Manfred Klett with Harald Hoven, in California circa 1994
We invite you to join members of the biodynamic community in commemorating Manfred Klett and his profound impact on the global biodynamic community. Please see our commemoration page to read heartfelt contributions from those who knew him, as well as several articles by Manfred from the Biodynamics journal archives. We welcome additional contributions: please email rebecca@biodynamics.com.
"How does the farmer reconcile freedom of action with the demands of nature? These days, farmers and gardeners feel they have no freedom, no room for maneuver. Globalization, biotechnology, the internationalization of legislative frameworks and production oriented to the world market force the producer into total spiritual, legal and economic dependence. Is there a way out of this?
If we refer to anthroposophy and the Agricultural Course, then the way out of our plight is dearly marked, but only if we arc determined to dear it ourselves. This resolve to clear the way ourselves is an impulse out of our freedom, which is a fundamental pan of biodynamic cultivation. This becomes evident when we look at the relationship between earth and cosmos and how the farm, managed by the farmer, sits in this polarity. What is the farmer's task and what opportunities open up for free action? The answer to these questions releases the poer of new ideas and forces of courage, for which there are no more barriers, no insurmountable obstacles or hard necessities."
— Manfred Klett, "The Farm Between Earth and Cosmos," Biodynamics (Autumn 2005, No. 254)