Hi,

I've been reading up on biodynamic farming and am interested in giving it a try on our 140 acre farm. What are anyones experiences over the years with it's results ? Can I make my own preps ? (that will work!)

-- scott (sbitzer@columbus.rr.com), November 20, 2001

Answers

Scott, you really need to buy the preps, there are secret ingredients, and the process is kind of involved from what i understand. My husband and his cousin hav ebeen gardening bio dynamically for years. Also, if you don't have a bio dynamic calendar, you should get one, so you'll know when to plant things.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), November 21, 2001.

Scott... I have seen biodynamics do wonders to helping gardens and farms... I have just started with BD in the last few years and still buy my preps... JPI... Josephine Porter Institute has the preps among others, their website is: http://www.appliedbiodynamics.org/jpi.htm

tho my partner and I are starting to make our own preps... tho we don't have all made yet... a goal to work forward too...

I would suggest the biodynamic website: http://www.biodynamics.com/

That should lead you to various other sites... one to find a calender... of which you reminded me to order... as I have been getting the calendar for several years now...

There is a forum, similar to CS... tho not Lusenet... it's envirolink server... but write Allan Balliet and asked to be put on the list... at igg@igg.com We get off topic and you will find other interesting reading... but for the most part... they are more than willing to help... ask Allan for the archives too... I can't find them at present...

depending on where you live Scott... there might be someone close to you who could help you... most BD farmers are more than willing to help...

best of luck in pursuing BD... I know that many folks haven't heard of it... but in Australia, Germany, New Zealand... it is VERY common in their land... Get the book... Grasp the Nettles... it is the best book for a learner... even my pea brain got it...

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenaissance@hotmail.com), November 21, 2001.

Can someone tell us what you are talking about, I have never heard of it, did a search about it and it appears to be some kind of combining of soil care, composting, attitude, timming, ect. A nutshell defineation please.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 21, 2001.

Really i mean this all in fun...from one wacko gardener to another...But if those glowing ice cubes start giving you lectures i'm outta here! ;) In A NUT Shell: Well the industrial revolution was doing well & good but the soil & taste & health of farms & veggies were not. So ole' r. stiener channeled the great mystic farming powers and got advice on when in a moon cycle to plant, what to plant at the 4 corners of your farm, & what to mix in the blood filled cow horn buried in your field among other things. personally it is a bit too mystic for me. I think the great results for followers of the method has been from the fact that if you are a biodynamic farmer you have to see your plants/soil/admendments EVERY day. Hi scott have you looked into permaculture as well? many of the same premises of land health first then vegie & peoples health naturally follows, but w/ less strictures on when how & where to plant your lavender!

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 21, 2001.

Thanks for the great answers. Yep its pretty strange, but what the heck, so am I. I really like idea of having a 12 foot piece of plastic sewer pipe sticking out of the ground that doesn't go anywhere. It's going to be a great conversation item. Have always known about "plantin' by the signs". This really takes it to the "edge" :). Have done some dowsing and I have a regular homeopathic physician so the principles are not unfamiliar to me.

I don't think I am a hippie.... Do I need help ???

-- scott (sbitzer@columbus.rr.com), November 21, 2001.

Too late Scott my man, you dude are waaay out of the box, man, [said holding up thumb & fore finger up to eye to form a square.] You might just slide into full unorthadox soon...it is irreversible when you have begun gluing objects to your car or hanging 'art' from trees. I think the mystery pipe/earth art would make more of a statement being made of clay pipe myself.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), November 22, 2001.

Your no further out the box than I am with the BISF, SFG, worm cast and processed sludge combining together to raise 100 okra or corn plants in a 4 x 4 foot area. BTW the okra does better in late season in rows rather than SFG configuration.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), November 23, 2001.

Ha my SFG Okra blows the door off any of the farmers here. The bull tallow we farm in is next to usless and I get okra as high as an elephants eye not to mention corn. Basically farming here borders on hydroponics anyway so raised beds work better than the soil we have to work with. But you're right it does do best when the weather heats up. It is an African plant.

-- Ed (smikula@bellsouth.net), November 23, 2001.

Scott... in reference to your pipe in the grow... are you talking a cosmic pipe/field broadcaster???

-- Yarrow (lovelyladyofrenaissance@hotmail.com), November 25, 2001.

Yep, when fumbling thru the internet I came across the updated cosmic pipe. Thought I'd give it a try. I've got the pipe assembled and have yet to put the guts together. I pretty much had everything around to make one. Have you used the pipe or are you sraying the compounds ? I have a 60 gallon sprayer that is pretty much all plastic with the exception of the pto mounted pump.

-- scott (sbitzer@columbus.rr.com), November 25, 2001.

the anthroposophical press sells books on biodynamics. bountiful gardens catalogue has recipes for preps. they aren't mysterious, but i haven't personally seen them work wonders. the myrrh prep foiled me? why prepare a homeopathic remedy of myrrh for the fairies in january and not just burn the myrrh? and i have never had any fairies tell me to put myrrh in water and stir it up a lot.

michael fields institute will help you out too. there are lots of biodynamic folks around here, if you have specific questions i could maybe hook you up (private posting).

but do you know what it is?

it is based upon the occult and esoteric teachings of rudolph steiner, an austrian mysticist who was a follower of madame blavatsky, but broke away when she took in krishanmurti (one of the "mud blood races", according to their racisit ideas at the basis of the philosophy). it is based upon the spiritual ramblings of steiner (as is waldorf schooling, which is totally based upon his teachings) which he got from "angels" who also gave him his racist views of the superiority of the nordic/greek (ie white race)....actually, he really brought this with him from theosophy and madame blavatsky. he also gleaned "great knowledge" from the akashic records, which is supposed to be a book on another dimension, but since no one claimed to have actually seen him READING the akashic record on another dimension, who is to say? I think his angels were fallen ones, so I don't have anything to do with all things steiner anymore. there is some truth to everything, but he teaches meditative/occult practices that harness the energies of others, i believe, and thus don't have much use for the biodynamics, even if sometimes it seems to work.

biodynamics was used in the concentration camps in nazi germany, by the way, as many of the nazi party were also into the 'green' movement, and nazi-ism was founded upon the teachings of madame blavatsky, who steiner followed and left ...again when she took on krishnamurti.

i would say, compost well and use it. if you are having a true problem with your land, make a homeopathic preparation for the land yourself, and not following the indications of steiner.

oh, biodynamics is astrological. while there is some truth to planting with the moon cycles, it goes beyond that, because then you eventually cross this over the the study of "astrosophy" which is anthroposophical astrology. oh, and then you get to discover which cycle you are in in your life, how this is really just working out unfinished business from your childhood, blah, blah, blah.

anthroposophy is, at its roots, not a very pretty story, and it isn't a pretty story today when you get into it. sort of like opening that pretty present and getting that toy you thought you wanted, only to have it break right away or not do what it is supposed to.

and many will scream and yell how i am wrong, and this isn't true. that is fine. if you really want to know more about anthroposophy, i can lead you to a website. if you want to read their books and info, look at the anthroposophical press on line catalogue or peruse the Rudolph Steiner Website. the later two are very beautiful and will pull you in, but the first might make you think twice.

and that is my humble opinion. i have had a lot on involvement with anthroposophy over the years, and want nothing more to do with it....though I do love some of the people who dogamatically follow all the insights/ indications/ meditations/ teachings. I don't understand how he can be such a spiritual guru for them, and they can overlook all his racisist and down-right whacky teachings (and I am pretty much a nut-case in most peoples books, studying homeopathy, being a midwife / herbalist).

-- marcee (thathope@mwt.net), November 25, 2001.