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The origins of biodynamic farming: six things you probably didn’t know

Biodynamic farming is a subset of organic farming that has proved extremely popular in viticulture. It is based on the belief system called anthroposophy, which was founded by Austrian esotericist Rudolf Steiner. He was heavily influenced by Goethe and Nietzsche, and became involved in the Theosophical Society, which promulgated mystical ideas including a belief in reincarnation. He fell out with the group and then formed the Anthroposophical Society in 1913.

Biodynamics has its origins in a series of lectures Steiner gave in 1924. I’ve been reading some of the research by Dr John Paull, an academic from the School of Land & Food at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. He has charted the history of the origins of organics and biodynamics, and he’s come up with some really interesting observations. I’ve highlighted some of these below.

(1) Rudolf Steiner only reluctantly agreed to give the famous series of lectures that biodynamics is based on
Biodynamics is based on a series of eight lectures given over 10 days in June 1924 in Koberwitz, Silesia (now Kobierzyce, Poland). Steiner was a busy man, much in demand. He was also in poor health at this time – this was to be the last year of his life – but was persuaded to come to Silesia by Count Carl Keyserlingk, who managed 18 farms in the area and wanted some input from the famous Austrian. Farming had been subject to rapid change after the ready availability of cheap fertilizer, and after having been turned down by Steiner, Keyserlingk sent his nephew to Dornach in Switzerland where the Anthroposophy movement was headquartered to persuade him to come. The nephew in question was given instructions not to return until Steiner had committed to a date.

(2) 111 people attended these lectures
Paull has done some solid research here: he reveals that 111 people attended the lectures, 30 female and 81 male. They came from six countries: Germany (61); Poland (30); Austria (9); Switzerland (7); France (2); and Sweden (2). Thirty-eight were agricultural people and 20 of these were farmers. Nine priests attended! One outcome from the course was the founding of the Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers.

(3) These lectures weren’t meant to be a practical guide for farming
In the lectures, Steiner’s approach was to apply anthroposophical thinking to agriculture. They weren’t practical farming advice. Instead, they served as principles, and it was left to members of the newly formed Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers to work out the details of how this biodynamic farming should look. Steiner says of the course: ‘the lectures should be considered first of all as hints, which for the present should not be spoken of outside this circle, but looked upon as the foundation for experiments and thus gradually brought into a form suitable for publication.’

(4) The lectures were confidential
Attendees had to sign an NDA! ‘The Agriculture Course 1924 was confidential,’ said Paull, when I quizzed him. ‘Between 1924 and 1938 Steiner’s ideas were tested only by Anthroposophists. Steiner said test the ideas and then publish what works.’ Paul adds that the term ‘biodynamics’ was also developed during this period. (An English translation of the lectures is available [urlhttps://wn.rsarchive.org/Lectures/GA327/English/BDA1958/Ag1958_index.html)]here[/url].

(5) It was Pfeiffer who introduced biodynamics to the world
While Steiner is well known as the instigator of biodynamic farming, Dr Ehrenfried Pfeiffer doesn’t get the credit he deserves. After the Steiner lectures there was a gestation period of 14 years while his experimental circle worked on the details. Biodynamics was released to the world in Pfeiffer’s book Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening, published in 1938. Pfeiffer moved to the USA in the 1940s, and carried on his work there. I clarified this with Paull, asking him whether Pfeiffer’s book really kicked things off. ‘Yes’, he replied, ‘Pfeiffer alone took BD public.’

(6) Biodynamics prompted the organic movement
Pfeiffer’s work was noticed by Lord Northbourne in the UK. A landholder with a keen interest in farming, Northbourne had been alarmed by the impact of modern agriculture on the environment. He invited Pfeiffer over to take part in a Summer School and Conference on Bio-Dynamic Farming, held at Northbourne’s property in July 1939. A year later, Northbourne published his book, Look to the Land, which introduced the term ‘organic’ farming to the world. Effectively, this work secularized biodynamic farming, taking out some of the more esoteric elements. In 1943, Eve Balfour, who quoted Northbourne extensively, published The Living Soil, which led to the founding of the Soil Association in 1946.

Ten things worth knowing about biodynamic farming

Licensed in over 60 countries worldwide, biodynamic farming is a method of organic farming and gardening with a specific holistic and spiritual approach to growing food sustainably.

1. How it all started
The phenomenon we now identify as the organic movement arose in the early twentieth century as agriculture started to become more industrialised and synthetic fertiliser was introduced. Biodynamic farming was born from a series of agricultural lectures in 1924 given by Austrian philosopher and social reformer, Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925). He had been invited to a Silesian farm estate by a group of farmers concerned about the negative impact of nitrogen fertiliser on soil quality. Drawing on traditional farming practices and his own “spiritual science” which aimed to bring scientific rigour to spirituality, Steiner suggested a set of practices and principles for sustainable agriculture. He urged his followers to test his ideas and, thanks to this approach, biodynamic farming developed through collaborative research, observation and hands-on farming practice.

2. The philosophy behind it
Rudolf Steiner developed Anthroposophy (‘anthropo’ meaning human, and ‘sophia’ meaning wisdom), a philosophy based on the premise that all beings can develop their inner potential and access a spiritual world. This philosophy has inspired an education system (Waldorf and Steiner schools), a therapeutic approach for people with learning difficulties (for example, the Camphill Communities), anthroposophic medicine, eurythmy (an expressive art movement) and biodynamic farming.

3. Demeter – the first eco-label
Named after the Greek goddess of the harvest, the orange Demeter label is the international logo used for certified biodynamic products. Founded in 1928, Demeter is the world’s first ecological food and farming trademark. Used in over 60 countries, Demeter certification verifies that biodynamic products meet international standards in the production and processing of sustainable food. Regulated in the UK by the Biodynamic Agriculture Association (BDA), Demeter’s biodynamic standards build on EU organic standards.

4. Differences between organic and biodynamic
A UK farmer wishing to be certified for Demeter (biodynamic) accreditation must comply with EU organic regulations requiring a two-year conversion period. For biodynamic certification, Demeter standards require an additional year of conversion to include using eight mineral and plant-based preparations to activate soil life and plant growth on the land. Although there is a large body of observational evidence from farmers showing that biodynamic methods improve soil condition and plant health, more scientific research is needed. However, the long-term DOK field trials by FiBL (Forschungsinstitut für Biologischen Landbau) compared biodynamic (D for Demeter), organic (O) and conventional (K for ‘konventionell’) cropping systems suggests biodynamic practices are effective. FiBL stated: “In the biodynamic system, soil organic matter (humus) content remained stable for the first 21 years of the trial while it declined in all other systems”.

5. Biodynamic preparations for soil and plants
The highly-diluted biodynamic preparations are stirred for an hour to create a vortex and counter-vortex to oxygenate and disperse the active ingredients, then sprinkled or sprayed over soil or plants.

Two preparations, Cow Horn Manure (BD 500) and Horn Silica (BD 501) primarily prepare the fields while the remaining six ‘preps’ treat compost. Used to enhance soil biology, Horn Manure (BD 500) is made from the fresh manure of pasture-fed cows. Collected in the autumn, it is placed in a cow’s horn and buried for six months. When dug-up again, the cow pat has transformed from smelly lumps to a peaty brown-black crumble. Horn Silica preparation (BD 501) is used for plant health. Made from finely-ground quartz (a common stone or sand) and mixed to a paste, Horn Silica is buried in a cow’s horn in spring and dug-up in the autumn. Stored in a glass jar on a sunny window sill, it is diluted in miniscule quantities and sprayed as a fine mist on growing plants in the morning.

“Just as 1g of rich soil has a billion microorganisms, a biodynamic spray will have microscopic amounts of bacteria and fungi,” explains Kai Lange, diploma coordinator of the Biodynamic Agricultural College. “On one hand it is quantitative, and on other hand it is energetic – that is, the quality which goes beyond the physical body. But you do not need to believe in this for biodynamic methods to work,” he adds.

6. Have you ever wondered why cows have horns?
This question, posed by Steiner, led to practical evaluation of horns and animal health and the banning of dehorning under Demeter standards. According to a guide co-published by organic researchers FiBL, horns play a vital role in the animal’s health. There is a highly developed flow of blood to and from the horns, which appears to improve digestion and metabolism. Horns are also considered health indicators. “If a cow’s horn smells strongly, I know there is something wrong with her,” says biodynamic farmer, Christian Müller. A cow’s horns confer social status, and ensures a cow has more body space.

7. Cow dung and soil quality
Biodynamic farmers believe that cattle produce high-quality manure essential for soil health. “It is helpful to have cow dung in compost heaps, even in small amounts, to help fermentation and fertility,” says Gabriel Kaye, executive director of the Biodynamic Land Trust. The biodynamic preparation, Cow Pat Pit (or barrel preparation) can be added to the compost heap as a starter as well as being sprayed on the farmland and garden. It contains cow manure and the compost preparations and is recommended for those converting to biodynamic agriculture. Add a pinch to a bucket of water, stir for about 20 minutes, then spray, preferably in the autumn. Ask your local biodynamic farm for Cow Pat Pit or order the dried version called Mausdorf Starter from the BDA website.

8. Compost is king
Biodynamic farming aims to create healthy soil using compost and crop and grazing rotations. Uniquely, it treats the compost heap with medicinal plant-based preparations (BD 502-507) to encourage the microbial life needed for soil fertility (and which is suppressed by chemical fertiliser). “The purpose of the compost preparations is to bring about a harmonious decomposition process,” says Richard Thornton Smith, previous chair of Biodynamic Association Certification. “Biodynamic preparations enable the composted matter to stabilise and fix the nitrogen which is volatile. Their effect is to hold the decomposition process in a disciplined way to prevent nitrogen loss. If a compost heap gets too hot, it loses ammonia, a nitrogenous substance. That’s like money dropping out of your back pocket.”

9. Is biodynamic vegan?
While the diluted preparations are mineral, plant and manure-based, some use animal parts as ‘sheaths’ to hold and help activate the ingredients. For instance, BD 506 consists of dandelion flowers wrapped in a cow’s mesentery, the membrane covering the intestines. The parts come from healthy animals which have either been slaughtered for meat or old age. Steiner himself was a vegetarian, and biodynamic farming practice has the highest animal welfare at its heart.

10. Planting by the moon, stars and planets
Whilst traditional farming has long used lunar almanacs, the biodynamic calendar also includes constellations and planetary alignments. Inspired by Steiner, the biodynamic calendar, now in its 57th year, was developed by German farmer, Maria Thun (1922 – 2012) who experimented with planetary effects on planting, sowing and harvesting. Now produced by her son, Matthias Thun, the biodynamic calendar can be adapted for particular hemispheres. Although it is not mandatory for Demeter certification, the biodynamic calendar is used by farmers and gardeners.

One of the best ways to learn more about biodynamic growing is to join a local biodynamic group, visit local biodynamic farms or a Camphill Community. Rudolf Steiner’s agricultural lectures are a challenging read but provide the source material which informs biodynamic practice. For a more accessible introduction, choose The Biodynamic Year – Increasing yield, quality and flavour by Maria Thun.

Patrick Holden is Patron of the UK Biodynamic Association.