications. Regarded by many as “The Bible”! It is thorough, with really good illustrations and diagrams, and contains enough information, experience and ideas to keep you busy for a long time.

You can’t really be a serious Permaculture designer without this book.

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Photograph ©Michael Weiler

Biodynamic Beekeeping Workshop: ‘THE HIVES AND LIVES OF BEES’ with Michael Weiler 29th September1st October 2006

By Anna Irwin I ARRIVED EARLY AT RUSKIN MILL in Nailsworth on a cold misty morning.The air was filled with the sound of water bubbling in the ponds and a sense of expectancy. Participants lived fairly locally or arrived from corners of England as far away as Yorkshire, Norfolk and Hampshire.A couple even attended from California where there is an increasing interest in beekeeping. Some people had started to keep bees this year, others had several years of experience and several like myself were gathering information before starting.

Michael Weiler who lives in Stuttgart has spent the last 24 years managing his own apiary. It is obvious from the relaxed way he talked to us about the bees that his keen and careful observation of their activities has given him a deep understanding of their life and needs. From the start he was able to impart to us the image of their warmth, his respect and love for these heavenly creatures sharing our world. Early in the day he reminded us of how honey bees ‘fall out of heaven’ onto a flower or disappear from view

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into a beehive, cave or hollow in an old tree. A wonderful picture was described of a swarm cluster hanging from a tree branch. The bees mass together forming a clump, while hanging onto the tree or each other. They attach their very own homemade wax onto a suitable area as a foundation and while in continual movement within itself the swarm gradually builds a comb downwards in the middle of its cluster followed by more combs on either side of the central comb.

Over the next two days we became aware of many of the fundamental needs of a bee colony and heard about the behaviour of the bees in different situations.

BEEHIVES Sadly the swarm site described above will not provide adequate shelter for the new colony to survive the elements or bird attack. They need some type of cave-like enclosure around their colony to shelter and protect them while they hang their crystal like wax combs in the dark from above downwards. Michael quietly made us aware that today honey bees rely more and more on humans to provide shelter in

HONEY HARVEST AND WINTER WARMTH How much honey to harvest raised the question of how much the beekeeper cares about the health and strength of his bee colonies during the late autumn, winter and early spring months. One needs to bear in mind that there is a dearth of nectar from late autumn until spring and the bee may have to rely on its honey store for a period of six months. Michael went on to discuss the extraordinary ability of the bee colony to control perfectly the warmth of its own sphere. He described how unlike most insects bees do not hibernate in winter but consume stored honey and flex their muscles to create enough heat in the hive to maintain their space at a warm enough temperature. One may notice continual motion of bees moving from the warmer centre of the cluster to the cooler periphery and back into the middle of the cluster. Early in the year the queen starts laying eggs again and the new brood need feeding. A winter bee colony of 12,000 bees will need 15-20 kg to survive and be strong.

SWARMING AND BREEDING The importance of a detailed knowledge of the calendar of the swarm process became apparent too and the swarming process was demystified. Biodynamic beekeepers try to work with the swarming activity rather than prevent it and it is believed that the swarming activity itself not only renews the colony but also strengthens it.

VEROA A visit to hives on Gables Farm was exciting and we all watched the bees quietly as Michael opened a hive and removed some frames for observation. We only had time to recognise veroa mite and wax moth before grey clouds loomed, it went cold and rain tumbled down drenching us all as we ran for cover into a nearby shed. Many eagerly asked about biodynamic veroa management and within minutes our space warmed up and there was a real hum as problems were share and questions were asked. Back at base the biodynamic method of veroa management was revealed.

During the weekend many other questions were also raised and discussed openly and always from the basis of experience and observation. The necessity or otherwise of queen the form of a beehive. The size of the space provided for the excluders, foundations, wires etc were all covered. Each brood is very important and determines the position, shape participant received a copy of the Demeter Bee Keeping and size of the combs to be built; the site of the hive and Standards and Michael suggested a local supporting group direction it faces are also important factors when consider- should be formed. The conference closed with a verse by ing the wellbeing of the colony.

Rudolf Steiner. I went home thinking how privileged I was to have been there. â&#x2013; NECTAR SOURCE Food supply is another consideration. To build a strong Anna Irwin is an aromatherapist and former chairman of the colony the bees need a lot of different qualities of pollen Biodynamic Agricultural Association. She lives in Herefordfrom a wide variety of flowers and there is no good substishire. tute for a lack of pollen. In some farming landscapes it is current practice to harvest meadows early for silage. Cutting of large areas of hay over a short period is also common.

Both these activities have an impact on the amount of nectar available and often insects suffer a sudden shortage of food.

Insecticides are also hazardous. Gardens in suburbs are rapidly becoming safer and more productive feeding grounds for these nectar gatherers.

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Michael Weiler; Bees and Honey from Flower to Jar. Translated by David Heaf.

Floris Books, 2006.

ISBN 0-86315-575-8 P138, £8.99 If you’re an experienced beekeeper wishing to know your bees better, and more so if you’re one that likes to share the art of bee keeping with fellow human beings, then this little book shows how!!

The writer, Co-director of the Demeter association in Germany, takes us by the hand on a wonderful journey through the beekeeping year. Starting from the point of not assuming we already know the difference between a honeybee and a bumblebee he leads us carefully and gently right into the sanctity of the hive. In just a few pages we gain a profound understanding of bees using a refreshingly phenomenological approach. Anyone who’s ever gone ‘beewatching’ and asked ‘why are they doing that!?’will immediately relate to his clear love and profound understanding of these unique creatures.

By following the progress of a hived swarm he shows us how they build their home and organise their community, and he covers the biography and biology of individual bees (workers, drones and queen) well. Among many other things, we learn something of how to interpret their ‘dance’, how they find the flowers, and how they collect and process nectar and pollen. Although this will all be familiar to many beekeepers the clear presentation, photographs and Demeter Product Review: Naturata Salad Oil

By Julie Gardner Naturata Salad Oil is a very gentle tasting oil, it does not attack the taste buds, instead it gently yields its nutty flavour to the tongue; I very much enjoyed it. Try using it in the recipe below, as I did, for a wonderful enhancer to salad or use as a cold sauce to pour over pasta or brown rice. I get very excited when something ‘health giving’ actually tastes good and you don’t have to mask its presence.

We all are becoming more aware of the benefits of flax oil and this is a tasty way to include it in your diet. I am sure it would also be as good simply drizzled over salad with a dash of lemon added afterwards. It comes over as a mild oil, not sweet, but very smooth, with warmth and no trace of bitterness.

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diagrams make the book a useful and concise resource.

Of particular interest to beekeepers and anthroposophists alike are his references to Rudolf Steiner’s work, and the inclusion of verses and quotes, which serve to deepen our understanding of the relationship between people and bees. An English bee as far as we know would have absolutely no difficulty following the dance of a German bee, and would completely understand the nuances of what she was trying to communicate. Unfortunately, the same is not always true of their keepers, but clearly this is true of David Heaf, translator and beekeeper. He weaves old beekeeping terms, which have ancient wisdom in them, naturally into the text, and the truth of the ‘being of the hive’ comes over well and is implicit throughout the book. The inclusion of a substantial quote from the ‘bee lectures’, outlining how the swarm is a picture of the excarnating soul, with the old queen and the bees expressing a desire to enter the spiritual world but being unable to do so, is of great significance for beekeepers. Hiving a prime swarm is a special experience, and more so for those that appreciate this as a picture of human reincarnation.

Now to the honey! We learn in some detail how the bees make it, why it comes in different types, what’s in it and what effect it can have on us. Having understood all this it’s easy to agree with Rudolf Steiner on the commercial side of things when he said ‘honey is something so valuable that it is impossible to put a price on it’.

The outline of the Demeter Beekeeping Guidelines at the back of the book will be especially useful to beekeepers considering how they can best work with their bees - using the good biodynamic principle that the purpose of beekeeping is not to exploit them in the interest of a getting a large honey crop, but to look after them as they want to be looked after. With a little thought these methods will be well within the reach of most amateur beekeepers in the U.K. - particularly as (surprisingly) you don’t have to go and convince everyone within a three mild radius of your hives that they should manage their land biodynamically - although your bees might appreciate it if you do!!!

Reviewed by Sue Peat, with the help of the bees she keeps on her kitchen roof in south London. ■ I would certainly recommend this oil and feel anyone would benefit from its properties and enjoy using it – makes a great change from olive oil too.

Scrummy Salad Dressing 4 tablespoons Naturata Salad Oil 1 tablespoon Cider vinegar 1 large clove garlic 1 dessertspoon fresh herbs (e.g. thyme, sage & rosemary) 1 slither of fresh ginger pinch of salt Add all ingredients to a jug and blend with a hand blender (alternatively grate ginger & garlic and chop herbs very finely) and add to oil and vinegar.

Naturata Salad Oil is available from the wholesaler Elysium and also in many health food stores (if it is not stocked you may need to request it)

Ecovillages New Frontiers for Sustainability Jonathan Dawson Green Books, 2006, England.

ISBN 1-90399-878-8 96pp, £6.00 Reviewed by Jan Martin Bang Are you interested in seeing what the future might consist of? Then this book is for you.

With the problems that today’s global society has, it’s obvious that we can’t carry on with ‘business as usual’.

Ecovillages around the world are grass roots citizen attempts to deal with this challenge, creating experiments that build some of the elements that mainstream society is unable to find.

Jonathan has written the authoritative book on where Ecovillages are now. He is the President of the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) and Executive Secretary of GEN-Europe, which qualifies him to give us an overall picture and lots of up to date and in-depth information.

He begins by giving a short overview of the historical background of intentional community in our western tradition. This is an impulse which focuses on positive and practical solutions to perceived social problems. These alternative communities can be traced right back to Pythagoras.

Closer to our time, and much more clearly defined, we have a tremendous surge of alternative community building in the 19th century, as a response to the trauma of industrialisation.

He rounds this off with a precise account of the emergence of GEN in the 1990’s, and an attempt at a definition of what an Ecovillage really is: “Private citizens’ initiatives in which the communitarian impulse is of central importance, that are seeking to win back some measure of control over community resources, that have a strong shared values base (often referred to as ‘spirituality’) and that act as centres of research, demonstration and (in most cases) training. “ (p. 36) His gives us a short selection of more detailed examples of individual ecovillages around the world, showing how this impulse has already resulted in very different initiatives as a response to varying social, economic and cultural contexts and traditions. He is to be commended for showing that, despite these differences, all ecovillages share some basic elements, and he points out how they have worked together, and been inspired by contact with each other.

Why review such a book in Star and Furrow?

In Jonathan’s exploration of the different areas that ecovillages are active in, I found three elements which will resonate with biodynamic farmers: ■ Ecovillages always practice organic, and often in the western world, biodynamic agriculture. Biodynamic farmers maintain contact with each other, and you never know, maybe that other BD farmer is also a member of an Ecovillage.

■ Many ecovillages have developed Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and other alternative economic ventures. They may not all have been inspired by

Rudolf Steiner’s threefold vision of social analysis, but if you poke a little beneath the surface, you’ll quickly find that in most of them there are economic and social structures which resonate with threefolding. In any case, a lot of the pioneering work in CSA development was done by BD farmers, often within a Camphill village context.

■ They use whole community design and planning. This is perhaps one of the areas where there is most overlap, and where BD farmers and Ecovillage activists have a great deal of experience which they can share. Focussing on the farm as a single organism is a wonderful way of getting into the whole systems design that ecovillages practice.

There is clearly an overlap of interests. While GEN was not initially inspired by anthroposophy, there are many areas where people in ecovillages will find areas of co-operation with biodynamic farmers. Organic agriculture generally, and biodynamic in particular, are increasingly becoming accepted as relevant by mainstream authorities. Many western governments are now aiming for a certain percentage of agriculture to be organic, with specific aims within specific target times. GEN has made enough noise for this to have been taken notice of, and both in Britain and in Norway the first tentative contacts are being made to try to create a working relationship between planning authorities and Ecovillage activists. There more grass roots pressure generated by ordinary people the more chance there is for change.

As competition around resources heats up the result is an increase in social unrest and local armed conflicts. In these times it is important that those of us who are pursuing solutions stand together and encourage each other. I strongly recommend BD farmers to read this short book, it’s well written and easily read. Get to know the basic ideas inspiring ecovillages, and see if there is something that resonates.

There may be an Ecovillage in your neighbourhood, this could be your opportunity to get to know them. ■

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This autumn four active friends of the biodynamic movement passed away.

Cecil Reilly served as BDAA Council member and Treasurer during the late nineteen eighties and early nineteen nineties. His kindly wisdom helped to steer the Association through a potentially rocky period of transition. He was instrumental in completing the registration of the Demeter symbol as a Certification Mark and played a major role in the English publication of Biodynamic Farming Practice.

He died on October 8th 2006 aged 93.

Richard Smith served the movement not only as a highly skilled biodynamic farmer, but also as an outstanding teacher. For over ten years he was a much appreciated contributor to the Animal Block Course of the BDAA Apprentice Training programme. His intuitive yet deeply thought through approach to biodynamic farming demonstrated a deep understanding of how a renewal, of what Rudolf Steiner termed old peasant wisdom, could come about. This impulse which he did so much to encourage will surely grow ever more important in future. He died on November 2nd 2006 aged 61.

Margarethe von Freeden was an enthusiastic supporter of biodynamic farming within the Camphill movement.

Together with her husband Thammo she helped pioneer biodynamic farming in the village communities of Grange, Botton, Oaklands Park and Newton Dee. Throughout her long illness she retained an active interest in the work (particularly nutrition) and devoted herself to the School of Spiritual Science and to the furthering of community wherever she could. She died on November 7th 2006 aged 78.

Brigitte Brown was a very hard working farmer’s wife who was fully involved with the work on the farm. She worked with her husband Peter on farms in Germany and South Africa before taking on Tablehurst in Forest Row over ten years ago. She was someone who worked tirelessly for biodynamics by directly supporting her husband Peter and by developing the social and artistic context within which the farm could thrive. She had a special interest in creative speech. She died on November 8th 2006 aged 56.

Each of them will be remembered for the unique contribution they have made for their many friends, the development of biodynamic agriculture and for the general progress of mankind.

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Cecil Arthur Reilly (17th April 1913 - 8th October 2006) From the funeral address: Cecil had a long life encompassing most of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. He was born in 1913, just before the 1st World War which brought so many changes to our society and to our world, into a middle class family in Birmingham.

He was the only child of an Irish father and English mother. His childhood was happy and comfortable.

Cecil was an engineer until the 2nd World War broke out. During the war Cecil spent time captaining a control boat at Dover. He was then a Naval Officer in charge of the over-seeing of spotter planes landing on the aircraft carrier ‘Illustrious’. He was based in the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and present at the Invasion of Madagascar - the one occasion he came under direct enemy fire. The fact that he had come through the war without being on the front line was a source of guilt for him. By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Toward the end of the war in 1944 - Cecil and Elizabeth married.

They had no children.

In Birmingham, after the war, Cecil took up photography.

He was a very good and successful photographer.

Around 1946 Cecil and Elizabeth had come into contact with Sunfield Homes at Clent nr Birmingham. At this time and through the 1950s Sunfield was a vibrant centre of anthroposophical life in England - with many leading figures of the anthroposophical movement coming and going through its doors.

This is where he met Michael Wilson who introduced him to Anthroposophy and Cecil’s beloved book ‘The Philosophy of Freedom’.

He first attended study groups on ‘The Philosophy of Freedom’ at Clent. This became for him a life long passion and he continued with Philosophy of Freedom study groups almost until the end of his life.

During the next 60 yrs Cecil became more and more involved in anthroposophy-particularly in the area of Bio-Dynamics - he served as the Treasurer of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association for some years.

As well as sailing a great love of Cecil’s life was gliding. He spent many weekends at the Lond Mynd in Gloucestershire where he shared ownership of a glider. He taught Michael Wilson - who had become a close friend to glide.

Cecil’s wife, Elizabeth died in 1995 and Cecil continued to live with her sister, Nadja Edwards. They moved to Buckfastleigh in 1999. Nadja died 5 years ago - also in the Michaelmas time.

Cecil had a long and healthy life - less than two years ago he was still able to drive to Stroud for a weekend conference on death and dying. He coped well with his increasing frailty, the loss of memory distressed him - but he accepted it and did not complain. The marked deterioration in his health of the last 6 to 8 weeks was accepted with the same fortitude.

Cecil epitomised the English gentleman: upright in bearing and character-courteous and generous-loyal and faithful. Although he had no close blood relatives he had around him a family and a group of friends whom he cared for and who cared for him. Many people and impulses have reason to be grateful for his financial support.

With gliding Cecil soared above the earth, freed from the pull of earth’s gravity, carried by the warm currents of air into another realm. Just as with his study of The Philosophy of Freedom he strove to free his thinking from its everyday limits and reach that place in which he would be truly free - the realm of the spirit. Carmel

Richard Smith (1945 - November 2nd 2006)

by Christopher Cooper Richard died on All Souls Day and had his earthly remains given over to the elements at a funeral ceremony on 13th November which was attended by very many people whose lives he had touched. The pallbearers, including his three sons, were all dressed in farmers’ overalls, baler twine and gum boots, a humorous reminder of how closely Richard’s life was connected to the soil.

His life began in the final year of the war and he was one of a new generation bearing impulses which could lead to the healing and re-enlivening of the ailing Earth. He was born into a pastoral setting in Norfolk where farming practices stretched back hundreds of years, untouched by industrialisation. “There were only a very few cars, still no mains electricity and the media had little impact. It was inevitably a close community, concerned for each other, close to the land and to nature” These are Richard’s own words in a recent essay he wrote.

He left this idyllic setting after he had grown up and set off to teach music in a London Comprehensive School and to marry Judith, his lifelong partner. This life in the raw must have been a great challenge to him but already his future career was beginning to stir in him. He observed that one of the pupil’s behaviour became extremely erratic during the full moon periods.

He then met other such people. Richard’s interest in cosmic rhythms was born. He became a student of Rural Studies at Reading University and then deepened his understanding of the Earth’s life processes at Emerson College. He spent some time on Biodynamic farms in Germany developing his practical skills before returning to a farm in Somerset. One day he saw an advertisement for the job of shepherd on an estate in South Devon linked to Sharpham House. Richard got the job and so began over 25 years of hard work on the hills above Totnes, overlooking the River Dart as it flowed from Dartmoor to the sea.

This humble shepherd also found time to play a leading role as one of the founding parents of the fledgling Steiner school nearby, and as an active chairman of the Support Group. During these years his three beloved sons were born. It was only when in 1984 he leased 100 acres of his own farmland that his focus changed. Within a few years it was the turn of the Steiner school children to visit the farm and to spend many happy, fascinating hours with Richard showing them how to care for the land and the animals. Many children and their families returned each Christmas to Richard’s farm for enchanting gatherings, singing carols to all the animals in the snug Sharpham barns.

In 1999 Richard pioneered a new initiative with the aim of enhancing the life forces of his BD farm. In the year of the Sun eclipse he planned a Summer Camp for families from all over Britain, many drawn from the Waldorf Schools. Although it made a financial loss the will to try again was still there. Since then the Sharpham Barton Family Camps have become a huge success with around 300 parents and children enjoying an inspiring programme of craft workshops, adventure pursuits, music, campfire cooking and daily lectures on the anthroposophical approach to healing, education, riddles of destiny, biodynamics and much more. Sadly Richard was already too sick to attend in 2006, but everyone could still feel his benign presence overlighting the event nearby.

Just before he fell seriously ill Richard was able to share some of his research into the history and etheric geography of this remarkable area in and around the River Dart valley. A friend of his, Christopher Cooper, made notes and with the help of local artists published a short illustrated book of Richard’s thoughts. “Exploring the Mystical in the Ancient History of Totnes” (available price £5 by post - phone 01803 866817). He traces the development of culture from the time of the Druids, via Brutus the Trojan up to the time when Rudolf Steiner visited Torquay in August 1924. All this was a great seed-sowing of impulses for the present and future.

Richard’s later years of Biodynamic farming were clouded by his realisation of just how difficult it is to have a sustainable income from the land. He had to supplement his family’s income by working in local food or milk factories, often on night shifts. At the end of his essay (mentioned earlier on) he utters an impassioned plea “Biodynamic farmers need help and the Earth itself calls out for many people. Only if they respond can we slow the tide of hostility that sweeps over us”. This plea will echo in many hearts and it will be a fitting tribute to Richard’s life work if more and more people can support Biodynamic agriculture and help in healing the Earth.

©Jane Warring

Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

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market place The following is a list of some of the places in the UK where you can buy Demeter produce. It is the result of a survey sent out to all producers in 2005. It is intended that this will be a regular feature in Star and Furrow and on the BDAA website. If any of the details on the list below have changed since the survey or if you would like to be included in the listing in the next issue, then please contact the BDAA Office (details at front of magazine).

County Bristol Cleveland Co. Tyrone Cumbria Devon Dumfries & Galloway East Lothian East Sussex Gloucestershire

Hampshire Herefordshire Lancashire Lincolnshire Monmouthshire Norfolk North Yorks

Contact Name Paul Pieterse Donald Ash Martin Sturm Judy Stalker Pat Fleming Derek Lapworth Joscha Huter Richard Cunningham Susannah Aykroyd Andre Tranquilini Dorothea Leber Kai Lange Laurence Dungworth Henk Reyneke KA & FR Law-Eadie Sally Vineyq Elaine Povey Jane Scotter Jenny Gabrysch Malcolm Robinson Richard & Sarah Stacey David Barker David Wrenn William Pickard Ben Davies Peter van Vliet Andre Kleinjans Anneke Kraakman Duncan Ross Paul Chenery Linda Beaney Diana Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil

Pembrokeshire Perthshire Ross & Cromarty Rutland Sussex West Lothian West Sussex Peter Brinch Wester Ross Lucy Beattie Wiltshire Eamonn & Oriana Wilmott Worcestershire Charbel Akiki George Glide

48

Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

Farm Name Watch Oak Farm Larchfield Market Garden Clanabogan Riddings Croft Spitchwick Herbs Lower Velwell Loch Arthur Horticulture Craig Farm 24 Boggs Holdings Emerson Garden Michael Hall School Oaklands Park Garden Stroud Community Agriculture Oaklands Park Farm

Telephone 01454 418954 01642 579805 028 82256111 01229 885313 01364 631233 01364 644010 01387 760544 01644 420636 01875 340227 07931 245670 01342 825604 01594 826735 01453 753768 01594 516285

Orchard Bank Farm Harbridge Herbal Clinic The Buzzards Fern Verrow Hollinwood Aura Soma Products Ltd Daren Farm Ltd Barkers Organics Orchard End Falcon Farm Botton Farm Botton Walled Garden Plas Dwbl Corbenic Camphill Community Poyntzfield Herb Nursery Town Park Farm Holly Park Farm Garvald School

01452 831445 01425 652233 01568 708941 01981 510288 01995 640189 01507 533581 01873 890712 01263 768966 01508 558646 01287 661234 01287 661211 01287 661301 01994 419352 01350 723206 01381 610352 01572 724545 01424 812229 01968 682211

Plawhatch Seeds Leckmelm Farm

01342 826067 01854 613216

Produce available for consumers Fruit, vegetables or Meat Vegetables, Top Fruit, Herbs Vegetables, Meat, bakery products Herbal Tinctures Vegetables, Herbs Vegetables Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs Meat Vegetables Vegetables, Fruit, Eggs Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs, Lamb Vegetables, Herbs, Meat Vegetables, Meat organic small bale hay, lamb, beef, plums, apples & pears.

Medicinal Herbs Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs, Meat, Eggs Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs, Meat Vegetables, Fruit, Poultry, Eggs Grain Meat, wool Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs Vegetables, Herbs Meat Meat, Milk Vegetables, Soft Fruit, Herbs, plants Vegetables Fruit, Herbs, baked goods Herbs, Plants & Seeds Herbal Medicine Dairy goat Milk products Vegetables, Herbs Seeds - available only though Stormy Hall Seeds Range of vegetables, fruit & herbs.

The Beeches Elms Farm Tree House Farm

01985 840820 01905 381 420 01886 880681

Lamb Eggs Beef, hay

How can consumers buy produce Occasional sales Farm shop By appointment Mail order Direct §Box scheme (full) Farm Shop From Farm Box, Farm shop, market Local shops Local shops Box Scheme and wholesalers Box scheme Box Scheme and shop

Via consultation Farm Order only Farm shop & Box Direct Farm Shop Sales (phone) Box and market Box and market Farm shop and box Farm Shop Box Box Mail order Mail Order Farmers markets Private Mail order Stormy Hall

Mail order Box , Farmers markets

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Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

49

GARVALD WEST LINTON IS A PROVIDER OF RESIDENTIAL CARE AND DAY SERVICES FOR ADULTS WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY.WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A;

GARDEN WORKSHOP LEADER Garvald West Linton is situated in 20 miles south of Edinburgh in the beautiful Borders Countryside on a large estate.

There is a group of around 70 people living here, of which 31 have a learning disability. It has a one acre walled vegetable garden which has been run Bio-Dynamically for the past 60 years.We are looking for someone to take on the challenge of running this garden as a workshop for adults with a Learning Disability.We are therefore looking for someone who has knowledge of Bio-dynamic principles and practice, together with good interpersonal skills and experience of working with people with a Learning Disability.

Accommodation is available with this post if required, but applicants who wish to live out will also be equally considered.Terms and conditions of this post are; Salary £16,323(live-out) or £11,895(live-in). Hours of work: 40.

There are 30 days holidays in the first year of employment, rising to 35 thereafter.

For further information on this post please contact Robert Crichton or Colin Third at Garvald West Linton Garvald House Dolphinton West Linton EH46 7HJ Tel 01968682211, email robertcrichton@btconnect.com or colinthird@btconnect.com

Classified adverts LANDWORKER NEEDED Delrow House is a Camphill Community in Hertfordshire, on the fringe of north London.

We are seeking a landworker to help manage our 15-acre biodynamic estate, working with a team of vulnerable adults.We are open to initiatives involving gardening, animal husbandry, landscaping and woodland management.

Please contact: Matthew Shallow on 01923 856006 (office hours) email: mpshallow@highstream.com or Elisabeth Bamford on 01923 851709, email: elisscarlett@gmail.com HEREFORDSHIRE 3 self catering cottages on an organic smallholding with pigs, sheep, hens, geese and 5 cats.An abundance of wildlife on the mere and in the woods. Cottages from £250 - £465.p.w. Occasional b/b from £35.p.p.p.n. see www.thebuzzards. co.uk.Weaners, Meat, eggs and produce available from time to time. Please contact Elaine on 01568 708941 and/or leave a message.

NETHERFIELD FARM GUEST HOUSE & COTTAGES Lochanhead, Dumfries DG2 8JE Tel: 01387 730217 Contact: Jimmy & Pauline Anderson www.netherfieldguesthouse.co.uk Bothy Cottage: sunny, spacious and open plan with separate kitchen. A harmonious and beautiful space. Sleeps 2 Stable Cottage: unusual and attractive conversion with a balcony bedroom, lovely colours and very cozy. Sleeps 2 Both cottages have wood stoves, central heating and all facilities provided. £195-£250pw (1 month : 15% reduction) The guesthouse is vegetarian and the farm & garden are Demeter registered (to bring healing to the earth and grow food plants of nutritious quality; bordering the Galloway hills it has many fine views).The aim is to offer rest, care and rejuvenation with good food.There is a beautiful garden rich in wild life, a comfortable sunny lounge with wood stove and a warm and welcoming atmosphere.Vegetarian organic meals are cooked with imagination using home grown fruit & vegetables.

Hauschka Rhythmical massage is available.

Prices: £22.50 - £25.00 pppn (5 days: 15% discount) Meals: £5.00/£8.50

50

Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

STAR AND FURROW READERS’ SURVEY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK all those of you who replied to the readers’ survey in the last issue of Star and Furrow. Just over 100 forms were returned which accounts for about 10% of all the copies sent out.Apart from BDAA members in the UK, replies were received from as far afield as Brazil, India and the USA. A lot of valuable information was gleaned, which will certainly help with the development of the magazine over the next years. Thank you also for many of the complimentary remarks for the current format and ideas for new material.

Congratulations also to Mrs Andersen of Middlesex whose name was pulled out of the hat to win £50 of tea which was generously donated by Hampstead Tea. It was reassuring to hear that you find Star and Furrow interesting, informative, relevant and thought provoking. At the same time note has been made that the journal can at times be a bit parochial and biased. I welcome articles and suggestions for articles and themes, meanwhile there are a couple of articles in the current issue which relate to topics a little wider than biodynamic circles.

The top three subjects that people want to read about are the environmental aspects of biodynamics, biodynamic philosophy and gardening. Many of you pointed out that not enough attention is given to articles for the backyard gardener or the beginner. I wholeheartedly agree with this but am having great difficulty encouraging shy gardeners to write something. So I would also like to invite both contributions and articles relating to gardening, especially the beginner. Of interest would be to start a practical ‘questions and answers’ section. With it being mainly a membership magazine, I am thus reliant on you, the members, to start the ball rolling with this.

With care for the environment being of increasing concern and although it is inherent within the biodynamic approach, this may not always be clear to everyone. In the last issue we included a few articles about biodynamics and the environment and this time are turning the question of carbon on the farm. Again I welcome ideas and suggestions especially relating to practical steps that can be taken within the biodynamic farm or garden.

Replies to some of the other questions in the questionnaire ■ How often do you read Star and Furrow?

58% of those who replied said that they read the magazine from cover to cover with the rest only reading articles of interest.

■ How many people read your copy?

62% share your copies with 2 or 3 other people and 31% have it only for themselves.

■ How long do you keep Star and Furrow?

76% keep the magazine for more than a year with the rest hanging onto it from anything from 1 to 6 months.

■ How easy is it to find your way round?

It seems that most of you find it easy or very easy to find your way through the magazine (83%) ■ How often would you like to receive Star and Furrow?

This was the great surprise with 50% wanting Star and Furrow to come out 4 times a year, 15% three times a year with the remaining 35% feeling happy with the present two times a year.

However opinion seems to be equally divided on whether you would pay more for the magazine.

To summarise, the general feeling is that people are on the whole happy with the way the magazine is developing but would appreciate it if more articles were aimed towards the smaller grower who do not ‘all have rolling acres’.

Again, I would also like to thank Hampstead Tea for sponsoring the survey. I am not sure how many of you know about Hampstead and their wonderful teas many of which come from the Demeter certified Makaibari Tea Estate in Northern India. For more information visit http://www.hampsteadtea.com/. If anyone has access to it, the story of the Makaibari Tea Estate is wonderfully related in a small book called ‘The Wonder of Darjeeling’ by Rajah Banerjee (published by the author in 2003). ■

ADVERTISE IN THE STAR AND FURROW! Star and Furrow reaches not only the membership of over 1000 people. It is also read by a wider audience in the organic movement and in educational institutions around the country and abroad.

The advertising rates are as follows: The charge for small advertisement is 12p per word for members of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association and 25p per word for nonmembers.

The charges for display advertisements are: Outside back cover Inside back cover Full page 1/2 page 1/4 page 1/8 page INSERTS

£300 £200 £200 £100 £50 £25 £65 per thousand (all prices inclusive of VAT)

Discounts are available on request

Cheques and money orders should be made out to the Biodynamic Agricultural Association or BDAA. Foreign advertisers are requested to pay by international money order.

The closing dates are: 1st April for the summer issue and 1st October for the winter issue.

Advertisements not received and paid for by these dates may not be accepted.

Star & Furrow Issue 106 Winter 2006

51

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