Biodynamic farming: a real alternative
Starts September each year - one and a half years
Industrial farming, dependant on cheap oil, chemical pesticides, nitrogen fertiliser and other poisonous high-energy inputs, is completely past its sell-by date. Even the European Parliament seems to realise this, and has recently banned a good number of pesticides (see: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5513283.ece). The British government is dragging its feet, but is being called to order by a recent court case, where the judge found that the government has failed to protect people, particularly rural residents, from exposure to pesticides (see: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5161219.ece).
So a change is needed: and many communities in the UK are becoming more and more aware of that. Some work together and form a “transition town” (see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/sep/10/ethicalliving.transitiontowns) where local residents get together to tackle the ensuing problems of global warming, climate change and globalised food production – and come to solutions that among others focus on growing food close to where it will be consumed, and without the use of chemicals.
Biodynamic farming and vegetable growing offers a truly sustainable alternative to high-input factory farming. It aims to reduce the level of inputs going into the farms, and to create as many internal cycles of nutrients, carbon and energy as possible.
Biodynamic farms are mixed farms, with animals, crops, fruits and vegetables; designed to feed communities on as many levels as possible. Not only the material food that we eat, but also the soul food in the form of beauty in the landscape and a respectful and loving approach to keeping farm animals. Biodynamics is the ‘gold standard’ of organic farming.
Biodynamic farming, developed in 1924 by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, is the oldest form of organic farming, and the most advanced at the same time. Biodynamic farmers follow all the EU 2092/91 rules and regulations on organic production and do a great deal more than the bare organic minimum. Biodynamic farmers use certain herbal preparations and homeopathic remedies to sustain the life forces on their farm on a supersensible level. If you work intensely with plants and animals you will realize that animals have their own character, or soul quality which is entirely different if you work with e.g. a cow or with a chicken. In biodynamic farming we acknowledge these facts and work with them, creating healthy environments for our farm animals in which their innate behaviour can come to full expression instead of its being suppressed.
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For the Biodynamic Organic Agriculture Training Brochure (PDF) please follow this link:
 BD brochure 09
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On a similar note biodynamic gardeners regard their soil and their crops as one unity, and aim to create a rich soil full of vitality to sustain plants in their development from seedling to seed. Genetic modification obviously doesn’t support the inherent coherence within plants and is strongly rejected. There is an increasing move in biodynamics towards more natural breeding systems, away from hybridisation but using open pollinated varieties and traditional breeding techniques.
With the increasing manifestation of global warming and climate change, we need robust and sustainable farming systems, which increase soil organic matter – supporting soil fertility and buffering against erosion but acting as a carbon sink as well! Biodynamic farming is the most holistic approach to creating whole-farm systems, where soils, crops, animals and humans are made part of an integrated and coherent farm organism.
Biodynamic farmers need more than the conventional scientific approach that has created the problems that face the world at the moment. A problem cannot be solved with the same mind-set that created it in the first place – a paradigm shift is needed to solve the challenges of our time. To regard farming as an industry similar to manufacturing completely misses the point that we are working with living beings as opposed to raw materials. In the Biodynamic Organic Agriculture Training you’ll develop techniques to experience the formative forces that manifest themselves in plants. Insects and slugs are conventionally being regarded as pests that have to be eradicated, but alternatively can be seen as indicators that the life forces in soil or crop are out of balance and need tweaking. In biodynamic farming the homeopathic preparations work directly on the level of the life forces, therefore making applications of chemical pesticides superfluous.
Biodynamic farmers need, apart from scientific knowledge, an artistic eye for the living world. Through inspired movement (eurythmy), observation, drawing and clay modeling classes, the students on the Biodynamic Organic Agriculture Training develop an intuition for the forces at work on the farm and use this information in their farm management.
The Biodynamic Organic Agriculture Training is offered as a winter school: from September to March students study at Emerson College, working on subjects like vegetable and fruit production, animal husbandry, soil science, phenomenology and art. From April to August students do a placement on an organic or biodynamic farm. In September students come back for the second year of the training, with subjects like seed growing and breeding, farm business management, research in formative forces and social dynamics. After this second Winter, students qualify with a level 3 National Certificate in Agriculture (equivalent to two A levels). This course is delivered in partnership with Plumpton College. After sucessfully completing the 1 1/2 years at Emerson College students are then ready to take on a responsible position on an organic or biodynamic farm, or they can proceed to study further.
