This is one in a series of reflections on the re-emergence of the Biodynamic Association by long-time BDA staff members.
By Zachary Krebs
Working for the Biodynamic Association has been one of the greatest joys of my life and a continual source of inspiration and growth. After being brought onboard in 2011 as a web designer and consultant, my roles have shifted and morphed over time, all the way to the point of co-directing the organization. I’m excited to see how our staff and team can be responsible for bringing about a greater quality and quantity of meaningful change in the world via a biodynamic perspective and worldview in the coming years.
One of our former board members asked me at one point why I have so many potentially conflicting roles and titles in my life at once. Why would I want to help grow and lead this organization when I hold an acupuncture license and have a strong background in technology, and live in an urban area of Portland, OR, while lacking some of the traditional background a biodynamic farmer or anthroposophist might have?
First and foremost, I am drawn to the team dynamic that we have built and the relationships I have formed in the biodynamic community. I feel a strong resonance and connection to the intent of the organization and its unique ability to influence the connection between people, the earth, and their food. Even deeper than that, the meditative and internal practices in our movement feel like they are speaking to similar realizations that I have gained from my medical and personal cultivation practices. I want these to be shared with the world more than anything else, so we can live perceptive and connected lives that enjoy greater health and spiritual outcomes.
In my opinion, our current task is to build and energize the BDA and the biodynamic movement in the USA. We have gained experience with what works well and with what is less in alignment through the many iterations of our organization over time. Through being diplomatic, receptive, curious, and well-educated, I have no hesitation to say that we will reach this goal of transforming agriculture in the years to come.
As one of my former teachers said in his Daodejing translation: alliances come and go. To ask anyone or anything to maintain a perfect stance or alignment with anything for too long can cause stress and might fall out of tune with the needs of the time. Instead of keeping things alive that aren’t working just because we put time into them (sunk cost fallacy), we should stay adaptable and flexible and know that there will always be opportunities to collaborate as long as we keep an open mind and heart. Saying goodbye and welcoming in a new phase are merely two sides of a never ending cycle, and by realizing this, we can stay humble and creative in our endeavors.
Zachary is Co-Director of the Biodynamic Association. He has worked in various roles as a contractor and then as an employee with the Biodynamic Association for 13 years, holding roles in website development, technology management, and human resources. As Co-Director, Zachary is responsible for operations with the goal of continuing the past decade of pivotal work in expanding access to biodynamic information and techniques in the world. Zachary first became interested in biodynamic agriculture while participating with the Red Earth Descendants community garden in Ashland, OR. Shortly after that he began working with the Association as a website and programming consultant. Alongside this journey into biodynamics, Zachary is a father and a dedicated full-time nerd. He is a graduate of the University of the People’s Health Science program focused on community health, and a graduate of POCA Tech, an acupuncture program focused on increasing healthcare access to underserved populations. At the end of the day, he wants to see human and environmental health increase and hopes to be a positive voice in regenerating our bodies, spirits, and environments for future generations.