Biodynamics, Biodiversity, Holism, and Patterns

Gabrielle Reese is excited about Biodynamic agriculture.

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Today we learned about Biodynamics, a farming practice pioneered by Rudolph Steiner. I am excited to learn more about this brilliant aspect of sustainability. I hope to incorporate it into my own gardening practices.

In a nutshell, this is the integration of the farm within a holistic system. The farm is a living organism. One way to practice Biodynamics involves planting according to lunar cycles. Just as the moon regulates the tide, with fuller moons creating high tide and less full moons creating low tide, it also regulates water in living systems. For plants such as fruit trees, you are to plant on fuller moons, as the water and therefore energy of the plant is concentrated in the upper part of the plant. This is beneficial to fruit trees as the fruit is the part of the plant that you reap and is that which requires the most energy. Plants such as carrots and potatoes from which we yield the roots of the plants are to be planted on less full moons, when the energy is concentrated at the bottom of the plant. There are ways to recognize and study the natural processes of life, and mimic these processes. Doing this is beneficial to not only your yields but the also overall long-term health of your farm and the biodiversity of the surroundings, therefore sustaining these elements.

Penn State students (clockwise from top
to bottom) Ryan Walker, Ryan Brown, and
Gabrielle Reese prepare a Biodynamic
nest. Picture by Melissa Peterson.

Another aspect of Biodynamics is agroforestry. This is a way to introduce agriculture into a forest system. A nest is created, with a plant in the center that serves various purposes. From there, sticks and branches are laid out in a circular fashion from the center out, with the largest branches at the outermost radius. This serves to add to microorganism diversity of the soil as well as helping to retain soil. Compost or manure is added, and various seeds are dispersed all over the nest. Brush and leaves are piled on top and the nest is then watered. Your nest then grows into a rich biodiverse space allowing you to farm without harming to the forest. 

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At every step life in Jamaica challenges our students. As you can see, they aren't just lolly-gagging in a beautiful place. Every day they work. For over a week, they have been visiting and working with and for Jamaican farmers and learning many things including. "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Farming means working. Labor. Sustainable agriculture means focus and intention and taking a long view of the farm as an integrated system or organism in the larger patterns of nature. Wendell Berry calls this kind of agricultural thinking "solving for pattern."

Gabrielle, then, as part of the farm for a while is part of the organism. Hopefully, she is a healthy part and one that promotes the health of the larger organism.