2019 North American Biodynamic Conference Program Book by Biodynamic Demeter Alliance

2019 Biodynamic Conference

CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS

Earth . Cosmos . Community

November 20 - 24, Lake George, NY

RETHINKING AGRICULTURE The Biodynamic Association (BDA) awakens and enlivens co-creative relationships between humans and the earth, transforming the practice and culture of agriculture to renew the vitatlity of the earth, the integrity of our food, and the health and wholeness of our communities.

How the BDA Is Transforming Agriculture INCUBATING strong leadership in the biodynamic community; GROWING the community of biodynamic farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and land stewards; COMMUNICATING the powerful vision of biodynamics and the potential it holds for the Earth; and NURTURING the deep spiritual roots and insights of biodynamics

Education & Training — Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year, interactive webinars, distance learning courses, and online resources for farmers, gardeners and land stewards

Scholarships — Scholarship support for conferences, workshops, coursework, and advising through the Biodynamic Scholarship Fund and Christopher Mann Biodynamic Scholarship Fund Research — Biodynamic Research References Portal and support for emerging biodynamic research

Publishing — Biodynamics journal, Biodynamic Stories blog, and books Building Bridges — Bridging the Americas and cross-cultural connections Connecting Community — Member conversation salons, regional groups, forums, calendar, Biodynamic Directory, Biodynamic Community Facebook group, and Spanish language communications

Conferences & Events — North American Biodynamic Conference and biodynamic workshops and exhibits at regional, national, and international conferences

PO BOX 557, EAST TROY, WI 53120 (262) 649-9212 INFO@BIODYNAMICS.COM WWW.BIODYNAMICS.COM

WELCOME Dear friends, Welcome to the 2019 Biodynamic Conference. Welcome to the Adirondack Mountains. Welcome to Andia-ta-roc-te, the beautiful body of water that surrounds this island. We are guests here on this land, which is at the intersection of Abenaki, Haudenosaunee, Mohawk, and Mohican territories. We honor and acknowledge the Indigenous stewards of this land, and recognize that we are gathering on unceded territory. The theme of this Biodynamic Conference is Cultivating Relationships: Earth, Cosmos, Community. At a time when human beings are increasingly disconnected from the Earth, each other, and ourselves, biodynamics offers a path to build deep connection and generate healing and vitality. Over the next few days, I encourage you to live into these questions as you learn, share, explore, connect, stretch, and grow: How do we build truly co-creative relationships with our soil, plants, animals, and the Earth as a whole? How does life on Earth relate to the sun, moon, stars, and planets—and what can we do to bring our work on the land into greater harmony with the cosmos? How do we cultivate relationships with our fellow human beings that embody respect, love, mutual support, and freedom? How do we deepen our relationships to ourselves—mind, body, heart, and spirit—and nurture our capacity to act in service of the Earth and our communities? How do we build a living relationship with biodynamics in its full range of practical and spiritual dimensions, to support our work for healing and transformation? May we all be awakened, enlivened, and connected through this experience together, and emerge with a stronger capacity to develop deep, authentic, and co-creative relationships after we return home.

Warmly, Thea Maria Carlson Executive Director

CONFERENCE CENTER

Front Door

Our conference will utilize many different spaces across the Sagamore Resort, so please acclimate yourself to the different buildings and rooms in order to find your chosen workshops more easily. See the back cover for the full property map.

CONFERENCE CENTER When you enter the front door of the Conference Center, the registration desk will be on the right. Many of the conference events will be located in this building.

HOTEL

From the lobby, a stairway to the left leads to the lower level. At the bottom of the stairs, Mr. Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pub will be to your right, and Dollar East and West will be to your left. The Empire Room, where the BIPOC space is located, is on the main floor.

EVENT CENTER Meals from Friday to Sunday will take place in the REC Event Center, where you can also find JPIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection of biodynamic books and preparations.

QUESTIONS? Staff and volunteers at the BDA registration desk and merchandise and recordings tables, both in the Conference Center Lobby, will be happy to help orient you.

CONTENTS

Schedule

Workshops at a Glance

Keynote Speakers

Workshop Descriptions

Special Events

Exhibits, Books, & Research

Presenters

About the Biodynamic Association

Practical Information

Food and Beverage Providers

Biodynamic Scholarship Fund Donors

Business & Community Partners

SCHEDULE Wednesday - Thursday Wednesday, November 20 7:00 am - 8:30 am 7:00 am - 6:00 pm 8:00 am - 6:00 pm

12:00 - 1:00 pm 6:00 - 7:30 pm 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Breakfast Registration Open Field Days Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice Field Day at Hawthorne Valley and Mettabee Farms (Banana Conference) Field Day at Meadows Bee Farm: Land-Based Stewardship, Youth Education, and Community Lunch Dinner Demeter International: A Developing Organization (Banana Conference) Introduction to the Agriculture Section

Bellevue Conf. Center Lobby

Bellevue Bellevue Dollar East Evelley

Thursday, November 21 7:00 am - 8:30 am 7:00 am - 6:00 pm 7:30 am - 4:30 pm

8:30 am - 12:00 pm

8:30 am - 4:30 pm 12:00 - 1:00 pm 1:00 - 4:30 pm

3:00 pm

Breakfast Registration Open Field Days Field Day at Hawthorne Valley Farm, Farm Ferments, Rolling Grocer 19: Growing a Hudson Valley Foodshed Field Day at Soul Fire Farm: Seeding Social Justice on the Farm Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshops Biodynamic Banana Farming (Banana Conference) Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All the Preparations God Save the Queen: Honeybee Breeding and Reproduction Spirit and Matter, Form and Substance: Four Stages of Becoming and the Four Kingdoms of Nature The Spiritual Scientific Foundations of Biodynamic Agriculture Full-Day Pre-Conference Workshop Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive Lunch Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshops Biodynamic Composting for Entrepreneurs Biodynamics in Movement Fair Trade and Social Standards (Banana Conference) Regenerating Community Apothecaries Silent Auction Starts

BANANA CONFERENCE

Bellevue Conf. Center Lobby

Nirvana Abenia Wapanak Dollar West Triuna Diamond Island Bellevue Wapanak Triuna Nirvana Abenia Ballroom

New this year, the Biodynamic Association is partnering with Demeter International to host the International Biodynamic Banana Conference in conjunction with the 2019 Biodynamic Conference. All Banana Conference sessions are denoted with “(Banana Conference)” at the end of the session name.

SCHEDULE Thursday - Friday

In Living Color BIPOC Space Centering the needs and voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, the In Living Color BIPOC space provides a refuge for people to gather, rest, and go deep in our work celebrating our lineages and experiences at the 2019 Biodynamic Conference. It is a space designed by and for Black, Indigenous, People of color (BIPOC) to access emotional and physical support by way of BIPOC herbalists and herbal first aid. BIPOC participants are invited to participate in an opening ceremony for the space on Thursday at 8:30 pm. The space will be available for BIPOC participants until the end of the conference on Sunday at 2:00 pm. This space will be located in the Empire room (main level of hotel building). To connect with the In Living Color BIPOC space facilitators, Amanda David and Mandana Boushee, please contact them at inlivingcolorspace@gmail.com If you have questions about the inclusion of this space in the conference, please contact Thea Carlson at thea@biodynamics.com. For more information about why these spaces are important when we gather, and additional related resources, please see biodynamics.com/conference/2019/bipoc.

5:00 - 7:00 pm

7:00 - 8:30 pm 8:30 pm

Conference Opening, with Alicia Cook Keynote: From “Good Grief” to “Good Mind” – Illuminating the Constellations of Reciprocal Relationship with Land, Self, and Stars, with Stephanie Morningstar and Çaca Yvaire Opening Celebration and Tasting Opening Ceremony for In Living Color BIPOC Space

Ballroom Ballroom

REC Event Center Empire

Friday, November 22 7:00 - 8:30 am 7:00 am - 7:30 pm 7:30 - 8:15 am

8:00 am - 9:00 pm 8:30 - 10:00 am

Breakfast Registration Open Eurythmy: Harmonizing Body, Soul, and Spirit Through Movement Qigong Spacial Dynamics® Bookstore Open (except during themed sessions) Themed Sessions Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth

REC Event Center Conf. Center Lobby Bayview Fitness Center Tennis Court REC Event Center Diamond Island Dollar East Triuna Dollar West

SCHEDULE Friday

10:00 am - 6:00 pm 10:30 am - 12:00 pm 12:00 - 1:30 pm 1:30 - 3:00 pm

3:00 - 3:30 pm 3:30 - 5:00 pm

5:15 - 6:15 pm 6:00 - 7:30 pm 7:30 - 8:30 pm 7:30 - 9:45 pm

Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship: Education, Community Action, and the Transformational Power of Guided Consumer Demand Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics Training and Research in Biodynamic Farming (Banana Conference) Exhibits Keynote: Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth, with Michael D’Aleo Lunch Breakout Workshops - Session A Advanced Biodynamics Anthroposophy 101: Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamics Brookfield Farm: 25 Years of Building Sustainable Agriculture, One Apprentice at a Time Five Solutions for Land-Based Wealth Redistribution Habitat Farming Introduction to Biodynamics Multi-Species Pasture Management Soil: The Heart of the Agricultural Individuality Supporting Farmer Health and Well-Being Break Breakout Workshops - Session B Biodynamics and Indigenous Agriculture Fungal Consciousness Growing a Circular Economy: Exploring Cultural Solidarity in a Direct Market Keys to Good Digestion Long-Term Research on Biodynamic Preparations and Next Steps Picturing the Medicinal in Plants Social Agriculture and the Camphill Movement What Happens Next? Succession Planning Working with a Biodynamic Planting Calendar Open Space Session (see schedule in Ballroom for locations) Sidewalk Consulting Dinner Fireside Chats Live Music

Mr. Brown’s Pub Bellevue

Evelley Wapanak Abenia Conference Center Foyer Ballroom REC Event Center Diamond Island Evelley Dollar West Triuna Bellevue Nirvana Abenia Wapanak Dollar East

Evelley Triuna Abenia Wapanak Diamond Island Bellevue Dollar West Dollar East Nirvana Various Hotel Lobby REC Event Center Fire Pit (Outdoors) Ballroom

ATTENDEE & PROGRAM INFO AVAILABLE ONLINE Visit biodynamics.com/conference to see all the conference information, updates, and announcements under “For Attendees”. You can also find all your registration details (including your 3-day themed workshop choice) by clicking the “log in” link on the brown bar at the top of the site. Once you’re logged in, you will see “Your 2019 Conference Registration Details” on your account page; reach this again at any time by clicking on your name in the brown bar at the top of the site.

Evelley

Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship

Sunday 8:30-10:00 am 3-day themed (Part 3)

The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

Research Poster Session 5-6:30pm

Evening Events

Knowing Water, Renewing Social Knowing Ourselves: Life through A Dynamic Path Biodynamic Toward Healing the Principles Earth

Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Open Space Sessions Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth

Biodynamics and Anthroposophical Medicine

A Campaign for Real Milk

Breakout D 3:30-5:00 pm

The Power of the Picture: Sharing Biodynamics with the World

The Temple Inverted: An Introduction to Economic Thinking

Encompassing Spiritual Aspects Fairness and Social of the Honeybee Justice in Demeter Standards

Introduction to the Farm Body

Black Faith Seed Saving to Matters: The Spirit Ecology of Individualize your The Meaning of Life Crops African Agrarianism

Biodynamic Dairy Farming

Will Biodynamic Be Bigger than Organic?

Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth

Social Agriculture and the Camphill Movement

Breakout C 1:30-3:00 pm

Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Fungal Consciousness

Brookfield Farm: 25 Years of Building Sustainable Agriculture

5 Solutions for Land-Based Wealth Redistribution

Dollar West Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth

Triuna Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Open Space Sessions

Biodynamics and Indigenous Agriculture

Anthroposophy 101

Knowing Water, Renewing Social Knowing Ourselves: Life through A Dynamic Path Biodynamic Toward Healing the Principles Earth

Growing a Circular Economy

Multispecies Pasture Management

Training and Renewing Social Research in Life through Biodynamic Biodynamic Farming (Banana Principles Conference: 1-time session)

Abenia

Mountain View Terrace

The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

Keys to Good Digestion

Soil: the Heart of the Agricultural Individuality

The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

Wapanak

Conference Center

Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship

Saturday 8:30-10:00 am 3-day themed (Part 2)

Microdynamics: Small Scale Biodynamics

Working with a Biodynamic Planting Calendar

Picturing the Medicinal in Plants

Breakout B 3:30-5:00 pm

Evening Events

Introduction to Biodynamics

Habitat Farming

Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship

Nirvana

Breakout A 1:30-3:00 pm

Friday 8:30-10:00 am 3-day themed (Part 1)

Bellvue

Sagamore Ballroom

Main Hotel

Long-Term Research on Biodynamic Preparations

Advanced Biodynamics

Drawdown and Hands on with the Biodynamic Biodynamics: Preparations, Reversing Global Part 1 Warming

Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth

Mr.Brown's Pub

Biodynamics, Compost: Order, Earth Evolution, Chaos, Reand the Future of Emergence Technology

Hands on with the Is There a Role Biodynamic for Soil Testing on Kinship with the Land Preparations, a Biodynamic Part 2 Farm?

Furthering the Development of Farm-based Education Programs

Biodynamics, Compost: Order, Earth Evolution, Chaos, Reand the Future of Emergence Technology

What Happens Next? Succession Planning

Supporting Farmer Health and Well-Being

Biodynamics, Compost: Order, Earth Evolution, Chaos, Reand the Future of Emergence Technology

Diamond Island

Lower Level Dollar East

2019 Conference Workshops at a Glance

SCHEDULE Saturday Saturday, November 23 7:00 - 8:30 am 7:00 am - 7:30 pm 7:30 - 8:15 am

8:00 am - 9:00 pm 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 8:30 - 10:30 am

10:30 am - 12:00 pm 12:00 - 1:30 pm 1:30 - 3:00 pm

3:00 - 3:30 pm 3:30 - 5:00 pm

Breakfast Registration Open Eurythmy: Harmonizing Body, Soul, and Spirit Through Movement Qigong Spacial Dynamics® Bookstore Open (except during themed sessions) Exhibits Themed Sessions Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship: Education, Community Action, and the Transformational Power of Guided Consumer Demand Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics Keynote: Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism, with Leah Penniman Lunch Breakout Workshops - Session C Biodynamic Dairy Farming Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations, Part 1 Drawdown and Biodynamics: Reversing Global Warming Furthering the Development of Farm-Based Education Programs The Meaning of Life Microdynamics: Implementing Biodynamic Principles on an Intimate Scale for Homesteads and Gardens Seed Saving to Individualize Your Crops Will Biodynamic Be Bigger than Organic? Break Breakout Workshops - Session D Biodynamics and Anthroposophical Medicine A Campaign for Real Milk Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations, Part 2 Encompassing Fairness and Social Justice in Demeter Standards Introduction to the Farm Body Is There a Role for Soil Testing on a Biodynamic Farm? Kinship with the Land The Power of the Picture: Sharing Biodynamics with the World

REC Event Center Conf. Center Lobby Bayview Fitness Center Tennis Court REC Event Center Conference Center Foyer Diamond Island Dollar East Triuna Dollar West Abenia Bellevue

Evelley Wapanak Ballroom REC Event Center Wapanak Evelley Mr. Brown’s Pub Diamond Island Dollar East Dollar West Nirvana Triuna Bellevue

Dollar West Nirvana Mr. Brown’s Pub Abenia Nirvana Dollar East Diamond Island Triuna

SCHEDULE Saturday - Sunday

5:00 - 6:30 pm 5:15 - 6:15 pm 6:00 - 7:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 - 8:30 pm 7:30 - 9:00 pm 7:30 - 9:45 pm

Spiritual Aspects of the Honeybee The Temple Inverted: An Introduction to Economic Thinking Research Poster Session Open Space Session (see schedule in Ballroom for locations) Sidewalk Consulting Dinner Silent Auction Ends and Winners Announced Fireside Chats Seed Share Open Mic Night

Wapanak Evelley Bellevue Various Hotel Lobby REC Event Center Ballroom Fire Pit (Outdoors) Conference Center Foyer Ballroom

Sunday, November 24 7:00 - 8:30 am 7:30 - 9:30 am 7:30 - 8:15 am

8:00 am - 1:00 pm 8:30 - 10:30 am

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

12:30 - 2:00 pm

Breakfast Registration Open Eurythmy: Harmonizing Body, Soul, and Spirit Through Movement Qigong Spacial DynamicsÂŽ Bookstore Open (except during themed sessions) Themed Sessions Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship: Education, Community Action, and the Transformational Power of Guided Consumer Demand Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics Keynote: Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality, with Megan Durney, Mac Mead, Gunther Hauk, and Alex Tuchman Conference Closing Lunch

REC Event Center Conf. Center Lobby Bayview Fitness Center Tennis Court REC Event Center Diamond Island Dollar East Triuna Dollar West Abenia Bellevue

Evelley Wapanak Ballroom Ballroom REC Event Center

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS From “Good Grief” to “Good Mind”: Illuminating the Constellations of Reciprocal Relationship with Land, Self, and Stars Thursday, Nov. 21, 5:00 - 7:00 pm When we accept the truth our ancestors planted in our hearts, that we are not separate from the land, sea, sky, and stars, we must acknowledge the world of grief we inhabit. When we acknowledge the world of grief, then are we called to serve our whole self and in us, the constellations of selves. For some, service looks like tending to the bridge that links the injury and the healing. Stephanie Morningstar and Çaca Yvaire explore what bridge making may look like within biodynamic practice and lore.

Stephanie Morningstar

Çaca Yvaire

Oneida, Turtle Clan, Co-Coordinator, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust

Yuk’hiti Ishak, Kréyol La Lwizyàn, Co-Coordinator, Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust

Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth Friday, Nov. 22, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm While many people intellectually understand that there is a relationship between the movement of the stars, sun, and moon and the heavens and life here on earth, fewer people actually develop the subtle sensory awareness and clear conceptual relationships to have the experience directly. A presentation on these relationships in the Adirondack Mountains, and comparing them to a few other landscapes, will act as an example for finding these relationships in any location.

Michael D’Aleo Director of Research at Saratoga Experiential Natural Science Research Institute

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism Saturday, Nov. 23, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm The Queen Mothers of Manya Krobo Ghana asked me during a visit, “Is it true that in the United States, the farmer will put a seed in the ground and say no prayer, offer no song or dance, make no libation, and not even say thank you to the ground and expect the seed to grow? Well, that is why you are all sick.” Let us come together to learn how the Black agrarian tradition informs a relationship of consent, reciprocity, and deep listening with the sacred earth.

Leah Penniman Co-Executive Director of Soul Fire Farm and Author of Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land

Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality Sunday, Nov. 24, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm A biodynamic farm individuality is a unique living being that is created entirely through relationship. We often speak of the relationship between the farmer and the farm, but how does the farm individuality live among a group of people who care for it together and develop it over the course of generations? How do we as humans form right relationships with each other in our biodynamic work? How do we develop deep relationships with the minerals, plants, and animals who are essential elements of the being of our farm? This intergenerational keynote panel will explore these questions through the biographies of four human beings and two farm individualities which they are collaboratively nurturing into the future.

Megan Durney

Mac Mead

Gunther Hauk

Alex Tuchman

Head Gardener at the Pfeiffer Center

Program Director at the Pfeiffer Center

Founder of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary and Author of Toward Saving the Honeybee

Co-Director of Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary

WORKSHOPS Wednesday Wednesday, November 20 Field Days, 8:00 am - 6:00 pm Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism — Lia Babitch, Marc

Blachere, Stephen Boothroyd, Ian Robb Explore the farm organism at Camphill Village in Copake, NY. Beginning with an introduction to the community, we will then tour the various land areas: the healing plant herb and flower garden, which grows and processes herbs into teas, tinctures, salves, and more; Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seed Initiative, where Biodynamic seeds are grown, selected, cleaned, and sold to farms across the US; the Sunny Valley dairy, which provides milk for the community, possibly the only hand-milked herds of its size in the US; the vegetable garden, which provides fresh vegetables for the community; and the Forestry and Estate, which cares for the forests and wetlands that surround the village, doing many essential community land tasks, as well as producing firewood and maple syrup for the community and beyond. There will be many chances to ask questions from those managing the various areas and to get a view into the farm organism in our valley. Lunch will be provided from the Camphill Village Cafe.

Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice — Jean-David Derreumaux, Spencer Fenniman, Matt Pearson,

Matthew Spiegler Dig into the work of biodynamics in dairy management, exploring its expression in two farms in the Hudson Valley. Starting the day will be a tour of the beautiful Churchtown Dairy, with its signature round barn, creamery, and medicinal garden. Here there will be an opportunity for some hands-on learning, followed by a rustic lunch in the farm store. Next, we’ll travel up to Hawthorne Valley Farm, a forerunner of biodynamics in the Hudson Valley. The dairy dates to 1976 and is part of their diverse farm organism, which includes vegetable, grain, and meat production; thriving educational programming training the next generation of farmers; and a renowned farm store. Here we will tour the dairy, visit the cows, and hear from the farmers first hand.

Field Day at Hawthorne Valley and Mettabee Farms: The Farm Organism, Composting, and Biodynamic Preparations (Banana Conference) —

Christoph Meier, Steffen Schneider We will begin with a personal tour Hawthorne Valley Farm with Director Emeritus of Farm Operations, Steffen Schneider. Stef-

fen will share from his 30-year of relationship to the landscape, offering refections and answering questions. Next we will travel down the road to the neighboring Mettabee Farm to enjoy a cozy farm-to-table lunch. After lunch, there will be a talk by Christoph Meier, a founding farmer at Hawthorne Valley Farm, and current practitioner of biodynamics in Dominican Republic. This field day is part of Demeter International’s Biodynamic Banana Conference.

Field Day at Meadows Bee Farm: Land-Based Stewardship, Youth Education, and Community — Leigh

Merinoff This field day will begin with a scenic drive through central Vermont to Meadows Bee Farm, located high in the Green Mountains. The focus of the day will be to understand the educational and community component of our programming and how this supports our work with the Young Farmers Badge Program. We will show how these two farms and our community center all work together as we teach young children ages 4-10 about agroecological agriculture, awarding them with up to 80 badges in areas like agroforestry, permaculture, herbal medicine, dairy, cheesemaking, beekeeping, biodynamics, traditional farm arts and crafts, and much more. Upon arrival, we will tour the farm’s ecological gardens, orchards, and ponds, and visit the micro dairy, livestock, bees, and prep room. We will take time here to see the badges we award to the children. Lunch, cooked in our wood-fired outdoor pizza oven, will be at our community gathering place, the West Townshend Country Store, part of the West River Community Project. There will be time to visit the café, thrift shop, post office, and commercial kitchen. In the afternoon, we will arrive at the Field House Eco-Farm and Learning Center, exploring the blacksmith shop, ceramic studio, library, livestock, and gardens.

Evening Workshops, 7:30 - 9:00 pm Demeter International: A Developing Organization (Banana Conference) — Christoph Simpfendörfer (Dollar

East) Christoph Simpfendörfer will give an overview of history, tasks and recent developments in DemeterInternational, the umbrella organisation for Biodynamic® certification. This workshop is part of Demeter International’s Biodynamic Banana Conference and is free and open to all conference attendees.

Introduction to the Agriculture Section — Sherry Wildfeuer (Evelley) The Agriculture Section is a group that fosters a living connection between biodynamics and its spiritual scientific founda-

NEW THIS YEAR! ATTENDEE & PROGRAM INFO

available online Visit biodynamics.com/conference to see all the conference information, updates, and announcements under “For Attendees”. You can also find all your registration details (including your 3-day themed workshop choice) by clicking the “log in” link on the brown bar at the top of the site. Once you’re logged in, you will see “Your 2019 Conference Registration Details” on your account page; reach this again at any time by clicking on your name in the brown bar at the top of the site.

JOIN US next year near Boulder, Colorado! WED: on-farm field days & in-depth workshops THUR: intensives, opening keynote, & celebration FRI-SUN: keynotes, 40+ workshops, interactive conversations, music, art, & local Biodynamic® & organic food

©Black Cat Farm

biodynamics.com/conference

Get to know biodynamics from the inside out Yggdrasil Land Foundation is committed to stewarding places that ennoble the human being and the earth. Such places, farms, buildings, and other lands are the sanctuaries of the future and must be protected as sources of physical and spiritual nourishment. Yggdrasil’s stewardship process intentionally redefines ownership, use, and community within the framework of association and in recognition of entrepreneurial destiny paths. Further, Yggdrasil recognizes that access to land and creative spaces is part of developing a more just and inspiring world.

through the Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year

SUPPORT YGGDRASIL LAND FOUNDATION Gift land • Estate plan giving • Endowed gift Charitable bequest • Gifts of money or assets

yggdrasillandfoundation.org

Learn the foundations of biodynamics through a hands-on, holistic approach to farmer education. On-farm training and mentoring combined with a cohesive, integrated, and interactive learning curriculum bring biodynamics to life. Delve deeply into the practice of biodynamics with individualized support from an experienced biodynamic mentor farmer. Apprentice on an established mentor farm, or implement biodynamics on the farm you already manage or own. Work with a cohesive learning curriculum of short readings, experiential exercises, and lively conversation spaces. Beginning farmers seeking apprenticeships, as well as established farmers looking to learn and practice biodynamics, are welcome to apply. The Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year runs from April to April each year; apply by December.

BIODYNAMICS.COM/ FARMER-TRAINING

WORKSHOPS Wednesday - Thursday tions. This workshop will use small- and large-group conversations to engage participants in the key themes that are living right now in the movement and in the Section. It will also bring forward some of the research being carried out by members of the Section and explore new directions for the work of the Section in the coming year. This is a free session.

Thursday, November 21 Field Days, 7:30 am - 4:30 pm Field Day at Hawthorne Valley Farm, Whitethorn LLC, and The Rolling Grocer 19: Growing a Hudson Valley Foodshed — Jill Jakimetz, Rachel Schneider, Steffen

Schneider This field day is hosted by the Institute for Mindful Agriculture. Our focus will be on describing our efforts over the years of “social soil building” in conjunction with the direct agricultural work. The day will begin at Hawthorne Valley Farm. We will tour the farm and campus and then describe in more detail the history of the CSA, our internal food value chain, and the evolution of our management structure. Before we travel to Hudson, NY, we’ll have lunch at our Farmstore. In Hudson, we will visit Farm Ferments (a pioneering fermented vegetable production at scale) and the Rolling Grocer 19 (a new and innovative food equity project to benefit farmers and consumers in Columbia County). Both projects are collaborations that originated with Hawthorne Valley and attempt to address two of the most important challenges facing biodynamics today: How do we answer the calls for food justice, and how can we bring biodynamics to scale responsibly? During the bus ride back to Lake George, we will continue to share reflections, impressions, and questions.

Field Day at Soul Fire Farm: Seeding Social Justice on the Farm — Larisa Jacobson, Amani Olugbala

Some of our most cherished regenerative farming practices — from organic agriculture to the farm cooperative and the CSA — have roots in African wisdom. Yet discrimination and violence against African-American farmers have led to their decline from 14% of all growers in 1920 to less than 2% today, with a corresponding loss of over 14 million acres of land. Further, Black and Brown communities suffer disproportionately from illnesses related to lack of access to fresh food and healthy natural ecosystems. Soul Fire Farm is committed to ending racism and injustice in our food system and restoring our ancestral connection to the land. Through innovative programs such as the BIPOC Farmers Immersion, a sliding-scale farmshare CSA, and Youth Food Justice leadership training, Soul Fire Farm is part of

part of a global network of farmers working to increase farmland stewardship by people of color, restore Afro-indigenous farming practices, and end food apartheid. Join us for this immersive field day to learn how you too can be part of the movement for food sovereignty and help build a food system based on justice, dignity, and abundance for all members of our community.

Full-Day Pre-Conference Workshop, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive — Drew Baker, Joseph Brinkley, Deirdre Heekin, Dan Rinke,

moderated by Daphne Amory (Diamond Island) This full-day intensive will delve into practical and philosophical dimensions of growing biodynamic fruit and transforming it into wine and cider. Integrating wisdom from both the East and the West coasts, we will explore how to cultivate healthy vines and trees within a whole farm organism, innovative uses of the biodynamic preparations, and bringing biodynamic principles and processes into the cellar to create a living product that carries the integrity and vitality of the fruit. New and experienced growers and makers welcome. Sponsored by Daphne Amory Consulting.

Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshops, 8:30 am - 12:00 pm Biodynamic Banana Farming (Banana Conference)— Tadeu S.P. Caldas, Klaus Merckens, René Piamonte

(Nirvana) This event will consist of three parts and will focus on different aspects of Biodynamic banana production. Tadeu Caldas will present and explain the biodynamic farm organism on banana plantations. Due to the current events in the banana sector, he will also discuss management strategies for disease control in banana plantations. Next, René Piamonte will discuss the personal relationship for long-lasting fertility in tropical ecosystems through biodynamic preparation and practices. He will give an overview of the different possibilities to work with biodynamic preparations and will share his experiences. Finally, the banana plant will be examined and questioned from a Goethean perspective. In the third part of the lecture, Klaus Merckens will discuss the forms, colors, and expressions of the banana plant. After the lectures, there will be a discussion between the par-

WORKSHOPS Thursday ticipants and the speakers. This workshop is part of Demeter International’s Biodynamic Banana Conference.

Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations— Jeff Poppen (Abenia)

This workshop will provide a complete introduction to the nine biodynamic preparations: 1) stuffing manure in cow horns and stirring the finished preparation; 2) grinding quartz crystals and packing a cow horn; 3) stuffing a stag’s bladder with yarrow flowers and showing one that’s been hanging all summer; 4) stuffing intestines with chamomile flowers and making a few “sausages”; 5) rehydrating stinging nettle, packing it into clay tiles and covering with a screen; 6) grinding oak bark and explaining how it is put in the skull (using a dry skull for the demonstration); 7) making dandelion pillows with a mesentery; 8) making the valerian preparation with dry flowers; and 9) chopping up horsetail, making a tea, and describing the fermentation process. We will describe how and when all of these are buried, and we will show several examples of each of these as finished products and explain how they are used and stored. We do not plan to go into the deeper esoteric ideas or experiments, but instead stay with the simple instructions we read in chapters 4 and 5.

God Save the Queen: Honeybee Breeding and Reproduction— Gunther Hauk, Alex Tuchman (Wapanak)

The problem of artificial queen rearing was brought to light by Rudolf Steiner 96 years ago in his lectures entitled “Bees,” and yet it is still the greatest kept secret behind the decline of honeybee health in the world of beekeeping to this day. This workshop will delve into the details of the breeding and reproduction of queens and their colonies, sharing biodynamic beekeeping practices that are based on enhancing the wisdom inherent in the bees’ natural instincts. These methods re-establish the true royalty of the queen and restore health and harmony to the hive organism.

Spirit and Matter, Form and Substance: Four Stages of Becoming and the Four Kingdoms of Nature—

Cynthia Hoven, Harald Hoven (Dollar West) One of the fundamental principles of biodynamic agriculture rests upon the understanding of how SPIRIT and MATTER are essentially one: the activity of conscious spirit has become “condensed” into the fixed forms of matter. This dynamic has come into being though the process of cosmic and earthly evolution. Four sequential stages of “condensation” manifest in the four elements, the four ethers, the four-fold constitution of the human being, the four kingdoms of nature and their corresponding four levels of conciousness, the four seasons, and more. Understanding of these concepts gives you the key to understanding the basic biodynamic concept of the farm as a self-sustaining individuality as it comes into being when spirit and matter are in right

relationship. This workshop will give you a deep understanding into the core considerations of biodynamics, with philosophical and practical implications, such as understanding the different contributions of the mineral, plant, and animal kingdoms to the farm and the nature and effect of the biodynamic preparations.

The Spiritual-Scientific Foundations of Biodynamic Agriculture— Malcolm Gardner (Dollar West)

Rudolf Seiner intended to inaugurate a method of agriculture that was rational and scientific as well as spiritual. In the first four lectures of his Agriculture Course, he outlined the spiritual-scientific foundations for the biodynamic preparations that are at the heart of this new method. An understanding of these preparations, however, presupposes an understanding of their spiritual-scientific foundations. We will trace the systematic principles contained in these highly condensed and often confusing initial lectures. There will be time for questions both during and after the presentation.

Half-Day Pre-Conference Workshops, 1:00 - 4:30 pm

Biodynamic Composting for Entrepreneurs— Gabriela Gonzalez-Martinez (Wapanak) We can see how the natural world interacts within the compost cosmos through different impulses that can be input with our intentions and understanding of the nature of compost itself. We will explore the individual possibilities, since a windrow is a being in itself, separate and different from the rest, which holds all the alchemical life processes. Throughout the course of this workshop, we will explore how to deepen into the life processes and exchanges among the many forms of life that co-create in the compost; how to improve the ignition of the process, starting with the understanding of the raw materials themselves; the importance of cow manure and differences between “vegetable” compost and “animal” compost; the pathway for industrial production of high-quality compost; how life processes work; how to understand soil language and expression through the plants that grow on it; how to regenerate soil as we produce; and the potential for using compost extracts and green manures, as a foundation for regenerative agriculture.

Wear Your Pride in the Biodynamic Association!

Organic Cotton, Fair Trade CertifiedTM, Fair Labor T-Shirts Adult Long-Sleeve Navy or Granite — $25 Adult Short-Sleeve Slate — $20 Women’s Short-Sleeve Maroon — $20 Youth Short-Sleeve Maroon — $15

Additional Items for Sale BDA Logo Hat or Organic Cotton Beanie (Any Style/Color) — $25 100% rPet (recycled plastic) Stuffable Market Bag — $20 Herb Chart — $5 Items available at BDA table in the Conference Center Lobby.

WORKSHOPS Thursday - Friday Biodynamics in Movement — Megan Durney, Mac Mead,

Sea-Anna Vasilas (Triuna) The art of eurythmy is a way we can ground the spiritual foundations of biodynamic agriculture through human experience. Eurythmy is a movement art born out of the same invisible and visible life forces that have shaped and continue to inform biodynamic agriculture. The Pfeiffer Center’s Mac Mead and Megan Durney, along with Eurythmy Spring Valley’s Sea-Anna Vasilas, will explore overarching themes from Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture Course, such as the four elements and four kingdoms, polarities (inner and outer planets, cosmic and earthly), and plant metamorphosis. We will explore these themes through eurythmy, short presentations, and conversations, as well as a possible artistic sharing.

Fair Trade and Social Standards (Banana Conference) — Christoph Simpfendörfer (Nirvana)

In this workshop, we will give examples of fair-trade practices and collect and discuss ideas and aspects leading to agreements in the Demeter community on fair trade and social standards. This workshop is part of Demeter International’s Biodynamic Banana Conference.

Regenerating Community Apothecaries — Stephanie

Cesario, Deb Soule (Abenia) We believe that herbal apothecaries are needed within all communities and that farmers/gardeners play an important role with access to growing and preparing medicinal herbs. This presentation will include detailed information on cultivating, harvesting, processing, and preparing herbs such as Solomon’s seal, black cohosh, schisandra, and Siberian ginseng—herbs which are not readily available in the US and are in high demand in communities—as well as more commonly grown herbs such as yarrow, calendula, dandelion, and holy basil. We will discuss the details of herb drying and processing, including setting up and managing a drying room on-farm, as well as guidelines for making oils, salves, tinctures, and glycerites. Participants will get the chance to taste and sample a diversity of herbal products and view detailed photos from our Biodynamic® medicinal herb farm, including processing and drying rooms. We will weave in the broader significance of revitalizing herb-growing and community apothecaries, including but not limited to the benefit to community members and customers, benefit to the soil, benefit to the pollinators and wildlife, and benefit to the farmer or grower. Bring your questions about growing, drying, and processing medicinal herbs for a lively discussion and Q&A. This workshop is open to any farmer or gardener interested in growing and using medicinal herbs in their community.

Friday, November 22 3-Day Themed Sessions, 8:30 - 10:00 am Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology — Gary Lamb, Rachel Schneider, Steffen Schnei-

der (Diamond Island) We will explore the importance of biodynamic agriculture and new forms of moral technologies in the context of Earth evolution. One central question we will work with is: What is the nature of the cosmic forces and spiritual beings that shape and influence our farms, our social life, and innovation in technology?

Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence — Lisa Bjorn,

Marney Blair, Megan Durney, Kim Pace (Dollar East) Over a three-day period, Marney Blair and Lisa Bjorn of Fulcrum Farm in Grass Valley, CA, will guide participants through an experiential understanding of the three stages of a compost pile: order, chaos, re-emergence. We will look at the order of the molecules that make up manure, straw, wood chips, etc., and explore what characteristics carbon has in these compounds (according to the characterizations Steiner elucidated in the Agriculture Course), as well as the roles of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and sulphur. From there we will move into the chrysalis of the compost pile, the heat of transformation, and the complete breaking down of molecules to the primal elements in an experience of chaos and all that it brings. Then, like the butterfly, we will reorganize into a new being, the living plant-mineral substance of humus, and look at what the biodynamic compost preparations do to help facilitate this cosmic re-membering. As a complement to this process, Megan Durney of the Pfeiffer Center and Kim Pace of Duryea Farm will facilitate a daily experience of the central principles of the Goethean approach so that participants can begin to meet and converse with these substances and learn to apply this technique in their own experiences with nature.

Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners — Joseluis Ortiz, Gabriela Pereyra, Thomas

Spaulding, Sarah Weber (Triuna) Who will renew US agriculture in the future? Historically, we looked to the children of family farmers to become our future farmers. Today, Latinx people (people of origin from the Americas, and many with deep Indigenous roots) do the vast majority of the day-to-day work on US farms, including biodynamic, and comprise more than 80% of farmworkers for all US crops. In spite of this growing and increasingly stable population of farmworkers and the fact that 18% of the US population is Latinx

The Wisdom of Sophia: Agriculture and The Sacred Feminine

Investigate the principles and practices of The Sacred Feminine, and its relationship with agriculture and food systems.

6-Week Course December 3, 2019 - January 23, 2020 with Dr. Claudia J. Ford The ethical costs and injustices of industrialized agriculture are intolerable, and we are called to make sacred again our concepts of nature and our connection to Earth. Review the practices and beliefs that have brought communities, individuals, and the environment to the brink of catastrophic change, and discuss how biodynamic agriculture and other sacred paradigms can help us move away from the edge of these disasters, exploring healthier and more just ways that we can treat land, water, soil, plants, animals, and each other. Join us in deliberating the role of the human on Earth and the development of human consciousness through reading and discussing selected writings and lectures of Rudolf Steiner and others.

BIODYNAMICS.COM/WEBINARS

WORKSHOPS Friday and growing (28% by 2050), only 3% of US farm owners are Latinx. How can biodynamics open healing pathways for Latinx farm-workers to become farmers? We explored this topic with vigor in Portland last year, and we will engage our imagination around it in New York. Join us to consider the year 2050 and how it happens that we leap from 3% to 28% Latinx farmers in the US. Si se puede! We will celebrate and learn from Latinx farmers and allies. We will explore the real-life challenges facing Latinx and non-Latinx people who dream of healing Earth and community. We will lift up the benefits of working together and building on the gifts of biodynamics for renewal of our culture, economy, governance, and ecology.

Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth — Michael D’Aleo

(Dollar West) While many people intellectually understand that there is a relationship between the movement of the stars, sun, and moon and the heavens and life here on Earth, fewer people actually develop the subtle sensory awareness and clear conceptual relationships to have the experience directly. A presentation on these relationships in the Adirondack Mountains, and comparing them to a few other landscapes, will act as an example for finding these relationships in any location. Further understanding can be accomplished in an additional workshop where a phenomena-based approach to knowing will be deepened through a series of experiential exercises and discussions.

Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth — Jennifer Greene, Lau-

rie Seeman (Mr. Brown’s Pub on Friday, Abenia on Saturday and Sunday) This highly participatory workshop is for agriculturists, environmentalists, municipal and government leaders, teachers, students, laymen, artists, change-makers, and all those who have a passion for nature and want to know how to nurture water as an element for life and to deepen inner capacities for seeing in a new way. How we know water determines what we see of water and, therefore, how we interact with it and, ultimately, how we care for and manage it. If we see water as a commodity only, water management practices lead to fouling our waterways and ultimately a depletion of water resources; this becomes an infringement upon the right of all living beings to potable water. If we see water as a right — as “an element for life,” as an element that serves all life and environments without prejudice — then our management decisions will be different, be they how much water we use at home or what we see used in the public domain. We have a fourfold relationship to water: we drink it to quench our thirst; we use it as a waste stream (too much so); we enjoy its recreational virtues, whether we swim, sail, or ski; and we use it as a symbol and metaphor in our sacred lives and sacraments to connote transformation and change of consciousness. Present

water education emphasizes pollution issues on the one hand, and engineering issues on the other, manipulating water and asking it to do our bidding. But we know comparatively little about the nature of water as such, its “character”, when left to unfold its innate qualities. Water reveals its phenomena through “how” it moves. Through hands-on experiments, making fleeting water-movement forms visible and carefully describing what we see and experience, we will be led towards increasing our observational skills and developing an understanding of what water is. We will allow water to become “our teacher” as we endeavor to understand water’s language of movement. In the process, we acquire inner mobility in our thinking, a “fluidic thinking” that helps us to follow processes in nature. In part 2 of this workshop, participants will take water relationship-building further when water and earth science is opened to water art. The discovery process will shift when the tools of science are transformed into tools for art and creative experimentation. Shared aspects of science and art, inquiry, surprise, observation, phenomena, discussion, and documentation will reveal new pathways for seeing and relating to the natural world. Together with the water experience, teaching stories of successful water advocacy and activism will be shared in the spirit of inspiring furthering actions that are informed by the deepening water connection this workshop will provide.

Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship: Education, Community Action, and the Transformational Power of Guided Consumer Demand — Aaron

Perry (Bellevue) This multi-disciplinary talk and interactive workshop will weave together three main themes for the transformation of our culture and the rapid mobilization of stewardship throughout the continent. On the special 100-year anniversary of Waldorf education, the discussion will include a focus on soil stewardship and pollinator-protection in backyard gardens, neighborhood parks, and school grounds. This fun and intensive workshop will also connect dots between economy and ecology (all from the Greek root word “oikos,” meaning “home”), the power of shifting consumer demand in food, beverage, clothing, and agricultural choices as a way to rapidly de-toxify our planet, re-carbonize our soils, re-stabilize our climate, and re-vitalize food and people in communities all over. Participants will leave with a very practical, powerful, and people-centric framework, tools, and calls to action to mobilize in their own homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles — Seth Jordan, Robert (Karp) Karbelnikoff (Evelley)

The workshop will lead participants into a practical experience of how the principles of biodynamics that we work with on a farm can also be taken up within social life — both in community building at the local level, as well as in transforming the larger

Mission: To Enable People to Farm Successfully, in Accordance with Biodynamic® Practices and Principles.

Why Did You Get Certiﬁed?

“We wanted to support the movement.” “Demeter certified farms are part of a global family of farming excellence, and being a part of that is rewarding in many ways.” “We enjoy the inspection process to help us evolve our practices and increase the farm’s capacity for self-renewal.” “It’s the gold standard of certification marks.”

WWW.DEMETER-USA.ORG 1.541.929.7148 ———

Check out the many great items in our

Silent Auction

Thursday 3:00 pm - Saturday 7:00 pm in the Ballroom

Biodynamic® Wines

Browse our silent auction tables for these and many more choices. 22

WORKSHOPS Friday systemic problems our society faces. This workshop will introduce participants to a few of these holistic principles and provide lots of opportunities to practice them through self-reflection, social-artistic exercises, and conversations drawing on participants’ questions and experiences of the conference each day. In addition, we will look at how these same principles work within society at large, and at the role of food and farming in this larger context. Some issues we may explore include land and capital ownership, social and racial injustice, and ecological degradation. Drawing on Steiner’s threefold ideas and the interests and passions of the participants, we will roll up our sleeves and work to envision the potential of a biodynamic approach to social transformation.

The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics — John-Scott Legg, Alex Tuchman, Sherry Wildfeuer (Wapanak) The attendees of Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture Lectures in 1924 were students of anthroposophy. They had studied Steiner’s basic books, including Theosophy and Occult Science, and so Steiner spoke to this audience without having to go back to the basic spiritual-scientific conceptions of the human being and Earth evolution. Almost 100 years have passed since these lectures were given, and now biodynamics has grown tremendously and is practiced all around the world. Many people meet biodynamics for the first time on the farm or at the market and come to wonder: What is so different or special about biodynamics? What is the basis for these practices? Why is it so difficult to understand the Agriculture Course? Together with Sherry Wildfeuer, John-Scott Legg, and Alex Tuchman, we will explore the spiritual foundations of anthroposophy that tie directly into the Agriculture Course and help to make biodynamics more understandable and ever-more inspiring. This three-day track will offer the opportunity for participants to deepen their relationship to biodynamics through presentations, inner exercises, artistic work, and group discussion.

Banana Conference Workshop, 8:30 - 10:00 am Training and Research in Biodynamic Farming (Bannana Conference) — Christoph Simpfendörfer (Abenia)

For the development of biodynamic quality, it is essential to train farmers. Through this meeting, we will present the different possibilities for the various target groups. New challenges ask for new solutions; therefore, the exchange of experiences and the collaboration with researchers is an important task. Do we need an international professional group for banana growers? Who

wants to be part of it, and how could it work? This workshop is part of Demeter International’s Biodynamic Banana Conference.

Breakout Workshop A, 1:30 - 3:00 pm Advanced Biodynamics — Hugh Lovel (Diamond Island)

Biodynamic preparations, along with application of the principles underlying their use, are an artist’s palette of colors to create landscapes that give rise to vibrant life as well as food, fiber, and raw materials of amazing quality and abundance. Though often biodynamics is referred to as a practice, its more skilled practitioners may think of it as an art form that produces the nuttiest winter spinach; the most inspiring tarragon, basil, or ginger; the most delicious apples or cherries; and the subtlest fine wines. Problems endemic in organic and biological systems can be avoided before they arise because pests and diseases are messengers telling us what we are doing wrong. The essence of biodynamics is learning to do things the easy way — like leading a herd of cattle with feed, rather than driving them with whips and dogs.

Anthroposophy 101: Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamics — John Bloom, Tess Parker,

Laura Scappaticci (Evelley) In this light-hearted and interactive workshop, we will explore the foundational practices and ideas in anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual philosophy that is the wellspring of biodynamic agriculture. Through group and experiential activities, we will investigate the commonalities between anthroposophy and other spiritual philosophies, and dive into some of the practical applications anthroposophy can have for personal development and creating meaning in our busy modern world. We will provide some jumping-off points to begin your own study and exploration alongside your farm work. Come ready to share and explore your own spiritual background. Beginner questions welcome!

Brookfield Farm: 25 Years of Building Sustainable Agriculture, One Apprentice at a Time — Dan Kaplan,

Karen Romanowski (Dollar West) As a pioneering Biodynamic® farm and the third CSA in the US, Brookfield Farm had many ideas, but not many models, for how to move forward with creating a more sustainable agriculture. Now, after decades of work on the same patch of ground, it’s clear that one of the most successful strategies that has been followed has been a long-running apprentice program. Training over 40 participants who have gone on to create farms far and wide has been beneficial to the operation of Brookfield Farm, as

WORKSHOPS Friday well as developing a more sustainable agriculture in the wider region. We will meet some of these farmers who have taken their training and moved it to the next level. And we will also reflect on some of the tactics we have employed to make our apprentice program continue to attract talented candidates and maintain participant satisfaction over the long haul. This workshop will include a presentation highlighting our apprentices’ farms, as well the key aspects of our program. Join us for inspiration about what has worked and what the opportunities are still to pursue in the future.

Five Solutions for Land-Based Wealth Redistribution — Stephanie Morningstar, Çaca Yvaire (Triuna)

This session focuses on the direct correlation between wealth redistribution, increased access to land, and healing justice for Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color (BIPOC). Through the intersecting lenses of decolonization, physiology, anti-oppression, and economics, we will share models of land access that restore harmony, reconfigure power, and reconnect the mycelial network of BIPOC land stewards to their purpose. This session will briefly illuminate the effects of colonization on the body, mind, and spirit, followed by explorations of five land access models employed to rebalance power and heal relationships. We will make space for small group discussion; the processing of challenges and barriers; and collective inquiry. By uplifting grass-roots models for land access currently changing the landscape of wealth redistribution, participants will walk away with knowledge of accessible, action-oriented solutions.

Habitat Farming — Jean-Paul Courtens, Claudia Knab-Vis-

po, Conrad Vispo (Bellevue) Whether intentionally and unintentionally, farms provide habitats for wild organisms. Some of these organisms have apparent agronomic roles as so-called pests and beneficials. Others have little immediate interaction with farm production but are part of a region’s “ark of biodiversity.” Roles shift depending on farm crops, farming techniques, climate, landscape, and the like. Based on 10 years of looking at these relationships in the Mid-Hudson Valley of New York, this workshop will pose a series of questions regarding farming and biodiversity such as: What are our goals, and how do we measure them? Are the terms “pest” and “beneficial” stereotypes? Habitat management: does one “size” fit all in terms of creating habitat to support beneficials and biodiversity? Is the farm scale the most important scale for managing these creatures? And how far can we go in creating a biologically-diverse, agroecologically-supportive context for a farm without public/consumer involvement? During the workshop, we will pose these questions, use information from our own experiences to explain why we think they’re important, and then invite discussion. We hope the results of the workshop will help participants think a bit differently about non-crop life on farms and will help us all better understand what sorts of

habitat management might be most effective for beneficials and biodiversity in general.

Introduction to Biodynamics — Mac Mead (Nirvana)

Mac Mead has been farming and working with biodynamics for over 40 years and has helped hundreds of others to learn and start their own farms and gardens through his work at the Pfeiffer Center. In this workshop, he will cover all aspects of the biodynamic approach to growing vegetables, including planning, soil preparation, sowing, transplanting, weeding and pest management, and harvest. Other topics will include using raised beds, horn preparations, and the planting calendar.

Multi-Species Pasture Management — Emerson Martin (Abenia) At Woven Stars Farm in Ghent, NY, we graze all our ruminants in the same pasture using a regenerative rotational grazing system. The various species play a pivotal role in managing soil and a diversity of plants. The sheep, cows, and goats are followed by the chickens to disperse the manure and manage persists. Rudolf Steiner mentioned the importance of diversity in the farm organism, which we believe helps to build farm resilience. This workshop will highlight the ways to observe the land and plants in a rotational grazing operation. We will share our experiences with stocking rate and size of pasture. We will discuss the general management of these animals through the lens of holistic treatments. The workshop will conclude with future grazing designs utilizing perennial tree crops as additional fodder for the animals. Soil: The Heart of the Agricultural Individuality —

Cory Eichman (Wapanak) We will explore how soil science and spiritual science meet through a biodynamic look at soil. We will look at the factors of soil formation, reading soil maps, and a hands-on soil analysis, all as a way to get to know your special piece of land as an individual being.

Supporting Farmer Health and Well-Being — Sarah

Hearn, Anthony Mecca (Dollar East) Unfortunately, farm life is not inherently healthy, and, in fact, the demands of an agricultural lifestyle can at times be at odds with the well-being of farmers, farmworkers, and apprentices alike, on various levels. This workshop will draw on Rudolf Steiner’s indications for understanding health and illness and explore how we can perceive and support our health needs on the farm, including understanding our constitutional tendencies, cosmic and earthly nutritional needs, and external therapeutic applications to support health and well-being and deepen our work on the farm. Together, we will form a picture of how we can care for our own health and well-being alongside the health and well-being of the farm.

COME TO LIFE

We integrated the regeneration of people, community, and nature into our business model. Every purchase of GuayakĂ Yerba Mate drives rainforest stewardship, indigenous culture resilience, carbon drawdown, and regenerative practices. Meanwhile your enjoyment of yerba mate reconnects you with the vitality of life. When we come to life, we care about one another and stand together to create a better future.

www.guayaki.com

WORKSHOPS Friday Keys to Good Digestion — Sally Fallon (Wapanak)

Breakout Workshop B, 3:30 - 5:00 pm Biodynamics and Indigenous Agriculture — Tom Cook (Evelley) Tom will share his experience bringing biodynamic methods to gardening in the third poorest census tract in America — the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where we’ve been growing seedlings and tilling gardens for 33 years. Our highest number was 535 gardens; we average half that each year. The congruency of Native thinking and biodynamics is at the basis, and the need for our people to prosper and thrive is our subject matter. We will include our use of buffalo horns and manure for making biodynamic preparation 500, which was our biggest achievement.

Fungal Consciousness — Michael Phillips (Triuna)

This lively exploration of soil biology and healthy plant metabolism will rouse every gardener and fruit grower to think deeper. How mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant health is absolutely stunning. Nutrients are delivered by means of fungus-root synergy. A boost to green immune function helps keep disease at bay. Expansive fungal networks bring resiliency to ecosystems. Soil aggregate formation addresses carbon flow. Yet for the longest time, we have ignored basic soil biology and instead disturbed ecosystems at our own peril. Time to change all that, and fast! Coming to see crop communities through the lens of a “common root being” will prove fundamental for earth stewards everywhere.

Growing a Circular Economy: Exploring Cultural Solidarity in a Direct Market — Jack Algiere (Abenia)

Stone Barns Center is anchored by the need for communities, artisans, and producers to be inspired by complex collaborative food system models. Since 2004, we have worked to create a more open and responsible food economy by connecting farmers, chefs, academics, and makers with a common goal. In a changing social and environmental climate, small, diverse, and direct-market farms have the power to catalyze a new way of eating that centers ecology and community wellbeing to drive fundamental change in the food system. Restoring health, beauty, and creativity to our communities and business starts with our agricultural connection. Jack Algiere will share practical examples of innovations, collaboration, and lessons learned from 15 years of ecological farming and community building at Stone Barns.

Rudolf Steiner referred to the breaking down of our food into its most elementary compounds as an important aspect of our spiritual growth. Proper preparation of our food—in essence, the pre-digestion of our food—can help us do that. This workshop will provide insights into how to support the digestive process with the proper preparation of grains and the inclusion of healthy fats, bone broth, and lacto-fermented foods in the diet. The role of salt in digestion will be discussed. Thirty percent of our energy goes into the digestive process; efforts to make our foods more digestible translate into more energy for us to accomplish our work in the world.

Long-Term Research on Biodynamic Preparations and Next Steps — Walter Goldstein (Diamond Island)

The effects of biodynamic methods have been tested in longterm experiments in Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as in Washington State and Wisconsin, by the presenter. The results have shown an accumulation of carbon in the form of soil organic matter related to the use of biodynamic methods. Recently, results of a three-year trial in Washington and a sixyear trial in Wisconsin have become available. These experiments showed that use of biodynamic preparations increased root growth and benefited plant growth and soil biology. Large effects on root growth were associated with multiple applications of preparations, including a cow-manure, nettle, and herbal preparation-based compound preparation (NCP). This combination had a yield-balancing effect on the yields of wheat and corn. Use of biodynamic preparations may help strengthen climatic resilience and carbon sequestration. The results suggest that the application of preparations including the NCP should be tested on multiple sites to examine their effects. A simple model for on-farm research will be suggested that utilizes repeated soil measurements on established station sites in fields.

Picturing the Medicinal in Plants — Jean-David Derreu-

maux (Bellevue) After an introduction illustrating the form, harmony, and extraordinary processes that make plants “plants,” and many of them medicinal, this workshop will offer an experience of the deeper and broader context in which plants are embedded, namely the interaction between earthly and cosmic forces, leading to a number of ways of growing high-quality medicinal plants in a biodynamic context.

Social Agriculture and the Camphill Movement —

Marc Blachere (Dollar West) This workshop will focus on the role of agriculture in the Camphill movement, particularly for adults with developmental differences, but also for all land workers. We will explore the meaning of work through the lens of biodynamic healing plant gardening and some aspects of the interactions that emerge

Seeds for growing consciousness... WEBINARS

PODCASTS

anthroposophy.org/ webinars

anthroposophy.org/ podcast

insights for living

“The Anthroposopher”

Art of Human Becoming Phases of Life Challenges & Gifts of Aging Death & Meaning Initiation of the Heart The Challenge of Evil Festivals: Michaelmas, Advent, Holy Nights/ Christmas, Easter, St John’s Star Wisdom Inner Work/Lisa Romero Building a Space for Rest The Spirit of Money Who are the Honeybees? Keynotes: Orland Bishop, Joan Sleigh

Paul Chappell: Beyond The Basic Human Needs Towards Peace Sergio Gaiti on Threefold Awareness Joaquin Munoz: Trauma, Resilience, & Education The World In 2030, with Andrea De La Cruz The Philosophy of Freedom Now, with Nathaniel Williams Story in Our Stars, with Mary Stewart Adams Anne De Wild on The Fifth Temperament and many more

WEBSITES rudolfsteiner.org Rudolf Steiner online biodynamics’ source Rudolf Steiner’s path of life: being more consciously human Transformative insights: to understand our past, present, and future Service to the world: to grow, teach, heal, inspire, collaborate Evolving community: activities, studies, arts worldwide

anthroposophy.org explore humanity’s path illuminate your own

JOURNAL issuu.com/anthrousa — being human a magazine for growth initiatives: sacred gateway conferences, indigenous wisdom in education, prison outreach, inclusive social development arts & ideas: the art of eurythmy, the Guggenheim’s biggest show, art & humanity in metamorphosis research & reviews: humanity and tech, reclaiming the soul of science and medicine, piercing the veil of karma

resources from the Anthroposophical Society in America 27

WORKSHOPS Friday - Saturday when human beings and nature come together. We will look at the inner path of development of the social therapist and of the gardener striving to co-shape a farm individuality.

What Happens Next? Succession Planning — Gloria

Decater, Camelia Frieberg, Rachel Schneider (Dollar East) The average age of farmers in North America continues to increase. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of their children are choosing not to stay on the farm. A lot of young people are passionate about the idea of farming. But realistically, how many have either the resources or the knowledge to actually start a farm or purchase an existing one, especially if they haven’t grown up on a family farm of their own? The issue of succession planning and land ownership on North American farms is critical, especially as large numbers of farms are likely to pass out of the hands of families who may have worked their land for a century or more. How can farmers who are ready to retire ensure the continuing viability of their farms while protecting their significant investment in land, buildings, livestock, and machinery? How do alternative models of ownership such as land trusts and cooperatives work with succession planning when the needs of the retiring farmers must also be met? Just as importantly, can retiring farmers ensure that both the vision and practices that fuel their own passion are adopted by a generation whose understanding and approach to farming may be entirely new? Are retiring farmers supervisors, or are they teachers and mentors? And at what point do they have to be ready to step back from imposing their own values on those who follow? As we look to the future, we need to find innovative models that will both inspire us and have practical application as we deal with the challenges of transition, succession planning, stewardship, and ownership of the land.

Working with a Biodynamic Planting Calendar —

Sherry Wildfeuer (Nirvana) Curious to find out what biodynamic planting calendars are all about? In this workshop Sherry Wildfeuer will offer an introduction to basic astronomy, share the history and context of biodynamic calendars, and explain how to use the charts in the Stella Natura Calendar. She will explain when to sow your seeds to avoid inexplicable crop failures and to enhance the part of the plant you are interested in (e.g., red peppers rather than bushy, sparsely fruiting pepper plants; broad spinach leaves rather than bolted flowering stalks; etc.).

Saturday, November 23 3-Day Themed Sessions, 8:30 - 10:00 am See pages 18-23 for sessions, presenters, and locations.

Breakout Workshop C, 1:30 - 3:00 pm Biodynamic Dairy Farming — Spencer Fenniman (Wapanak) Join us for a conversation about the dairy farm and its place in the integrated, diversified biodynamic farm. Guided discussion about cows, forage production, and the opportunities for synergies in the farm organism between different animals and enterprises. Hear diverse perspectives on biodynamic dairying on topics such as developing intimate relationships with the cows, growing healthy feeds to feed healthy cows and produce healthy foods, and the high value of livestock farming to our soils, ecology, and communities.

Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism — Leah Penninman (Evelley)

The Queen Mothers of Manya Krobo Ghana asked me during a visit, “Is it true that in the United States, the farmer will put a seed in the ground and say no prayer, offer no song or dance, make no libation, and not even say thank you to the ground and expect the seed to grow? Well, that is why you are all sick.” Let us come together to learn how the Black agrarian tradition informs a relationship of consent, reciprocity, and deep listening with the sacred earth. In this workshop, we will explore specific spiritual tools for healing our relationship with the land, including ritual, song, and divination.

Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations, Part 1 — Jeff Poppen (Mr.

Brown’s Pub) This workshop, along with Part 2, will provide a complete introduction to the nine biodynamic preparations: 1) stuffing manure in cow horns and stirring the finished preparation; 2) grinding quartz crystals and packing a cow horn; 3) stuffing a stag’s bladder with yarrow flowers and showing one that’s been hanging all summer; 4) stuffing intestines with chamomile flowers and making a few “sausages”; 5) rehydrating stinging nettle, packing it into clay tiles and covering with a screen; 6) grinding oak bark and explaining how it is put in the skull (using a dry skull for the

WORKSHOPS Saturday demonstration); 7) making dandelion pillows with a mesentery; 8) making the valerian preparation with dry flowers; and 9) chopping up horsetail, making a tea, and describing the fermentation process. We will describe how and when all of these are buried, and we will show several examples of each of these as finished products and explain how they are used and stored. We do not plan to go into the deeper esoteric ideas or experiments, but instead stay with the simple instructions we read in chapters 4 and 5.

Drawdown and Biodynamics: Reversing Global Warming — Jean-Paul Courtens, Thomas Spaulding (Dia-

mond Island) This workshop explores the question: What is the unique contribution of biodynamics to reversing global warming? We will start our conversation with the imaginative (and hopeful) picture provided by Paul Hawken, et al in Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (www.drawdown.org). Drawdown is that moment when greenhouse gases peak in the atmosphere and begin their decline year by year. Drawdown argues that global warming is not inevitable and that we have existing wisdom and practices that can reverse global warming by 2050, laying out 100 of the top actions needed to get there. We will explore the role biodynamics plays, or can play, towards reversal of global warming and healing Earth and all of us.

Furthering the Development of Farm-Based Education Programs — Matthew Davis, Nicki Robb (Dollar East)

Awareness of the benefits and impacts of farm-based education has been growing. More and more farms are offering educational programs for children and many more traditional learning institutions have been adding gardening and animals to their offerings. This workshop will highlight two different approaches to developing farm-based educational programs for children. The land stewardship program at the Hartsbrook Waldorf School was developed to provide their students with the opportunity to more fully integrate their Waldorf School education through a hands-on approach to the curriculum throughout the elementary and high school years. The educational programs at Hawthorne Valley Farm strive to integrate children into the workings of a larger, more commercial farm setting. Each program works out of a biodynamic approach to farming and nature as well as Waldorf understanding of child development in order to develop their curriculum and organize the farming activities of the children they serve. We will provide plenty of time for questions and answers and hope for all participants in the workshop to come ready for a highly interactive, lively, and generative discussion about how we can further farm-based education.

The Meaning of Life — Jonathan Latham (Dollar West) Modern biology and modern medicine claim alike that at the

center of living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes, including humans) is to be found a “master molecule.” This view of life, in which DNA is a “code” having executive functions, relegates the organism to the status of a puppet and a machine. It is a paradigm of life that is, at once, strikingly authoritarian and, on careful examination, unlife-like. In this workshop I will show that this genetically deterministic and reductionistic orthodoxy in biological science has no basis at all in evidence. DNA exists, but the privileging of its functions above the rest of the organism is purely what social scientists call “socially constructed.” It is a myth whose origins long predate the discovery of DNA. Genetic determinism, in the form of fetishizing certain species, bloodlines, races, and especially males, for imagined special qualities, can be traced back millennia. It is explainable as a mythology initiated to serve oppressive Middle Eastern empires of the Bronze Age, and later perfected by European states—in both cases to cement hierarchical, monarchical, patriarchal, racist, political orders. Our present-day society remains built around and dependent on that same ancient myth, now transformed into a scientific format. This conference workshop will explore the ideas described above and ask, if organisms do not operate as mini-dictatorships, what indeed are the deep organizing principles of life? How, once understood, can these principles be put to work on the farm and thereby contribute to health and wealth?

Microdynamics: Implementing Biodynamic Principles on an Intimate Scale for Homesteads and Gardens — Stewart Lundy (Nirvana)

Just because you can’t own cows doesn’t mean you can’t be biodynamic! More than half of the members of the Biodynamic Association are gardeners in some capacity. Learn about ways of converting a lawn into a garden and a garden into an ecosystem. A lot of attention for the growth in the biodynamic movement can tend to focus on large-scale operations, but what about the individual and the incredible difference one family can make? Even when we are surrounded by the “bad” guys, that in no way downplays the significance of what you as an individual can accomplish. If anything, it amplifies the importance of your work. Create an ecological oasis from which biodiversity can repopulate the world! Feel free to leave dogma and jargon at the door.

Seed Saving to Individualize Your Crops — Harald

Hoven (Triuna) Bringing seed saving to your farm or garden will complete the circle of life of your crops and will present you with a gift for the future. Over time, you will develop highly individualized seeds that will be uniquely suited to your land, because they evolved in that environment. You could not buy such seed! This workshop will introduce fundamental principles of seed growing and teach you important first steps. Where should you grow your seeds, what are fertility requirements, and—very importantly—which

2020 WINTER CONFERENCE You’re Invited!

NOFA-NY’s 38th Annual Organic Farming & Gardening Conference

January 17-19, 2020 The Oncenter Syracuse, NY

www.nofany.org/winterconference

WORKSHOPS Saturday plant varieties will be good for you to grow? You will also learn how to select plants from your grow-out and how to clean and store your seeds. At the end, you will have more seeds than your need, and you can share them with your friends. After some experience, you can also sell seeds to Biodynamic or organic seed companies. Seed saving brings endless joy!

Will Biodynamic Be Bigger than Organic? — David

Byrnes, Ethan Soloviev (Bellevue) Sales of Biodynamic products have increased dramatically in recent years, and food brands are quickly bringing millennial-savvy new products to market. But how many of these products are actually selling, and in what categories? Have Biodynamic products reached $10 million in sales? When will they hit $100 million? Backed by hard sales data from large and small retailers across the US, HowGood and other industry experts will explore the dynamics of Biodynamic food product growth in the US market, highlighting trends, challenges, and opportunities for farmers, food brands, and retailers.

Breakout Workshop D, 3:30 - 5:00 pm Biodynamics and Anthroposophical Medicine — Da-

vid Gershan, Cynthia Hoven (Dollar West) The basis of biodynamics studies the interplay of formative cosmic forces and earthly material stages. These same forces are active in the human body and are the foundation for health and healing. Anthroposophical medicine is based upon an in-depth understanding of the correspondences between nature and the human being. Even as the cosmic forces have influenced the natural world of minerals, plants, and animals, so also their influence extends into our human form. Planetary forces are active in the human organs; zodiacal forces in the skeleton. Anthroposophical physicians and therapists use remedies drawn from natural substances and therapeutic eurythmy practices relating to cosmic-earthly forces to directly access these healing forces in a modern spiritual-scientific approach. Join this workshop for an in-depth introduction of these principles. A Campaign for Real Milk — Sally Fallon (Bellevue) Rudolf Steiner often referred to milk as an important element in the human diet. Unfortunately, modern processing ruins the benefits of nature’s perfect food. This lecture will discuss the safety and health benefits of raw whole milk from cows on pasture, especially for growing children.

Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations, Part 2 — Jeff Poppen (Mr.

Brown’s Pub) This workshop, along with Part 1, will provide a complete introduction to the nine biodynamic preparations: 1) stuffing manure in cow horns and stirring the finished preparation; 2) grinding quartz crystals and packing a cow horn; 3) stuffing a stag’s bladder with yarrow flowers and showing one that’s been hanging all summer; 4) stuffing intestines with chamomile flowers and making a few “sausages”; 5) rehydrating stinging nettle, packing it into clay tiles and covering with a screen; 6) grinding oak bark and explaining how it is put in the skull (using a dry skull for the demonstration); 7) making dandelion pillows with a mesentery; 8) making the valerian preparation with dry flowers; and 9) chopping up horsetail, making a tea, and describing the fermentation process. We will describe how and when all of these are buried, and we will show several examples of each of these as finished products and explain how they are used and stored. We do not plan to go into the deeper esoteric ideas or experiments, but instead stay with the simple instructions we read in chapters 4 and 5.

Encompassing Fairness and Social Justice in Demeter Standards — David Byrnes, Elizabeth Henderson,

Joseluis Ortiz (Abenia) A Biodynamic farm aspires to be a harmonious living organism. What does this mean for the people who work on the farm? How can we nurture mutually supportive and fair relationships in the context of employer and employees on a farm? What are the roles of Biodynamic processors and retailers? This panel will lay out the issues and provide an opportunity for community discussion. Elizabeth Henderson will explain the Agricultural Justice Project standards for Food Justice and the stakeholder process that created them, Joseluis Ortiz will discuss the philosophical grounding for fairness in biodynamic thinking, and David Byrnes will share his perspective as a processor of Biodynamic foods. Please bring your thoughts and contributions to this vital discussion.

Introduction to the Farm Body — Darby Weaver (Nirva-

na) In biodynamic farming, the farmer is tasked with creating dynamic relationships with natural systems. These natural features, habitats, syntropic partnerships, and energetic flow are tied together in a deeply complex fabric that makes up the functioning organs of the farm body. In this workshop we will identify and examine these organ systems and discuss best practices for bringing health and vitality into these ecologies through observation, farm design, cultural practice, the biodynamic preparations, and spiritual awareness. This workshop will begin in lecture format and will transition to a hands-on activity where farmers and gardeners are encouraged to bring a map of their

Thank you to our 2019 Biodynamic Conference Advisory Committee for co-creating the program for this event! Erin Sojourner Agostinelli Rebecca Briggs Thea Maria Carlson Jean-Paul Courtens Kaitlin Downs Megan Durney Bruno Follador Claudia Ford Raphael Guzman Michelle Hughes Adam Lee

Stewart Lundy Teri McKenzie Kim Pace Shephali Patel Michelle Sauceda Steffen Schneider Deb Soule Tonya Taylor Alex Tuchman Clay Wesson

Wish you could experience it all? Want to share what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned? Purchase recordings of conference sessions and workshops $80 for full package of audio and video recordings from all recorded sessions $70 for audio recordings only of all recorded sessions BDA members special: Soil members will receive 10% off above package rates. Seed Sower members and above will receive 20% off. $30 for audio and video recordings of all keynote sessions only (no additional discount is given) Purchase today and all recordings will be available online for download in December. Ask for an order form at the BDA table or order online at www.biodynamics.com/conference/recordings. Recordings of keynotes and workshops available thanks to the generous support of Connoils and Stacy Peterson.

WORKSHOPS Saturday - Sunday operation. In this activity participants will be given the opportunity to evaluate the organ systems of their own growing spaces and begin to develop practices to enhance farm body wellness.

Is There a Role for Soil Testing on a Biodynamic Farm? — Will Brinton (Dollar East)

Modern biological farming practices, including organic and biodynamic, include many practical requirements, down to actual soil testing and fertilization formulae. Yet most guidelines and methods used by labs offering insights in this soil field are markedly reductionistic and mechanistic, based on the long history of scientific-industrial manipulation of nature and conventional academic research supporting it. Soil labs generally do not acknowledge or affirm non-reductionistic models and have not received training in it. This workshop will explore the potentials and the limitations of modern soil analysis approaches to aid in biodynamic farm work.

Kinship with the Land — Kathleen Bowen, Janey Newton

(Diamond Island) “The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility.” — Wendell Berry. Each one of us has our own unique experiences with the natural world. As farmers, gardeners, and land stewards, we have made commitments to particular pieces of this good earth that nourishes us. Through the lens of our direct experiences with land (our biographies), we will explore the nature of our kinship and commitments to the part of the earth that we live with. Such an exploration can strengthen and clarify our resolve to work in partnership with our farms, gardens, yards, and landscapes. Such an exploration can reveal the next right things to do for the land that we have kinship with. We will spend our time together with artistic exercises, writing, and conversation. We invite you to step into experiential learning. Turn to wonder and awe as we listen with an open heart.

Spiritual Aspects of the Honeybee — Gunther Hauk

(Wapanak) From year to year, we are getting more and more information on the physical aspects of the honeybee’s life processes, behavior, and anatomy. More books have been written about the honeybee than any other of our beloved animals. In this workshop we will explore Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual insights into her unique role among all the other animal group souls and what this signifies for our human evolution.

The Power of the Picture: Sharing Biodynamics with the World — Arizona Muse (Triuna)

You recognize the transformative and healing power of biodynamics, but how do you share it with the wider world? The right image can speak instantaneously to countless hearts and minds,

inspire vision, and ignite action. Building on her extensive experience as an international fashion model, as well as her deep dedication to biodynamic agriculture, Arizona Muse will share her insights into content, messaging, aesthetics, and attitude, to help you create and share compelling images that tell your biodynamic story.

The Temple Inverted: An Introduction to Economic Thinking — John Bloom (Evelley)

In this workshop we will explore what economic thinking really means, in the context of the times; how many social problems can you solve at once; the concept of the threefold commonwealth; the basics—land, labor, and capital—rethought; the nature of value and price; and the notion of economic associations beyond the marketplace. This workshop will be dialogue based along with reflective artistic exercises.

Sunday, November 24 3-Day Themed Sessions, 8:30 - 10:00 am See pages 18-237 for sessions, presenters, and locations.

#BDAconference19

@Biodynamics @Biodynamic @biodynamicsbda

Inner Work Meets Outer Work: A Self Development Course for Farmers and Gardeners

Explore how the activity of agriculture can inform your own personal growth.

6-Month Course December 4, 2019 - March 4, 2020 with Cory Eichman Steiner recognized that the path of development is different for each person, so he presented many different avenues that could lead to personal growth. In this course, we will delve into the principles of Steinerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggested meditative practices, as well as his research into the nature of the human beingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capacity for development. Working with nature and seasonal rhythms provide opportunities for meditative practice, and our work as farmers and gardeners also has social, economic, and vocational aspects that create scenes of potential developments.

BIODYNAMICS.COM/WEBINARS

SPECIAL EVENTS Banana Conference

Tuesday evening - Friday morning New this year, the BDA is partnering with Demeter International to collaborate on hosting the International Biodynamic Banana Conference in conjunction with the 2019 Biodynamic Conference. The general public is welcome to register for Banana Conference sessions. All Banana Conference sessions are denoted with “(Banana Conference)” at the end of the session name.

Silent Auction

Thursday 3:00 pm - Saturday 7:00 pm (Ballroom) Browse a wide selection of Biodynamic® wine, food, services, and experiences generously donated to our silent auction to raise funds for the Biodynamic Association’s work. Place a bid anytime throughout the conference from Thursday afternoon to Saturday evening. Winners will be announced Saturday at 7:00 pm. Winners need not be present; we can ship items for an additional fee.

Opening Celebration & Tasting

Thursday 7:00 - 8:30 pm (REC Event Center) Join us to celebrate the opening of the 2019 Biodynamic Conference with bites and beverages from local, organic, and Biodynamic producers, as well as the company of friends old and new. This celebration is open to all registered for Thursday evening of the conference. See biodynamics.com/conference for the full tasting menu.

Opening Ceremony for In Living Color BIPOC Space

Thursday 8:30 pm (Empire) Centering the needs and voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color, the In Living Color BIPOC space provides a refuge for people to gather, rest, and go deep in our work celebrating our lineages and experiences at the 2019 Biodynamic Conference. It is a space designed by and for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) to access emotional and physical support by way of BIPOC herbalists and herbal first aid. BIPOC participants are invited to participate in an opening ceremony for the space on Thursday at 8:30 pm. The space will be available for BIPOC participants until the end of the conference on Sunday at 2:00 pm. Please see page 5 for more information.

Eurythmy: Harmonizing Body, Soul, and Spirit Through Movement

Friday - Sunday 7:30 - 8:15 am (Bayview) Start each day with a pre-breakfast eurythmy class with Cynthia Hoven. With both lively and meditative movements, we will learn to create movement patterns in space such as contraction,

expansion, and spirals that are forces present in the natural world. Working together as a group, we will both harmonize our own selves and build community by moving together with other conference participants.

Qigong

Friday - Sunday 7:30 - 8:15 am (Fitness Center) Join us and start your day with a light-hearted Qigong practice with Zachary Krebs. Loosen up, relax, and breathe. The mind, body, and spirit naturally coordinate through this sequence of 18 movements.

Spacial Dynamics®

Friday - Sunday 7:30 - 8:15 am (Tennis Court) Join Beth Ingham for Spacial Dynamics®, the study and enhancement of the relationship between the human being and space. Through movement techniques and activities, Spacial Dynamics gives you the experience of the healthy, harmonious balance between your body and the surrounding space. Every part of the human body has its own natural distinctive movement or gesture. To be comfortable and healthy, each of these movements has to work together in perfect harmony. Every stage of development, every illness, and every relationship has accompanying spatial movements or patterns that either reinforce or undermine the body’s natural way of being. Spacial Dynamics activities and exercises were developed to help everyone learn to work in partnership with the space around them. Spacial Dynamics acknowledges Rudolf Steiner’s science of anthroposophy for inspiration and insightful explanations for both the educational and therapeutic effectiveness of spatial integration and the restorative qualities of the rhythmical techniques. These life forms and life-rhythms weave together and integrate what was separate, and help a person move forward with greater ability toward a healthier whole. Spacial Dynamics is officially recognized by the Medical Section as an anthroposophical body/ movement therapy.

Biodynamic Books & Preparations — Josephine Porter Institute

Friday and Saturday 8:00 am - 9:00 pm and Sunday 8:00 am 1:00 pm (except during themed sessions) (REC Event Center) The Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) will be selling biodynamic books, calendars, and preparations Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon in the REC Event Center, except during the themed sessions on Friday through Sunday mornings. JPI will also be available to help or sell items at the bottom of the stairs; please ring the bell at the table for accessible service.

SPECIAL EVENTS Exhibits

Friday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Conference Center Foyer) Browse the exhibits to find products and information from businesses and organizations from across the continent. See page 38 for the list of exhibitors.

Open Space Sessions

Friday and Saturday 5:15 - 6:15 pm (Various Locations) This is the part of the conference where we turn the programming over to YOU. During Open Space, anyone can host a conversation on any topic that you’d like to explore with other conference participants. There will be two Open Space sessions on Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:15 to 6:15 pm. On Friday and Saturday mornings before the keynote, we will invite participants to announce the sessions they want to host; the schedule will be posted in the Ballroom. If you’re not hosting a session, you can take your pick of the conversations others have organized, sticking with one or moving between different conversations that interest you.

Sidewalk Consulting

Friday and Saturday 5:15 - 6:15 pm (Hotel Lobby) Join us in the beautiful lobby of the Sagamore Resort to sign up for a 15-minute session and connect with experts in their field and get advice on your projects.

Fireside Chats

Friday and Saturday 7:30 - 8:30 pm (Outdoor Fire Pit between the Conference Center and REC Event Center, or Triuna, depending on weather) New this year, come gather with us in the evening around the fire ring on the beautiful grounds of the Sagamore Resort to hear stories of inspiration and innovation from members of our biodynamic community.

Live Music

Friday 7:30 - 9:45 pm (Ballroom) Join us for live music from vibrant local artists at the end of the day.

Moon & The Eclipse explore positive music through the live experience to grow and make a difference in themselves and in the world. Naima Penniman is a multi-dimensional artist, activist, healer, farmer, and educator committed to social, environmental, racial, and gender justice, planetary health, and love expansion. Naima is the cofounder/co-artistic director of Climbing PoeTree, an internationally-acclaimed performance duo that uses art as a tool for popular education, community activism, and personal transformation.

Research Poster Session

Saturday 5:00 - 6:30 pm (Bellevue) Research posters will be on display Friday morning until Saturday 6:30 pm in Bellevue. Come by to talk with the poster authors during the Research Poster Session on Saturday from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Through the posters we hope to provide a forum for sharing of existing research, cultivate a community of research practice, and inspire others to do their own research. See page 38 for the list of posters.

Seed Share

Saturday 7:30 - 9:00 pm (Conference Center Foyer) Build biodiversity and sow seed sovereignty! Bring your heirloom and open-pollinated seeds to share with others, find new varieties to take home with you, and learn about seed saving techniques from experts in the field. Anyone can participate, whether or not you have seeds to share. If you are bringing seeds, please place them on one of the tables on Saturday evening and label them with variety, date, and location grown.

Open Mic Night

Saturday 7:30 - 9:45 pm (Ballroom) Join host Nathaniel Williams as he strums familiar favorites, share an offering yourself, and hear from your fellow conference participants at our Open Mic Night. Want to join in? Sign up for a spot at the volunteer table by registration!

Lady Moon & The Eclipse is a multicultural ensemble based in New York. Through soaring vocal textures and R&B/afrobeat-influenced rhythms, they create inspirational music that explore the cosmic soul, a journey to become one’s best self. Lady Moon carries the essence of the Moon, delivering a message of love, peace, and light, while the musicians serve as the Sun shining light upon her. The audience represents the Earth, also known as the Star People of Earth, completing the metaphorical eclipse. With a marked emphasis on inclusivity and spiritual unity, Lady

EXHIBITS, BOOKS, & RESEARCH Exhibits

Research Poster Session

Friday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm and Saturday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, in the Conference Center Foyer

Saturday, 5:00 - 6:30 pm, in Bellevue

Browse the exhibits to find products and information from businesses and organizations from across the continent. Anthroposophic Health Association Anthroposophical Society in America Association of Waldorf Schools of North America Camphill Association of North America Demeter USA Dr. Mercola EduCareDo High Mowing Organic Seeds NOFA - NY Pendragon Fabrication Pfeiffer Center Portland Ashwagandha Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary Farm Turtle Tree Seed Weston A. Price Foundation / New Trends

Biodynamic Books and Preparations â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Josephine Porter Institute Thursday - Sunday, November 21-24, in the REC Event Center The Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) will be selling biodynamic books, calendars, and preparations Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon in the REC Event Center. JPI will also be available to help or sell items at the bottom of the stairs; please ring the bell at the table for accessible service.

Research posters will be on display Friday morning until Saturday 6:30 pm in Bellevue. Come by to talk with the poster authors during the Research Poster Session on Saturday from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Through the posters we hope to provide a forum for sharing of existing research, cultivate a community of research practice, and inspire others to do their own research. Posters include: Antioxidant Content of Leafy Green Vegetables Grown Sustainably and in a Variety of Media Elizabeth Kaoh, MA, RDN, California State University Northridge Biodynamic Agriculture: The Indian Scenario Regina Sharmila Dass, Assistant Professor of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Pondicherry University, India Biodynamics in Cacao Farming Dyck Cotrina, Founder and Cacao Farmer of the Cacao Revolution Project Inc. Honeybees in the Garden: A Dance with Evolution Grai St. Clair Rice, HoneybeeLives.org, Hudson Valley and New York City In Vitro Antibacterial Effect of Fermented Biodynamic Preparations on Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria Regina Sharmila Dass, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology School of Life Sciences Pondicherry University, India A Journey from the Soil to the Soul Jaspal Singh Chattha, J&P Organic Farm, Punjab, India The Seasonal Complex Glen Atkinson Transitioning Orchards from Conventional to Biodynamic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Biological and Spiritual Reality Mike Biltonen, Know Your Roots LLC Wisdom Working: A Directory of Applied Imagination in the Hudson River Watershed Jordan Walker and Wisdom Working

Full Spectrum CBD Oil

Available in Lemonology, BerryBliss, Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Natural & Mocha Matte

sales@abbychristopher.com

AbbyChristopher.com

262.261.6990

PRESENTERS

Read full presenter bios and see photos at biodynamics.com/conference/2019/presenters.

Jack Algiere

John Bloom

Farm Director at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

Vice President of Organizational Culture at RSF Social Finance

Growing a Circular Economy: Exploring Cultural Solidarity in a Direct Market

and General Secretary of the Anthroposophical Society

Daphne Amory Advisor and Coach for Regenerative Processes Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive

Lia Babitch Co-Manager and Seed Garden Manager at Turtle Tree Seed

The Temple Inverted: An Introduction to Economic Thinking; Anthroposophy 101: Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamics

Stephen Boothroyd Farmer at Camphill Village Copake Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism

Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism

Kathleen Bowen

Drew Baker

Art

Farmer at Old Westminster Winery and Burnt Hill Farm

Kinship with the Land

Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive

Founding Board Member of the Center for Biography and Social

Joseph Brinkley

Lisa Bjorn

Director of Vineyard Operations at Bonterra Organic Vineyards

Farmer at Fulcrum Farm

Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive

Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence

Will Brinton

Marc Blachere

President of Woods End Laboratories

Head Gardener of the Healing Plant Garden at Camphill Village

Is There a Role for Soil Testing on a Biodynamic Farm?

Copake Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism; Social Agriculture and the Camphill Movement

Marney Blair Farmer and Compost Maker at Fulcrum Farm Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence

David Byrnes Owner of Yellow Barn Biodynamic Encompassing Fairness and Social Justice in Demeter Standards; Will Biodynamic Be Bigger than Organic?

Tadeu S.P. Caldas Agronomist Biodynamic Banana Farming

PRESENTERS Stephanie Cesario

Cory Eichman

Production Gardener at Avena Botanicals

Farmer and Educator at Saugeen River CSA

Regenerating Community Apothecaries

Soil: The Heart of the Agricultural Individuality

Tom Cook

Sally Fallon

Biodynamic Practitioner

Author of Nourishing Traditions®: The Cookbook that

Biodynamics and Indigenous Agriculture

Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

Jean-Paul Courtens

Keys to Good Digestion; A Campaign for Real Milk

Founder of Roxbury Farm and 2018 NOFA-NY Farmer of the Year

Spencer Fenniman

Habitat Farming; Drawdown and Biodynamics: Reversing Global Warming

Manager of Hawthorne Valley Farm

Michael D’Aleo

Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice; Biodynamic Dairy Farming

Founding Member of the Saratoga Experiential Natural Science

Camelia Frieberg

Research Institute

Film Producer and Owner of Watershed Farm

Keynote: Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth; Developing Experiential Awareness of the Relationship Between the Heavens and Earth

What Happens Next? Succession Planning

Matthew Davis Farm-Based Educator at Hawthorne Valley Farm Furthering the Development of Farm-Based Education Programs

Malcolm Gardner Editor and Co-Translator of Rudolf Steiner’s Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture The Spiritual-Scientific Foundations of Biodynamic Agriculture

David Gershan

Gloria Decater

Anthroposophical Medicine Practitioner

Farmer at Live Power Farm

Biodynamics and Anthroposophical Medicine

What Happens Next? Succession Planning

Jean-David Derreumaux Medicinal Plant Grower at Churchtown Dairy Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice; Picturing the Medicinal in Plants

Megan Durney

Walter Goldstein Researcher and Founder of the Mandaamin Institute and Nokomis Gold Seed Company Long-Term Research on Biodynamic Preparations and Next Steps

Gabriela Gonzalez-Martinez Founder of Compostas del Duero and Treasurer of Impulso

Head Gardener at the Pfeiffer Center

Biodinamico de México

Keynote: Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality; Biodynamics in Movement; Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence

Biodynamic Composting for Entrepreneurs

PRESENTERS Jennifer Greene

Larisa Jacobson

Founder and Director of the Water Research Institute

Co-Director and Farm Manager

Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth

Field Day at Soul Fire Farm: Seeding Social Justice on the Farm

Gunther Hauk Founder of Spikenard Farm and Author of Toward Saving the

Jill Jakimetz Editor and Researcher at the Institute for Mindful Agriculture

Honeybee

Field Day at Hawthorne Valley Farm, Whitethorn LLC and The Rolling Grocer 19: Growing a Hudson Valley Foodshed

Keynote: Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality; God Save the Queen: Honeybee Breeding and Reproduction; Spiritual Aspects of the Honeybee

Seth Jordan

Sarah Hearn Health Practitioner Supporting Farmer Health and Well-Being

Deirdre Heekin Winegrower and Owner of La Garagista Farm + Winery Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive

Elizabeth Henderson Lead Author of Sharing the Harvest: A Citizenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Community Supported Agriculture and Board Member of NOFA-NY Encompassing Fairness and Social Justice in Demeter Standards

Cynthia Hoven

Co-Founder of Think Outward Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles

Dan Kaplan Farmer at Brookfield Farm Brookfield Farm: 25 Years of Building Sustainable Agriculture, One Apprentice at a Time

Robert (Karp) Karbelnikoff Founder of New Spirit Farmland Partnerships Renewing Social Life Through Biodynamic Principles

Claudia Knab-Vispo Field Botanist for the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program Habitat Farming

Eurythmist, Teacher, Performer, and Therapist

Gary Lamb

Spirit and Matter, Form and Substance: Four Stages of Becoming and the Four Kingdoms of Nature; Biodynamics and Anthroposophical Medicine

Director of the Hawthorne Valley Center for Social Research and Coordinator for the Ethical Technology Initiative Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology

Harald Hoven Founder and Former Director of Raphael Garden at Rudolf

Jonathan Latham

Steiner College

Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Bioscience Resource

Spirit and Matter, Form and Substance: Four Stages of Becoming and the Four Kingdoms of Nature; Seed Saving to Individualize Your Crops

Project and Editor of Independent Science News The Meaning of Life

FARMER TRAINING INSTITUTE FOR MINDFUL AGRICULTURE WORKSHOPS & EVENTS FARM TOURS SUMMER FARM CAMP GROWING SEASON CSA ORGANIC/NATURAL FOODS & GROCERY STORE CREAMERY | BAKERY FERMENTS & MORE!

900 ACRE DEMETER CERTIFIED BIODYNAMIC Â® FARM USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC | ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED

H AW T H O R N E VA L L E Y.O R G | G H E N T N Y 43

PRESENTERS John-Scott Legg

Stephanie Morningstar

Editor of the Biodynamics Journal

Co-Coordinator of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust

The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

and Founder of Sky World Apothecary & Farm

Hugh Lovel

Keynote: From “Good Grief” to “Good Mind”: Illuminating the Constellations of Reciprocal Relationship with Land, Self, and Stars; Five Solutions for Land-Based Wealth Redistribution

Farmer and Author of A Biodynamic Farm, for Growing Wholesome Food and Quantum Agriculture: Biodynamics and Beyond Advanced Biodynamics

Stewart Lundy Farmer at Perennial Roots Farm and Founding President of the Delmarva Farmer’s Union

Arizona Muse International Fashion Model The Power of the Picture: Sharing Biodynamics with the World

Janey Newton Co-Owner of Foxhollow Farm

Microdynamics: Implementing Biodynamic Principles on an Intimate Scale for Homesteads and Gardens

Kinship with the Land

Emerson Martin

Community Educator at Soulfire Farm

Co-Owner of Woven Stars Farm

Field Day at Soul Fire Farm: Seeding Social Justice on the Farm

Multi-Species Pasture Management

Amani Olugbala

Joseluis Ortiz

Mac Mead

Land-Based Agriculturalist and Board Member of the

Program Director at the Pfeiffer Center

Biodynamic Association

Keynote: Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality; Biodynamics in Movement; Introduction to Biodynamics

Encompassing Fairness and Social Justice in Demeter Standards; Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Anthony Mecca Farmer Training Coordinator at the Biodynamic Association Supporting Farmer Health and Well-Being

Kim Pace Duryea Farm Dairy Herd Manager at the Fellowship Community Compost: Order, Chaos, Re-Emergence

Klaus Merckens Agronomist and Biodynamic Advisor Biodynamic Banana Farming

Leigh Merinoff Meadows Bee Farm Field Day at Meadows Bee Farm: Land-Based Stewardship, Youth Education, and Community

Tess Parker Programs Assistant for the Anthroposophical Society and Gardener at the Pasadena Waldorf School Anthroposophy 101: Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamics

Matt Pearson Farm Manager at Churchtown Dairy Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice

PRESENTERS Leah Penniman

Ian Robb

Educator, Food Justice Activist, Co-Executive Director of Soul Fire

Vineyard Manager and Winemaker at Johan Vineyards

Farm, and Author of Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land

Field Day at Camphill Village Copake: Social Agriculture and the Farm Organism

Keynote: Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism; Black Faith Matters: The Spirit Ecology of African Agrarianism

Nicki Robb

Gabriela Pereyra Beginning Farmer Program Manager at GrowNYC’s FARMroots Program Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Aaron Perry

Director of The Land Stewardship Program at the Hartsbrook School Furthering the Development of Farm-Based Education Programs

Karen Romanowski Farmer at Brookfield Farm

Author of Y on Earth: Get Smarter, Feel Better, Heal the Planet

Brookfield Farm: 25 Years of Building Sustainable Agriculture, One Apprentice at a Time

Massively Mobilizing Biodynamic Soil Stewardship: Education, Community Action, and the Transformational Power of Guided Consumer Demand

Laura Scappaticci

Michael Phillips

Anthroposophy 101: Philosophical and Spiritual Foundations of Biodynamics

Farmer at Lost Nation Orchard and Author of The Apple Grower, The Holistic Orchard, and Mycorrhizal Planet: How Fungi and Plants Work Together to Create Dynamic Soils Fungal Consciousness

René Piamonte Agronomist and Biodynamic Advisor Biodynamic Banana Farming

Jeff Poppen CSA Farmer at Lost Hungry Creek Farm and Author of The Best of the Barefoot Farmer, Vol. 1 and 2 Core Principles and Practices of Making and Using All of the Preparations, Parts 1 and 2

Dan Rinke Vineyard Manager and Winemaker at Johan Vineyards Soil to Cellar: Biodynamic Wine and Cider Intensive

Director of Programs for the Anthroposophical Society

Rachel Schneider Farm-Based Educator at Hawthorne Valley Farm and Founder of the Farm Learning Center Field Day at Hawthorne Valley Farm, Whitethorn LLC and The Rolling Grocer 19: Growing a Hudson Valley Foodshed; What Happens Next? Succession Planning; Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology

Steffen Schneider Director Emeritus of Farm Operations at Hawthorne Valley Association Field Day at Hawthorne Valley Farm, Whitethorn LLC and The Rolling Grocer 19: Growing a Hudson Valley Foodshed; Biodynamics, Earth Evolution, and the Future of Technology

Laurie Seeman Environmental Artist, Naturalist, Educator, and Leading Water Activist Knowing Water, Knowing Ourselves: A Dynamic Path Toward Healing the Earth

W I N E S & V I N E YA R D S

Biodynamically grown grapes from our Alexander Valley Estate.

Learn more at ecoterreno.com

Plant-rich personal care, from head to toe

CERTIFIED NATURAL PERSONAL CARE

PRESENTERS Christoph Simpfendörfer

Darby Weaver

General Secretary of Demeter International

Farmer in Northern Vermont

Training and Research in Biodynamic Farming; Fair Trade and Social Standards; Demeter-International: A Developing Organization

Introduction to the Farm Body

Ethan Soloviev CIO at How Good Will Biodynamic Be Bigger than Organic?

Deb Soule Founder of Avena Botanicals and Author of The Woman’s Handbook of Healing Herbs and How to Move Like a Gardener Regenerating Community Apothecaries

Sarah Weber Research Program and Bridging the Americas at the Biodynamic Association Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Sherry Wildfeuer Adult Educator and Editor of the Stella Natura Biodynamic Planting Calendar Introduction to the Agriculture Section; Working with a Biodynamic Planting Calendar; The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

Thomas Spaulding President of Angelic Organics Association

Çaca Yvaire

Drawdown and Biodynamics: Reversing Global Warming; Cultural Shift 2050: Latinx Farm-Workers to Farm-Owners

Co-Coordinator of the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust

Matthew Spiegler Head Cheesemaker at Churchtown Dairy

and Poet, Designer, and Tracker Keynote: From “Good Grief” to “Good Mind”: Illuminating the Constellations of Reciprocal Relationship with Land, Self, and Stars; Five Solutions for Land-Based Wealth Redistribution

Field Day at Churchtown Dairy and Hawthorne Valley Farm: Exploring Biodynamic Dairy Practice

Alex Tuchman Co-Director at Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary Keynote: Relating Within the Being of the Farm Individuality; God Save the Queen: Honeybee Breeding and Reproduction; The Spiritual Foundation of Biodynamics

Sea-Anna Vasilas Member of the Eurythmy Spring Valley Faculty and Ensemble Biodynamics in Movement

Conrad Vispo Wildlife Ecologist for the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program Habitat Farming

BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION

Some of the BDA board and staff before the 2018 Biodynamic Conference in Portland, Oregon

The Biodynamic Association awakens and enlivens co-creative relationships between humans and the earth, transforming the practice and culture of agriculture to renew the vitality of the earth, the integrity of our food, and the health and wholeness of our communities.

Our Work to Transform Agriculture With a membership of 1700+ people across the United States, Canada, and a number of other countries, the Biodynamic Association works to nurture a diverse, collaborative, and thriving ecosystem of people from all professions who are aligned with the transformative potential of biodynamics. We aim to incubate strong leadership in the biodynamic community; grow the community of biodynamic farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and land stewards; communicate the powerful vision of biodynamics and the potential it holds for the Earth; and nurture the deep spiritual roots and insights of biodynamics. Farmers, gardeners, land stewards, entrepreneurs, investors, and food lovers can find introductory information about biodynamics on our website, www.biodynamics.com, and delve deeper through monthly webinars, online courses, and our year-long Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year. Our annual North American Biodynamic Conference, held this year in Upstate New York November 20-24, offers rich education, community building, and connection with 800+ participants each year. The Biodynamic Association actively collaborates with many businesses, other nonprofit organizations, and individuals to advance the field of biodynamic and regenerative agriculture. Please join us as a member or organizational partner -- together we can create incredible transformation.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement In order to fulfill the Biodynamic Association’s mission above, we believe the BDA must recognize and play a key role in transforming the historical and contemporary injustices faced by both humans and the earth. We are active in our inquiry into the sources of and solutions to injustice, as part of our work and relationship to land. Read the full statement at www.biodynamics.com/ content/biodynamic-association-diversity- equity-and-inclusion-statement (adopted August 2018 and revised July 2019).

Core Beliefs Learn more about our “Core Beliefs Underlying Our Work in the World” and “Core Beliefs Underlying How We Work as an Organization “ at www.biodynamics.com/our-core-beliefs.

BIODYNAMIC ASSOCIATION Board of Directors Osiris Abrego Plata (Facilitator)—California

Claudia J. Ford—State University of New York-Potsdam, New York

Daphne Amory (President)—Daphne Amory Consulting, California

Greg Georgaklis (Vice President)—Farmers To You, Vermont

David Byrnes (Treasurer)—Yellow Barn Biodynamic, New York

Joseluis Ortiz—La Plazita Institute, New Mexico

Don Bustos—Santa Cruz Farm, New Mexico

Kaitlin Voellinger (Secretary)—Wegmans Organic Farm, New York

Megan Durney—The Pfeiffer Center, New York

Our Team Deb Black—Wisconsin Conference Registration Volunteer Rebecca Briggs—Oregon Communications, Website, and Media rebecca@biodynamics.com, x3 Thea Maria Carlson—California Executive Director thea@biodynamics.com, x5 Sophie D’Anieri—Iowa Spanish Language Communications, Scholarships, Conference Children’s Education sophie@biodynamics.com, x15 Kaitlin Downs—Wisconsin Conference Workshops, Business Partner Support, Community Connections kaitlin@biodynamics.com, x8 Raphael Guzman—New York Biodynamic Education, Conference Volunteers, and Special Events Organizer raphael@biodynamics.com, x13

John-Scott Legg—New York Journal Editor john-scott@biodynamics.com Anna McAvoy-Emrick—Michigan Conference, Finances, and Operations anna@biodynamics.com, x4 Anthony Mecca—New York Farmer Training anthony@biodynamics.com, x14 Penny Molina—Wisconsin Business Partnerships penny@biodynamics.com, x7 Tonya Taylor—North Carolina Conference, Fundraising, and Membership tonya@biodynamics.com, x2 Sarah Weber—British Columbia, Canada Research Program, Bridging Initiatives sarah@biodynamics.com, x10

Zachary Krebs—Oregon Technology zachary@biodynamics.com

Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition

WEBINAR Inner and Outer Preparation for the Biodynamic Three King’s Prep

A straightforward, holistic approach to the honeybee crisis that is even more necessary now than ever Biodynamic teacher, gardener, and beekeeper Gunther Hauk lights the way forward for anyone concerned about the future of our planet.

Available at the JPI bookstore in the REC Event Center or steiner.presswarehouse.com.

December 4 from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm ET with Lisa Romero and Anthony Mecca

BIODYNAMICS.COM/WEBINARS

• No Sulfites Added • Vegan Friendly • Gluten Free

From America’s First Certified Biodynamic Winery

F rey V ineyards organic & biodynamic wine since 1980

800.760.3739 50

FreyWine.com

Biodynamic Association members are making EXPLORE

Deepen your understanding of biodynamic principles, practices, and philosophy through the Biodynamics journal, online resources, and discounted participation in BDA webinars, courses, and conferences

transformative change in the world CONNECT

Meet and engage with other biodynamic enthusiasts across the continent in member conversation salons, the online directory and forums, and in-person conferences and events

TRANSFORM

Join with thousands of others to show your support for biodynamic and regenerative agriculture and your dedication to healing the Earth through agriculture

Visit us at the BDA table in the Conference Center Lobby or join online at biodynamics.com/membership or by calling (262) 649-9212 x2

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Children and Families at the Conference We are a family-friendly conference and encourage children to participate! Children are welcome throughout the conference accompanied by a parent. All children must be registered for the conference. In consideration of other participants, please encourage your children to entertain themselves quietly while they are in session rooms and take children outside if they need to run around, sing, or do other things that might disrupt others’ learning.

Children’s Program, Ages 6-15

8:30 am - 6:00 pm Thursday - Saturday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Sunday We will be providing an engaging and educational children’s program for the 2019 Biodynamic Conference in the Bayview room. Workshops will be held from Thursday morning to Sunday morning and will be led by biodynamic educators and Waldorf teachers. The program will include workshops such as painting with natural watercolors and dyes, drumming, medicinal herb and plant education, compost and soil activities, songs, games, and more. For full details, pick up a list of workshops and presenters from the registration desk or in the Bayview room. Children will be supervised, but will need to be picked up by their parents during mealtime. Children must be signed into and out of all workshop sessions. They can be dropped off 10 minutes prior to the start of each session and must be picked up no later than 10 minutes after the session’s conclusion. Outside of the children’s workshop times, a parent must accompany their child(ren) at all times.

Early Childhood Program, Ages 0-5 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Friday - Saturday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm Sunday

This program will provide flexible childcare support for young children in the Crown Island room. Educators will supervise, play, and lead activities with children during the majority of all main conference events. Families are welcome to join in with their children or take time from main conference activities to rest in the space. Families are welcome to be in the space for the entirety of the morning or afternoon sessions or only stay for parts. There will be a qualified early childhood educator and a volunteer in the space for the majority of main conference events. There will also be books, puzzles, board games, and arts and crafts materials available for use.

All children in this age range who are out of diapers can be left with the childcare provider without their parent/guardian. Children who are not yet potty-trained, however, should be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times when in this space.

Children’s Meals Children and families are welcome to join us for all conference meals. Meal tickets must be purchased in advance at registration—a reduced rate is available for ages 6-14. Children ages 5 and younger eat free with a paying adult.

Breastfeeding You are welcome to breastfeed your child or express milk anywhere at the conference. If you would like more privacy, please ask a staff member to assist you in finding a place.

Restrooms All restrooms are designated as gender neutral for the duration of the Biodynamic Conference. Signs on restroom doors note the availability of changing tables.

Para Apoya en Español Para apoya en español, por favor vaya a la tabla de registro o póngase en contacto con Sophie D’Anieri. For support in Spanish, please go to the registration table or contact Sophie D’Anieri.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION Registration The registration desk is located in the Conference Center Lobby, on the right when you enter the door. It will be open at the following times during the conference. Please stop by with any questions or ot make changes to your registration. Wednesday, Nov. 20 Thursday, Nov. 21 Friday, Nov. 22 Saturday, Nov. 23 Sunday, Nov. 24

7:00 am - 6:00 pm 7:00 am - 6:00 pm 7:00 am - 7:30 pm 7:00 am - 7:30 pm 7:30 am - 9:30 am

You can also find all your registration information (including your 3-day themed workshop choice) online by logging in at www.biodynamics.com. Once you’re logged in, you will see “Your 2019 Conference Registration Details” on your account page, and you will be able to reach this at any time by clicking on your name in the brown bar at the top of the site.

Internet Free wireless internet is available in conference rooms at the Sagamore Resort.

Biodynamic Books and Preparations — Josephine Porter Institute The Josephine Porter Institute (JPI) will be selling biodynamic books, calendars, and preparations Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon in the REC Event Center, except during the themed sessions on Friday through Sunday mornings. JPI will also be available to help or sell items at the bottom of the stairs; please ring the bell at the table for accessible service.

Message Board, Exhibits, and Free Literature A message board will be available for attendees at the doors to the REC Event Center. Exhibitors will be located in the Conference Center Foyer. See page 38 for more information. Free literature and Business and Community Partner information tables will be located in the Ballroom.

Evaluations Photography and Audio and Video Recordings This conference will be recorded through photography and video and audio recordings, which may be used for archival purposes, BDA electronic and print communications and publications, and promotion of future conferences. If you have any concerns about this policy, please talk with someone at the registration tables. Audio and video recordings of keynotes and most workshops are available for sale. Please visit the Biodynamic Association membership table and sales table to learn more and to place an order.

We greatly appreciate your conference feedback on our evaluation forms. You received a paper form with your registration packet, which you may return to either the registration tables or the BDA sales table. You may also fill out the evaluation online during or after the conference at www.biodynamics.com/conference/2019/eval (or click the “Submit Evaluation” on the main conference page). And, of course, we’d love to hear from you at any point with thoughts or suggestions. Thank you! Biodynamic Association PO Box 557 East Troy, WI 53120 (262) 649-9212 info@biodynamics.com

THANK YOU SCHOLARSHIP FUND DONORS FOR INVESTING IN THE FUTURE! More than 100 individuals and businesses have given over $90,000 to the Biodynamic Scholarship Fund and Christopher Mann Biodynamic Scholarship Fund this year! On behalf of the 100+ farmers, educators, and activists who are here at the Biodynamic Conference on scholarship, and many others who will be able to participate in the Biodynamic Farmer Foundation Year and other biodynamic training, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who so generously invested in the future of these emerging biodynamic stewards, including the following donors who gave $500 or more: Anthroposophical Society of America Agriculture Section Connoils Eco Terreno Wines Frey Vineyards Geary Rimmer Vincent Wolf Foundation Green Pastures Esther Hallam

Kimberton Whole Foods Littorai Winery The Family of Christopher and Martina Mann Joanna Miller Janey Newton Serenity Grace Farm Ann West Anonymous (2)

The Earth desperately needs more people practicing biodynamics.

YOU can give them the tools they need. Biodynamics re-weaves relationships between people and the Earth. Biodynamics builds healthy living soil and brings more carbon into the living realm. Biodynamics generates nutritionally dense and flavorful food that nourishes bodies, souls, and spirits.

To meet the growing need for biodynamic training and education, we must raise $50,000 by January 15. You can empower courageous individuals to heal the connection between human beings and the natural world through biodynamic agriculture Please give generously today at biodynamics.com/donate, call (262) 649-9212, ext 2, or mail your donation to Biodynamic Association, PO Box 557, East Troy, WI 53120. Photos by BDA staff and Broken Banjo Photography

2 9

Registration 3 1 Conference Center Foyer

2 Workshops

Conference Center and lower level of the Main Hotel

Meals

Bayview

(Thurs eve -Sun)

(Wed 2 - Thurs) All Wednesday meals & Thursday Breakfast & Lunch will be served in the Conference Center ballroom

Meals

Opening Celebration Tasting & All Friday through Sunday meals will be served in the Event Center

Fire Pit

7 4

ChildrenĘźs Program In Bayview building for ages 6 - 14

Exhibits 5 Conference Center Foyer

Early Childhood Care for ages 0-5 will be available in Crown Island (in lower level of Main Hotel)

Ballroom of Conference Center

& Research Posters

Keynote Presentations

Bookstore 7 Event Center Loft

main level of Hotel

BIPOC Space 9 Empire Room,