Workshop Session B

The average age of farmers in North America continues to increase. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of their children are choosing not to stay on the farm. A lot of young people are passionate about the idea of farming. But realistically, how many have either the resources or the knowledge to actually start a farm or purchase an existing one, especially if they haven't grown up on a family farm of their own?

Curious to find out what biodynamic planting calendars are all about? In this workshop Sherry Wildfeuer will offer an introduction to basic astronomy, share the history and context of biodynamic calendars, and explain how to use the charts in the Stella Natura Calendar. She will explain when to sow your seeds to avoid inexplicable crop failures and to enhance the part of the plant you are interested in (i.e. red peppers rather than bushy, sparsely fruiting pepper plants; broad spinach leaves rather than bolted flowering stalks; etc.)

After an introduction illustrating the form, harmon, and extraordinary processes that make plants "plants," and many of them medicinal, this workshop will offer an experience of the deeper and broader context in which plants are in-bedded, namely the interaction between earthly and cosmic forces, leading to a number of ways of growing high-quality medicinal plants in a biodynamic context.

The effects of biodynamic methods have been tested in long-term experiments in Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland, as well as in Washington State and Wisconsin, by the presenter. The results have shown an accumulation of carbon in the form of soil organic matter related to the use of biodynamic methods. Recently, results of a three-year trial in Washington and a six-year trial in Wisconsin have become available. These experiments showed that use of biodynamic preparations increased root growth and benefited plant growth and soil biology.

Rudolf Steiner referred to the breaking down of our food into its most elementary compounds as an important aspect of our spiritual growth. Proper preparation of our food—in essence, the pre-digestion of our food—can help us do that. This workshop will provide insights into how to support the digestive process with the proper preparation of grains and the inclusion of healthy fats, bone broth, and lacto-fermented foods in the diet. The role of salt in digestion will be discussed.

Stone Barns Center is anchored by the need for communities, artisans, and producers to be inspired by complex collaborative food system models. Since 2004, we have worked to create a more open and responsible food economy by connecting farmers, chefs, academics, and makers with a common goal.

This lively exploration of soil biology and healthy plant metabolism will rouse every gardener and fruit grower to think deeper. How mycorrhizal fungi enhance plant health is absolutely stunning. Nutrients are delivered by means of fungus-root synergy. A boost to green immune function helps keep disease at bay. Expansive fungal networks bring resiliency to ecosystems. Soil aggregate formation addresses carbon flow. Yet for the longest time, we have ignored basic soil biology and instead disturbed ecosystems at our own peril. Time to change all that, and fast!

Tom will share his experience bringing biodynamic methods to gardening in the third poorest census tract in America — the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where we've been growing seedlings and tilling gardens for 33 years. Our highest number was 535 gardens; we average half that each year. The congruency of Native thinking and biodynamics is at the basis, and the need for our people to prosper and thrive is our subject matter. We will include our use of buffalo horns and manure for making biodynamic preparation 500, which was our biggest achievement.

This workshop will focus on the role of agriculture in the Camphill movement, particularly for adults with developmental differences, but also for all land workers. We will explore the meaning of work through the lens of biodynamic healing plant gardening and some aspects of the interactions that emerge when human beings and nature come together. We will look at the inner path of development of the social therapist and of the gardener striving to co-shape a farm individuality.