Posted on Dec 27, 2017
In honor of Christopher Mann's lifelong dedication to the work of Rudolf Steiner and the growth of the biodynamic movement, the BDA has established the Christopher Mann Biodynamic Scholarship Fund with a generous $25,000 lead gift from Stacy Peterson, CEO of ConnOils, LLC in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Posted on Dec 8, 2017
A first-timer's experiences building a biodynamic compost pile and working with compost starter.
Posted on Oct 27, 2017
The Biodynamic Association (BDA) is pleased to welcome Thea Maria Carlson as Executive Director, and to celebrate the continued contribution of former Executive and Co-Director Robert Karp in a new role, as Strategic Advisor and Community Builder at Large.
Posted on Sep 27, 2017
By Thea Maria Carlson "We must know how to gain a kind of personal relationship to all things that concern our farming work and above all a personal relationship to the manure"
Rudolf Steiner, Agriculture , Lecture 4
The day after the autumn equinox, the Biodynamic Association of Northern California (BDANC) met for our fall meeting, hosted at Open Field Farm by Seth and Sarah James. Like many biodynamic practitioners in California, I am a member of both the BDA and BDANC, and I regularly attend BDANC's quarterly meetings which are wonderful opportunities to connect with local farmers, gardeners and biodynamic enthusiasts, experience different farm organisms in our bioregion, and make biodynamic preparations together.
The biodynamic preparations are a big focus of the fall meeting, with members working together to...
Posted on Sep 20, 2017
By Karen Davis-Brown In January 2017, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association reported that Texas was the top beef-producing state in the country, with 12.5-13 million head of cattle ¹. Statistics indicate that millions of acres in Texas are dedicated to cattle production ².
In the huge expanse that is Texas, with its culture of cattle and cotton, there are 129 Demeter Certified Biodynamic® acres just east of Austin, with u-pick berries and a small herd of Irish Dexters with six Demeter Certified Biodynamic calves. A tribute to vision, persistence, and one man’s journey in biodynamic learning and practice.
Bill McCranie was originally from North Louisiana, and started his work life in the “oil patch” as he calls it -- the petroleum industry. While he was still in Louisiana he met his wife Nancy -- a Presbyterian minister from Austin who came as...
Posted on Aug 22, 2017
By Karen Davis-Brown In July, approximately 200 independent natural food retailers gathered in Minneapolis, MN, for their annual conference. The theme of the conference was, “Inspire. Engage. Execute. Managing Change in a Changing Marketplace.” Attendees were offered a keynote and two workshop sessions where they could learn about biodynamics and to strategize how to market and inform consumers about Demeter certified Biodynamic ® products.
The Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA ) was formally incorporated in 2006, with the mission “to strengthen independent natural food retailers through shared resources, with a concentration on operational improvement, marketing and joint purchasing.” INFRA represents a diverse group of 231 retailers of all sizes and in all parts of the country; what they have in common is a shared commitment to...
Posted on Aug 16, 2017
By Anthony Mecca
Originally published in Great Song Farm's CSA Newsletter
This past weekend I was at the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference in Amherst, MA, exhibiting for and connecting folks to the Biodynamic Association , whose farmer training and apprenticeship program I coordinate alongside my work at Great Song Farm . Over 1,000 people attend each year, younger and older, those just starting out and seasoned veterans, gardeners, homesteaders, farmers, policy folks, and "just eaters."
One of the "hot topics" this year was "corporate organics" and the larger corporations stretching the organic standards to include hydroponically grown produce (grown in a soil-less nutrient solution), chickens that live their whole lives shoulder to shoulder and wing to wing, and cows that never see a blade of grass...
