What Is Biodynamics?

Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food and

nutrition.Biodynamics was first developed in the early 1920s based on the spiritual insights and practical

suggestions of the Austrian writer, educator and social activist Dr. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), whose

philosophy is called “anthroposophy(link is external).” Today, the biodynamic movement

encompasses thousands of successful gardens, farms, vineyards and agricultural operations of all

kinds and sizes on all continents, in a wide variety of ecological and economic settings.

Biodynamic farmers strive to create a diversified, balanced farm ecosystem that generates health and

fertility as much as possible from within the farm itself. Preparations made from fermented manure,

minerals and herbs are used to help restore and harmonize the vital life forces of the farm and to

enhance the nutrition, quality and flavor of the food being raised. Biodynamic practitioners also recognize

and strive to work in cooperation with the subtle influences of the wider cosmos on soil, plant and

animal health.

Most biodynamic initiatives seek to embody triple bottom line approaches (ecological, social and

economic sustainability), taking inspiration from Steiner’s insights into social and economic life as well

as agriculture. Community supported agriculture (CSA), for example, was pioneered by biodynamic

farmers, and many biodynamic practitioners work in creative partnerships with other farms and with

schools, medical and wellness facilities, restaurants, hotels, homes for social therapy and other

organizations. Biodynamics is thus not just a holistic agricultural system but also a potent movement

for new thinking and practices in all aspects of life connected to food and agriculture.

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.

Introduction to Biodynamics: Deep Organic

By Robert Karp and Thea Maria Carlson

Originally published on the Whole Foods Market blog(link is external) on March 2, 2015

If you are a concerned eater or

farmer, you should know about biodynamics. Biodynamics is a farm-forward approach to healing the

planet through conscious agriculture.

Biodynamic agriculture requires integrated, holistic management of a farm’s ecosystem.

Biodynamic farmers manage their farms—including fields, woods, wetlands, plants, animals and

people—as a self-contained, self-sustaining organism. They don’t use GMOs, synthetic chemicals,

fertilizers or pesticides.

Biodynamics was developed in central Europe in the early 1920s by the Austrian philosopher and social

reformer Rudolf Steiner; it is now practiced on more than 350,000 acres of farmland in 47 countries.

Steiner was one of the pioneers of the organic farming movement, and biodynamics is considered by

many to be the most advanced and holistic form of farming and gardening on the planet. Steiner’s insights

have also led to innovative movements in a number of other fields such as education (Waldorf Schools),

medicine, finance and social therapy.

Steiner developed biodynamics in partnership with a group of farmers who were concerned with the

decline in soil and animal health that they were witnessing on their farms. This was just at the time when

a highly mechanistic view of nature was beginning to take hold in agriculture, which led to the

development and use of synthetically produced nitrogen fertilizers. Steiner was one of the first public

figures to warn that the widespread use of chemical fertilizers would lead to the decline of soil, plant and

animal health and the subsequent devitalization of food.

Biodynamics is based on a view of

nature as a living, self-sustaining organism that unites material, biological and spiritual elements.

Biodynamics came to North America in the early 1930s, and over the past 75 years, its practitioners have

played a key role in the renewal of agriculture here, helping pioneer the early organic farming movement;

inspiring the work of Silent Spring author Rachel Carson; and starting the first community-supported

agriculture (CSA) programs. Founded in 1938, the Biodynamic Association supports this growing and

vital movement through conferences, a journal, farmer training and research.

Biodynamic methods are designed to stimulate and sustain the farm’s inherent fertility, health and terroir

through the integration of crops and livestock, the restoration of on-farm biodiversity, and thoughtful

cooperation with the influences of the sun, moon and planets on the earth.

Biodynamic farmers strive to find a balance and diversity of crops and livestock that enables the farm to

be as self-sustaining as possible. Animals are stocked at a rate so that their manure provides adequate

fertility for the crops being grown, and sufficient acreage is devoted to pasture and forage to provide for

the needs of the animals. Thus, imported fertilizers and feeds are kept to a minimum, and this contributes

both to the ecological health of the farm and the development of a true farm “individuality” that is a

coherent whole.

Biodynamics also incorporates the use of nine preparations made from fermented manure, herbs (yarrow,

chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, valerian and horsetail) and the mineral silica. The

biodynamic preparations are used as field sprays and in the making of compost to stimulate specific

processes within the farm. The preparations enhance the beneficial effects of good farming practices and

have been shown to help remediate the impact of pollution and balance the effects of extreme weather.1

Another unique aspect of

biodynamic agriculture is the attention paid to the influences and rhythms of the sun, moon and

planets.

Just as the moon creates the tides in our oceans, each of these celestial bodies has subtle influences on the

growth and development of plants and animals. Based on Steiner’s insights and subsequent research, a

number of biodynamic calendars have been developed that offer indications for optimal times for sowing,

cultivating and harvesting, based on the cyclical changes in the positions of the celestial bodies in relation

to the earth.

Biodynamics is ultimately not just a set of alternative agricultural methods but a way of seeing and

understanding the natural world. Steiner called for and pioneered a new form of science—which he called

spiritual science—that could grapple with both the material and nonmaterial or spiritual aspects of reality.

Biodynamic farmers work to develop their capacity to sense and observe the more subtle forces at work in

nature, and to use their own insights to further enhance the vitality of their farms. The biodynamic

methods are thus in a continuous state of evolution and individualization.

As part of his work on a new approach to science, Steiner also developed, together with a number of

colleagues, a set of unique, scientific methods for demonstrating the presence of life forces in nature and

for evaluating the quality and vitality of food and soil. These methods, sometimes called the “picture-

forming methods,” are finding growing acceptance in scientific circles in Europe. These and other

traditional forms of scientific research have consistently demonstrated the benefits of biodynamic

methods.2

Most biodynamic farms also seek to

embody innovative approaches to the economic dimension of the farm, taking inspiration from Steiner’s

insights into social and economic life that emphasized the need for cooperation and transparency. The aim

to create associative economic relationships between farms and consumers sparked the CSA movement,

which originated with biodynamic farms and has now been taken up by more than 6,000 farms in the

United States. Many biodynamic practitioners also work in creative partnerships with other farms and

with schools, medical and wellness facilities, restaurants, hotels, homes for social therapy and other

community-based organizations.

Biodynamics has an independent certification system managed worldwide by Demeter

International and in the United States by Demeter USA.

Demeter certification in this country uses the USDA organic standards as a foundation and then adds

additional requirements. For example, the Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standard requires the healthy

integration of crops and livestock on the farm, as well as a certain amount of wild or uncultivated land as

part of its biodiversity requirement. It also requires use of the biodynamic preparations described above.

In addition, Demeter certification must encompass all aspects of the whole farm.3

The vitality of our food, farms and communities has been depleted by the modern industrial agricultural

system. Biodynamics offers a pathway into deep agricultural renewal. It is a way of seeing, a way of

farming, and a way of creating community that restores the very heart of what it means to be human on

Earth.

For more information about biodynamics and how you can get involved, please contact the Biodynamic

Association at www.biodynamics.com.

Robert Karp and Thea Maria Carlson are Co-Directors at the Biodynamic Association.

A HOLISTIC WAY OF

UNDERSTANDING THE

NATURAL WORLD

Biodynamics is a holistic approach to farming and gardening that takes organic principles to a

whole new level. It is about much more than simply not using things like chemical fertilizers,

pesticides, or herbicides. While biodynamic farmers do follow organic practices, they expand

upon these by managing their farms (including fields, woods, wetlands, plants, animals, and

people) as an interconnected whole. A biodynamic farm is an “individuality” that reflects the

unique qualities of its particular place, climate, and community.

Biodynamics is agriculture as stewardship, working with the ecological, ethical, and spiritual

aspects of farms and gardens to restore the integrity of the natural environment to enhance the

quality, flavor, and nutrition of food. Initiated 90 years ago through the work of Austrian

philosopher and social reformer Rudolf Steiner, biodynamics is practices all over the world.

Since the 1930’s, biodynamic practitioners have played a key role in the renewal of agriculture in

North America — from helping to pioneer the early organic movement, to inspiring the work of

Silent Spring author Rachel Carson, to starting the first community supported agriculture (CSA)

programs in the U.S. in the 1980’s.

Biodynamic methods are designed to stimulate the farm’s inherent fertility, health, and terroir

through the integration of crops and livestock, the restoration of on-farm biodiversity, and

thoughtful cooperation with the influences of the sun, moon, and plants on the earth. Biodynamic

farmers strive for a balance and diversity of crops and livestock so that the farm may become as

self-sustaining as possible. In addition, they incorporate nine preparations made from fermented

manure, herbs (yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, valerian, and horsetail),

and the mineral silica. They also learn from and adopt the lessons of alternative farming

techniques from the wider sustainable and ecological agriculture community.

Beyond these practices, biodynamics is ultimately about a new way of seeing, understanding,

and working with both the material and non-material aspects of our world. Toward this end,

biodynamic farmers also work to develop their capacity to sense and observe the subtle forces at

work in nature and to use their own insights to enhance the vitality of their farms. For this

reason, biodynamic methods are not set in stone, but rather are in a continuous state of evolution

and individualization.

To counter the growing depletion of the vitality of our food, farms, and communities by the

modern industrial agricultural system, we need more than an alternative lifestyle movement. We

need more than anti-GMO activism and a big toolbox of alternative farming techniques, valuable

as those are. We need a revolutionary new way of understanding nature and the role of

agriculture in the life of society. We need deep medicine for the land, for our communities, and

for ourselves. Biodynamics offers a pathway into deep agricultural renewal. It is a way of seeing,

a way of farming, and a way of creating community that restores the very heart of what it means

to be human on earth.

Thea is a farmer, organizer, educator, and artist with roots in California and the

Midwest. She joined the Biodynamic Association while farming with Turtle Creek Gardens in

2011, and continued to balance both roles until she became Co-Director. Her previous work

includes teaching gardening, nutrition and beekeeping; developing community and educational

gardens in California, Chicago and Maine; organizing strategic communications training

programs for nonprofit leaders; and farming with Blue House Farm and Mendocino Organics.

Thea earned a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University, a permaculture design certificate

from Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and is trained in the Art of Hosting. Her photography

graced the covers of the Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 issues of Biodynamics, and was featured in

A Sense of Place, a collaborative exhibition between The Greenhorns and 18 Reasons.

The Science Behind Biodynamics Organic Agriculture July 26, 2011

eOrganic author:

Dr. Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources,

Washington State University

Biodynamics (BD) is experiencing an upsurge in interest, along with related organic and

sustainable farming practices. However, BD has some unique aspects that are poorly

understood and steeped in myth. Biodynamics may not be the cure-all that some

practitioners claim it to be, but the BD system clearly holds potential to improve

agricultural and horticultural production and to teach us about beneficial microorganisms

and biochemistry.

What is Biodynamics, and What is it Used For?

Biodynamics is an esoteric approach to agriculture created by Austrian philosopher

Rudolf Steiner. Steiner was also the father of the philosophy “anthroposophy,”

anthroposophic art, anthroposophic medicine, Waldorf schools, Camphill communities,

Eurythmy dance, and several other movements in science and culture. In 1924 a group

of farmers concerned with declining soil and food quality approached Steiner for a

solution. Steiner, neither a farmer nor a scientist, drew on traditional European farming

mythology and new impulses from anthroposophy to build BD. Biodynamics was

envisioned to not only produce ample food and fiber, but also to heal and nourish the

people who depend on these products by healing the soil, plants, animals, and earth.

Biodynamic farming has much in common with organic agriculture. Both systems

disallow synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and require a 3-year transition period. Farms

can be certified as biodynamic by Demeter USA. Some farms are co-certified as both

organic and biodynamic. Demeter biodynamic certification does have requirements in

addition to those for organic certification, such as a minimum of 10% farm area for

biodiversity preservation, reduction in off-farm inputs, and use of the BD preparations.

Some, but not all, biodynamic farms use astrological calendars and other cosmic

indicators to determine the timing of farm activities such as planting and harvesting.

Biodynamic farming is not only a set of methods; it is also a philosophical system

relating to the overall structure of the farm. Biodynamics is at its heart based on the

creation of a farm that functions holistically as an intact organism with its soil, animals,

humans, and plants acting as “organs of a living organism.” The health of the farm

organism depends on each organ working properly in concert with the others, as well as

with its environment. Energies must flow between the human, animal, plant, mineral,

and the cosmic. Following these ideals creates agriculture that is, as far as possible,

self-supporting. Biodynamic farms attempt to form a nearly closed system, with as much

of its inputs (such as fertilizers) as possible coming from within the farm. For instance,

compost and legumes supply most fertilizer needs, and control of weeds and pests is

generally achieved through mechanical or physical controls, homeopathy, rotations, and

other non-commercial means. Crop growth depends on organic soil fertility, which

depends in turn on well-managed livestock. Demeter-certified farms must include

livestock or have a close relationship with a nearby livestock farm.

Biodynamic management has been shown to benefit overall soil quality, increase

available N and P in soil, and increase earthworm and/or microbial populations as

compared to conventional agricultural management (Reganold et al., 1993; Carpenter-

Boggs et al., 2000c; Zaller and Köpke, 2004; Fließbach et al., 2007). Most of these

benefits are likely due to increased use of compost, legumes, and other organic inputs

to the soil. Large changes in soil chemistry or crop production due to use of the BD

preparations are generally not observed in short-term studies (Carpenter-Boggs et al.,

2000b), but growing populations of BD growers claim to have increased soil fertility.

Biodynamic Preparations

Biodynamic farms are unique in their use of the homeopathic BD preparations (Table 1).

The preparations are made from common plants and materials (Table 1), but each

undergoes a unique fermentation process before use. For instance, the best known

preparation, Preparation 500 (the “cow horn preparation”), is made by stuffing a well-

formed cow horn with manure from a healthy cow, burying this horn in the ground in the

fall, and uncovering it in spring. The material is transformed over winter to a fine, rich

compost-like material that is then used at a very low dose. Approximately 2 Tbsp is

intensively stirred into water for 1 hr, then sprayed onto 1 acre of soil just prior to

planting. Preparation 500 is said to prepare the soil to support seedling and plant

growth. Preparations 501 and 508 are used to increase the effect of light on the plants

and reduce plant disease, particularly foliar fungal diseases.

Table 1. Main ingredients of Biodynamic preparations.

Field and Crop Spray Preparations Compost Preparations

Preparation Number Main Ingredient Preparation Number Main Ingredient

500 Cow Manure 502 Yarrow

501 Silica 503 Chamomile

508 Equisetum 504 Stinging Nettle

505 Oak bark

506 Dandelion buds

507 Valerian

The unique BD compost preparations have also been the subject of a few studies,

which have usually found them to cause slightly higher temperature, slightly faster

decomposition, and retention of more of the initial nutrients (Heinze and Breda, 1978;

Reeve et al., 2010). In my own research, we could detect differences in the microbial

communities between compost made with and without the BD compost preparations

(Carpenter-Boggs et al., 2000a), as well as in soils fertilized with BD compost vs.

untreated compost (Carpenter-Boggs et al., 2000c).

How Might BD Preparations Work?

The likely primary modes of operation for BD preparations are: nutrient addition

(primarily micronutrient), microbial inoculation, plant immunity stimulation, plant

hormones, and microbial signaling.

BD preparations do contain some nutrients, but in extremely small amounts. The small

amount of preparation material used cannot account for any measurable effect on soil

macro- or micronutrient content. It is essentially impossible that applications of

preparations onto soil will have any measurable effect on macronutrient or even

micronutrient content. Using foliar application, however, small amounts of nutrients can

be directly applied to and taken up by plants. Micronutrients can have significant benefit

to plants when applied even at very low concentrations if that particular nutrient is not

yet adequate for the plant’s growth stage. Foliar fertilization, whether by commercial or

alternative materials, should be guided by plant tissue nutrient analysis or known

nutrient deficiencies.

BD preparations could change the plant or soil microbial community directly, through

inoculation, or indirectly, by changing the habitat or by stimulating microbial growth. A

change or increase in microbial community could cause either detriments, such as

disease, or benefits, such as increased availability of nutrients from the soil. The

organisms in BD preparations are added to the microbial community on the plant or soil

surface. Typically, any added microbes will be short-lived without the proper

environment. Available food and habitat will determine the size and make-up of the

microbial community over the long term. Repeated application combined with habitat

enhancement is usually necessary to cause a lasting change in the soil microbial

community (Fig. 1).

Figure 1. General effects of soil inoculation. Figure credit: Lynne Carpenter-Boggs,

Washington State University.

Although it is difficult to directly change microbial communities, the community make-up

and/or its activities can be affected by microbial signaling. Microorganisms

communicate with each other by several means, including through volatile or diffusible

molecules. Individual microbes can release tiny amounts of hormones, signals, and

other chemicals that may induce a change in the activities of neighboring microbes.

Antibiotics are a well-known example, and are produced by many soil and compost

microbes to reduce the growth of other populations. The chemistry and complexity of

microbial signaling is a new frontier in microbiology.

Another reason BD preparations are gaining popularity and interest is for disease

inhibition. Preparations may suppress plant pathogenic organisms through competition,

predation, antagonism of microbes in the preparations, or inhibitory compounds from

the microorganisms. Some materials can also induce “systemic resistance” in plants.

This is similar to a plant vaccination or overall immune system stimulation. Typical plant

responses to pathogenic attack such as production of chitinase (an enzyme that breaks

down fungal cell walls) and thickening of plant defensive cell walls can be stimulated

PRIOR to actual attack by a pathogen. When and if a pathogen does attack, the plant is

primed for defense, and stands a much better chance of survival. This systemic

resistance has been found to be induced by many materials such as soluble silica

solutions (Fig. 2) (Chérif et al. 1994; Fauteux et al., 2005). Biodynamic preparation 501

is made by finely grinding and fermenting quartz or feldspar, and may represent a

traditional method of inducing plant systemic resistance.

Figure 2. Plant immunity stimulation after treatment with silica spray. Figure credit:

Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Washington State University.

Plant hormone applications are not uncommon in horticultural production. They are

used to induce budding, induce rooting, or change plant physiology in other ways.

Several studies have identified plant hormones, such as auxins and cytokinins in BD

preparations, or documented hormone-like effects on plants (Stern, 1976).

Testing BD on the Farm

The use of BD methods and preparations on thousands of farms suggests that there

can be real benefits. Successful use of any new material should be accompanied with

on-farm experimentation and diligent record keeping. List the materials or methods

you'd like to compare. Always include a “negative control,” an area or set of plants that

receives no treatment or only water spray, and a “positive control” or your usual method.

You may want to try several variations on the new material or method, such as using

three different composts in addition to your usual fertilizer "positive control" and

unfertilized "negative control". Apply each treatment to several (preferably 3–4) field

areas or sets of plants to assure that results are consistent. Take note of the timing and

conditions during application of the materials or method, and during the season. Collect

data such as crop yield, temperature of compost, disease level on plants, or whatever

factor you want to improve. The more care taken in experiments, the more reliable the

results. Then the results of your treatments can be compared side-by-side.

For more information about on-farm testing, useful guides are provided by

SAREhttp://www.sare.org/publications/research/research.pdf and

STEEPhttp://pnwsteep.wsu.edu/onfarmtesting/oftman.htm.

Figure 3. Young dandelion flowers are used to make Biodynamic Preparation 506.

Figure credit:Scott Bauer, ARS-USDA.

References Cited

Carpenter-Boggs, L., J. P. Reganold, and A. C. Kennedy. 2000a. Effects of

biodynamic preparations on compost development. Biological Agriculture and

Horticulture 17: 313–328.

Carpenter-Boggs, L., J. P. Reganold, and A. C. Kennedy. 2000b. Biodynamic

preparations: Short-term effects on crops, soils, and weed populations. American

Journal of Alternative Agriculture 15: 96–104.

Carpenter-Boggs, L., A. C. Kennedy, and J. P. Reganold. 2000c. Organic and

biodynamic management: Effects on soil biology. Soil Science Society of America

Journal 64: 1651–1659.

Fauteux, F., W. Remus-Borel, J. G. Menzies, and R. R. Belanger. 2005. Silicon and

plant disease resistance against pathogenic fungi. FEMS Microbiology Letters 249:

1–6.

Fließbach, A., H.-R. Oberholzer, L. Gunst, and P. Mäder. 2007. Soil organic matter

and biological soil quality indicators after 21 years of organic and conventional

farming. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 118: 273–284.

Heinze, H., and E. Breda. 1978. Tests on the composting of farmyard manure. Bio-

Dynamics 125: 12–22

Reeve, J. R., L. Carpenter-Boggs, J. P. Reganold, A. L. York, and W. F. Brinton.

2010. Influence of biodynamic preparations on compost development and resultant

compost extracts on wheat seedling growth. Bioresource Technology 101: 5658–

5666.

Reganold J. P., A. S. Palmer, J. C. Lockhart, and A. N. Macgregor. 1993. Soil quality

and financial performance of biodynamic and conventional farms in New Zealand.

Science 260: 344–349.

Stern, W. C. 1976. Effectiveness of two biodynamic preparations on higher plants

and possible mechanisms for the observed response. M.S. Thesis, Ohio State Univ.,

Columbus, OH.

Zaller, J. G., and U. Köpke. 2004. Effects of traditional and biodynamic farmyard

manure amendment on yields, soil chemical, biochemical and biological properties

in a long-term field experiment. Biology and Fertility of Soils 40: 222–229.

Additional Resources

DEMETER Bio-Dynamic Agriculture in Australia [Online]. Biodynamic Research

Institute. Available at: http://www.demeter.org.au/ (verified 17 July 2010).

DEMETER USA [Online]. Available at: http://www.demeter-usa.org/ (verified 17 July

2010).

Diver, S. 1999. Biodynamic farming and compost preparation [Online]. ATTRA

Publication #IP137. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Available

at:http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html (verified 17 July 2010).

This is an eOrganic article and was reviewed for compliance with National Organic

Program regulations by members of the eOrganic community. Always check with your

organic certification agency before adopting new practices or using new materials. For

more information, refer to eOrganic's articles on organic certification.