THE VALERIAN PREPARATION: CORRELATING SENSORY EXPERIENCE AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES
JEFFREY ENDELMAN
Biodynamics is an alternative farming system that, like organic agriculture, avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Biodynamics goes further, however, in that it envisions the farm as a self-contained individuality able to provide for its own fertility from within (Steiner, 1993). To meet this goal, biodynamic farmers integrate diverse crops and livestock, return organic matter to the soil, and maintain wilderness areas (Koepf et al., 1976; Sattler and von Wistinghausen, 1992). In addition, biodynamic farmers use special preparations made from a variety of mineral, plant, and animal materials, ideally produced on the farm (von Wistinghausen et al., 2000).
In recent years, an annual conference has been convened to discuss the future of the biodynamic preparations in North America. The focus of the February 2009 meeting in Grass Valley, California, was the valerian preparation, which is made by aging juice pressed from the flowers of Valeriana officinalis. This liquid is diluted and then sprayed on manure and compost. According to Steiner (1993), who originally suggested the idea, when “diluted valerian juice is applied to the manure [or compost] in a very fine manner, it will stimulate the manure [or compost] to relate in the right way to the substance we call phosphorus.”
While this is an important claim to investigate, the objective of the research described here was more modest. Different specimens of valerian preparation can vary markedly in their smell and color. Brinton (1983) investigated how these appearances relate to various physico-chemical properties of the preparation, including acidity (pH) and dissolved solids content, both of which are readily measured with inexpensive equipment. The valerian conference provided an opportunity to revisit this research. Whereas Brinton reported only his own sensory experiences, one goal of the present research was to collect and compare the experiences of many people. Sensory evaluation panels have been organized informally by preparation makers in Oregon and possibly other regional groups (W. Via, personal communication). In addition to presenting results from the valerian conference, I report here on a follow-up experiment conducted in the summer of 2009, in which fresh valerian juice was monitored during the first 40 days of storage.