100 years of biodynamic agriculture:
Where have we come from, what lies ahead?
by Steffen Schneider
“We are on a mission: we are called to the cultivation of the earth.” - Novalis
2024 marks the 100th anniversary year of an agricultural impulse that was initiated by Rudolf Steiner at Whitsun, in June of 1924, in Kobierzyce (Koberwitz), a village in Wrocław County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in south-western Poland. What mark has this impulse, that we now call biodynamic agriculture, made during this century of work and what is its relevance going forward into its second century and beyond?
It’s significant in my view, and something I wasn’t that conscious of until recently, that the “Agricultural Course” (eight lectures and four Q and A sessions) was embedded in a 10-day long Anthroposophical Conference. Morning lectures on agriculture were followed by artistic events and nine Karma lectures in the evening. Additionally, Rudolf Steiner offered esoteric, “First-Class” lessons out of the School for Spiritual Science, two meetings with youth and private sessions. This clearly demonstrates to me that the subtitle of the Agriculture Course “Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture”, or following the German title more closely, “Spiritual-Scientific Foundations for a Thriving (Prospering, Flourishing) Agriculture” points to a much wider and deeper context, something I suggest we need to take very seriously as we reflect on this anniversary and especially also looking into the future.
When I consider the current state of agriculture in North America, but also globally, I would argue that it’s neither thriving, prospering or flourishing. In fact, in the US it is in dire straits and its future is in question, especially when considering that the “average” American farmer is 57 and a half years old, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, while American farmers are getting older, it’s not like young people are rushing to join them. And secondly, the foundation of all sound agriculture – soil – is seriously threatened. Soils, that by all accounts are essential to life on Earth, are rapidly degrading worldwide due to unsustainable human and particularly agricultural activities. The FAO warns that 90 per cent of Earth’s topsoil will be at risk by 2050. It seems, we as the Human-Earth community, are facing a “perfect storm”. Fewer and fewer people appreciate and understand the importance of sound and healthy agriculture, not enough young people are able, can afford to and/or are willing to choose it as a vocation and then, finally, its natural basis, soil, is eroding and disappearing.
Does Biodynamics offer inspirations and viable solutions to these deep challenges? 100 years in, what have we learned that might be of value and interest?
Before delving more specifically into these questions, allow me to offer an overarching picture. This picture was reinforced for me after having attended the most recent International Biodynamic Conference at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland from 2/7 to 2/11/2024 with the title “Sun-Earth-Human”. An ancient Persian poem was underpinning this title:
“From the Sun
Through the Human
For the Earth,
So that through the Human
The Earth may become Sun.”
The last line in particular speaks to a possible future evolution of ourselves and our Earth. Can a spiritualized agriculture lead to a spiritualized earth? An earth radiating light? How could this become a reality?
In the context of this image, I would like to get back to above questions and look for possible inspirations and viable solutions in the Agriculture Course: Rudolf Steiner basically “bookends” his agricultural lectures with these profound statements – although one could almost overlook them as seeming “side comments”:
“There is practically no field of human endeavor that does not relate to agriculture in some way. Seen from whatever perspective you choose, agriculture touches on every single aspect of human life.” (Lecture 1) And this is what is so important, that agriculture be related to the whole of societal life.” “Humanity has only two choices: either to start once again, in every field of endeavor, to learn from the whole of nature, from the relationships within the whole cosmos, or to allow both nature and human life to degenerate and die off.” (Lecture 8)
If this isn’t a prescient (remember this was spoken in 1924) warning of the importance and value of agriculture as the foundational human activity, I don’t know what is. If we add into this recognition, the reality of a life before birth and after death, which Rudolf Steiner describes in the nine Karma lectures he presented alongside the Agricultural Lectures, it puts agriculture’s purpose in a whole new light. Not only do we all need agriculture to cultivate a living Earth for us to incarnate into, but also agriculture is essential in providing health-giving nourishment that supports us in our life and work, as we forge our individual paths in service.
But what kind of agriculture? Here we arrive at the central biodynamic principle:
“Now, a farm comes closest to its own essence when it can be conceived of as a kind of independent individuality, a self-contained entity. In reality, every farm ought to aspire to this state of being a self-contained entity.” (Lecture 2)
A farm, in Steiner’s view is not merely an industrial input-output system, nor solely a biological-ecological organism, but it can, it needs to develop a real unique identity;
it can become a nexus of downward streaming forces from the cosmos meeting upward raying forces from below, thus creating an environment for life to thrive.
How can we get there? With this question we arrive at the next point:
“It is not a bad thing, you know, when a farmer can meditate and thus become ever more receptive to the revelations of nitrogen.” (Lecture 3)
Farmers and gardeners are the ultimate leverage point for this transformative work, when awakening to and becoming conscious of this role. This doesn’t only involve work on our farms and gardens, but also the clarifying of human relationships and, maybe most importantly, an active engagement with our inner life, working to overcome inner obstacles and demons.
In my view these statements describe agriculture as a singularly important human endeavor. While some consider it humanity’s worst mistake, I see it as centrally important in the course of the evolution of human consciousness and culture. Its appearance gave rise to “modernity” with all the scientific, cultural, and economic achievements, as well as the crimes, violence and exploitation that came along with it.
But the evolution of our Human-Earth community requires us to have this intimate transformative and generative relationship with Mother Earth; and that is, in its essence, the core purpose of agriculture.
Reflecting on these mighty, almost overwhelming cosmic pictures, how do we “ground” them in our humble, modest efforts? I have found it helpful to frame my work by looking at “soils” in an expanded way. When I say “soil” in this context, I would describe it as an essential, practically invisible, spiritually alive “connective and grounding substance”. While it patiently, quietly and silently holds us, it allows all manner of forces to stream through it.
Healthy soils are the basis of all sound agriculture. Thus, the preservation and increase of their fertility and health are of utmost relevance. In our landscapes they connect heaven and earth, enabling plants to root in them and thus to “breathe in” sunlight and air to create the basis of all life.
In the social field, in other words, within every relationship – personal, professional, economic -there forms an “invisible soil like substance” between us, that, depending on its health, allows for varying quality interactions and results.
And lastly, our inner landscapes have at their core a “soil like” substance (our soul?) that grounds and centers our spirit and again, allows all manner of spiritual truths as well as the majesty of the natural world stream through us. It offers us the possibility to connect with our highest purpose.
These “three soils” all share similarities and each one also has at its core, a fundamental principle: all benefit from regular, careful and intentional cultivation and fertilization with well-known and commonly accepted tools and techniques.
For Natural Soils these are, keeping them covered, minimize disturbance, maintain plant diversity and living roots as much as possible, fertilize with ruminant based compost.
For Social Soils, I suggest practicing the art of true listening, asking really good questions, building trust and the enjoyment of fellowship.
And for Inner Soils I have found it helpful to regularly engage my inner core of stillness and silence through study, meditation and contemplation.
We all are invited to forge our own path of an integrated, rhythmical, loving cultivation of these“three soils”. This might eventually allow us to “expand” the poem from above in the following way:
“From the Sun
Through the Human
For the Earth, (establishing of Farm Organisms)
So that through the Human (work with the Biodynamic Preparations)
The Earth may become Sun.” (shaping Farm Individualities as points of light)
May the next 100 years bring many more biodynamic farms and gardens, as “light points” where not only truly nourishing food, accessible and affordable for all, is grown, but that are also places for humans to re-connect to the Earth and themselves and around which new communities can take root.