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Biodynamic Gardening Heals the Earth
By Frank LeBeau
In the early 1920s European farmers had already begun
to notice the negative effects of using chemical fertilizers
on their land. Crop diseases, insect pests, and infertility
in livestock had reduced vitality and yields on certain
farms. In response to these worsening conditions a group
of Polish farmers enlisted the help of Rudolph Steiner,
a highly respected Austrian scientist, philosopher and
educator. In the summer of 1924 Steiner presented his
recommendations in a set of lectures on agriculture that
came to be known as Biodynamics.
Steiner, who had a PHD in Natural Science, offered an
ecological solution to their problems. He perceived the
farm as an integrated web of life that included not only
the plants animals, humans and soil, but also the more
subtle but highly influencial forces that radiated from
the heavens.
Steiner recommended these beseiged farmers to stop using
chemically based fertilizers and instead apply a natural
compost, enlivened by specially prepared additions of
flowers and herbs. As a curative medicine for the damage
already incured, he prescribed two homeopathic remedies,
manure and ground quartz, each placed inside cow horns
and buried in the earth for a year. Small portions of
these substances were then added to water, stirred vigorously
for an hour to potentize them, and then sprayed on the
land.
By applying these procedures, and following the harmonic
rhythms of the moon and stars, these biodynamic farmers
restored the health and productivity of their farms. Steiner's
unusual methods were derived from his university training,
direct observations of nature and insights from his clairvoyant
perceptions into the spiritual world. They combined the
ancient wisdom of past civilizations, who understood the
connections of all life on earth to the larger cosmos,
with a modern scientific understanding of chemistry and
phyics.
Biodynamic farming has been practised worldwide for 80
years, first spreading throughout Europe and then making
its way to Australia and New Zealand where over two million
acreas are now farmed biodynamically. Scientific studies
have proven that the biodynamic method produces equivalent
yields and more nutritious crops than conventional methods,
and without the negative consequences of using toxic chemicals.
In recent years many California winegrowers have adopted
Steiner's methods because they can produced superior,
award-winning wines in a highly competitive industry.
In our attemps to save Mother Earth, to grow healthy food
and protect our environment, Biodynmics is the most sustainable
option. It can be applied on large scale farms or in backyard
vegetable gardens and landscapes. It is, as Rudolph Steiner
intended, a medicine that can heal the earth.
For further information or to sign up for a Biodynamic
workshop, call Brick City Gardens at 314 472-5881 or email
brickcitygardens@yahoo.com.
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