Dr. Pfeiffer > Nancy Fisher

Copy of letter to Miss Nancy Fisher from Dr. Pfeifer. Dec. 21/47

Dear Miss Fisher,

This is in reply to your leters of October 2and and September 14th 1947 with enclosures. I must excuse myself for not having been able to answer earlier your leters and the problems involved. However, these maters require quite some consideraton. I also wanted to communicate with Dr. Wachsmuth frst, before approaching any suggeston. In the meantme I have also had a long leter from Rolf Gardiner making his suggeston and asking my support, to blend together the English Biodynamic Associaton with the Soil Movement. I on close a copy of my leter to Mr. Gardiner for your informaton.

Afer rechecking our opinion with Dr. Wachsmuth’s opinion we have come to the following conclusion: First, there should by all means be maintained an internal circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners who do research work, investigation, and work out such schemes that the Anthroposophical agricultural ideas of Dr. Steiner can be made understandable to the general public. In fact this internal group is the research group proper who bring down the message of the spiritual worlds into practcal forms. This ought to be study group which studies, in partcular, the Agriculture Course of Dr. Steiner, brings its own experiences and brings all this together into one unit of knowledge and wisdom. Second, the Biodynamic Associaton is to represent the experience based on the applicaton of the Biodynamic Method to the outer public, that is, to those farmers and gardeners who are not able or willing to deal with the Anthroposophical ideas, but stll want to use and apply the Bio-Dynamic method. Within our own ranks opinions differ, but I remember two quotatons of Dr. Steiner where he says that we do need cow horns to make our preparatons but we do not need bull horns to fght for our cause. The second quotaton is that the Biodynamic Method ought to be for every farmer and gardener. Since we are not able to convince overy farmer and gardener of our Anthroposophical back-ground, it is, therefore necessary, of course, to have such association as the Biodynamic Association, to help the farmer who does not went to deal with Anthroposophy. This is therefore the external work, the public representaton towards the practcal part as well as the scientfc part. This is really our front line of attack and defense. If we keep these two things separate there will be no trouble in making the Biodynamic Associaton part of the Soil Associaton if it is guaranteed its absolute independence in teaching, advising, etc. That is, if the Soil Associaton also does critcize or interfere with our Biodynamic ideas but supports them. Should we fnd the personalites who are willing to cooperate in such a way then it would be possible to carry this out. However, from the enclosures you sent me, partcularly Mrs Murray Usher’s leter and also the leter from Mr. Maude, I gather that the situaton at present is premature. I do not know at what decisions you have arrived at the general meeting in November.

I believe it still will take some time before we can come to a solution. However, the matter ought to be discussed. This is the reason why I am sending you the copy of my leter to Mr. Gardiner, not that I want to infuence your own decision or opinions, but that the mater is discussed and taken up again and that we fnally see what we are able to do.

In fact, I see a beter possibility of cooperatng with the Soil Organizaton than with Dr. Mier’s organizaton. Dr Meirs makes no clear line between the purely Anthroposophcal endeavour and what is needed for the outside. He always asks through his way of publishing things that the outside has to take part immediately in Anthroposophical matters. This, I think, is not possible and also it is not right to ask the average farmer or gardener to show Anthroposophical interest at once. However, it should be our endeavour through the way in which we represent our practce and background in a business like manner that people gradually become interested. This is the way in which we work here in Americas. With the Biodynamic Associaton we go hand in hand with the Organic Movement with our Anthroposophical movement we have something which is not organized yet in any defnite form, but we have a cooperaton there with the people to authorize you to make copies or extracts of this part of the leter so far, to inform the members of the Associaton and the Directors of my opinion.