Biodynamic Agriculture

Biodynamic Agriculture is based on the insight that the whole earth is a living organism and that a farm should become like an organism.

A farm is true to its essential nature in the best sense of the word,

if it is conceived as a kind of individual entity in itself,

"a self contained Agricultural Individuality"

Rudolf Steiner.

This is a great distinction to conventionally operated farms, where the emphasis is more on specialisation.

Within a Biodynamic farm a number of enterprises form a totality and can act like organs in a body where each organ complements the other.
A holistic view takes into account the rhythms of the cosmos and the influences these have on plants and animals.

Preparations made mainly from medicinal plant material are being used both directly on to the land and added to the land via the compost, one of the main fertility enhancers used on Biodynamic farms.

Livestock numbers and types should be in relation to the requirements for manure and local conditions, in a balanced crop rotation.
Typically, biodynamic farms would have about one cow unit of livestock ( 500-600 kg) per hectare.
Feed stuffs required for the animals should be grown on the farm. This benefits animal health and also the delicate processes of soil fertility.

Woodland, hedgerows, ponds and wetlands are all-important aspects of the physical biodiversity of a biodynamic organism.

Sound farming practice taking into account local conditions, modern management skills, methods of cultivation and feeding and the benefits of technology, are utilised to evolve a modern unit which is long term sustainable and ecologically sound.

DEMETER

is the certification mark for biodynamic agriculture.

For more information visit the Biodynamic Agricultural Association website: http://www.biodynamic.org.uk

UK & Irish Biodynamic Agricultural Associations Visit Clanabogan

Biodynamic Introduction Video