CURRENT NEWS

OBSERVATIONS AND RUMINATIONS
FROM DEMETER’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JIM FULLMER

July 2010
We’ve been noticing that there is some interesting conversation out there regarding Biodynamic agriculture that includes a lot of misinformation. While there are lots of supportive and accurate thoughts and observations, there are some comments that have really surprised us. Instead of trying to respond to all the separate conversations (we are, after all, in the business of helping farmers), we’ll take this opportunity to respond here. We’d like to suggest that you form your own opinion about the efficacy and importance of this sustainable form of agriculture. There is lots of information on this website that should help you to do so.

Agriculture is an ancient practice. At its core, and indeed the core of civilization itself, agriculture is as much art as science. In fact Webster’s 9th defines agriculture as “the science or art of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation of these products for man’s use and their disposal”. Given that the relationship of humanity to the art/ science of agriculture is at least 10,000 years in scope and the modern reductionist science applied to agriculture is only a couple of hundred years in the making at best (and evolving rapidly) what on earth has happened to the artistic side of the equation?

I’m a farmer myself. My family and I operate a berry farm in Oregon. As a farmer, I’d like to suggest that if a farmer chooses to ponder the (dare I say SPIRITUAL) side of farming why is it anyone’s right to claim they should not? Farming itself is a spiritual act! It does involve wider influences than even UC Davis has come close to explaining in the laboratory. Take the sun for example: a celestial body indeed. It rises and sets in a daily rhythm. It rises and sets in an annual rhythm. Sunlight drives photosynthesis, which is THE base of all life. One can explain photosynthesis in long and complex physiological formulas but in doing so you sure don’t explain what sunlight is and more importantly the profound macrocosmic effect it has on life. Biodynamic agriculture finds its origin in the work of Rudolf Steiner. Steiner’s Anthroposophy is a worldview that many folks choose to understand as the holistic workings of nature. It is a pathway, not a definition. If one is not free to explore via imagination and inspiration what a cold, dark, angry world it must be for some. I thought Inquisition was a thing of the past!

Biodynamic agriculture may mean different things to different people but all should be aware that the legal definition of the term in the USA marketplace is found in the Demeter Biodynamic® Farm Standard. Biodynamic® is a certification mark, a type of trademark that is notably different than the typical brand trademark in that it is inclusive versus exclusive. That means that we can allow others to use the term to describe their farms and products- but only if they meet the Farm and Processing Standards. It exists to protect consumers and farmers by providing a consistent definition in the marketplace. If you are genuinely interested in what the term Biodynamic means- read the Demeter Standard. It is located on the Documents page of our website. We think you will find that it is based in sound agronomy.

Upon reading it, you will notice that the focus is on the concept of managing a farm as a self-contained living entity. Instead of importing inputs from outside the farm the emphasis is on generating them out of the life of the system itself. This is not just a sparkling marketing tune. It takes focus, observation and skill. Some examples of the requirements to be Demeter certified Biodynamic are:

Biodiversity: at least 10% of the land base under management has to be set-aside for this purpose. Examples are wild areas like woods and wetlands or intentionally planted insectory habitat and hedgerows.

Vegetative Cover: has to be present in a manner that conserves and builds soil. Examples include cover crops and green manures, natural vegetation encouraged as cover, sod etc.

Fertility: the biological diversity of the farm, organized so that the waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy for another, results in an increase in the farm’s capacity for self -renewal. The focus of Demeter certification is to generate fertility on the farm (vs being imported from the outside in a bag or truck). Examples include the integration of livestock, green manure strategies (such as the use of legumes), on farm composting, use of the Biodynamic preparations etc.

Pest control: generated on the farm, based on the living dynamics of the farm itself (vs importing solutions from the outside in a bag or bottle). Examples include: a balanced living fertility system, habitat for beneficial organisms (both visible and microscopic), use of the Biodynamic preparations, proper vine pruning, training, orientation, variety for the site etc.

Animal welfare: livestock are often integrated into a diversified Biodynamic farming system. Their contribution to the health and welfare of the farm system are genuinely respected and their care is given extensive attention. For livestock to be certified a minimum of 50% of their feed has to be grown on the farm and thus a very valuable contribution to the farm’s crop rotation is made. Certified livestock production requires close attention to the health and well being of the animal species being tended so as to allow the species to express its own natural and innate behavior.

Water conservation: is achieved by building soil humus as a result of the approaches to fertility and vegetative cover, use of low volume irrigation systems, preserving waterway riparian areas etc.

When all is said and done one thing you might notice is that the requirements overlap and in fact catalyze each other, thus illustrating the idea of a living, self contained organism. Any farm that focuses on generating its own inputs vs digging big holes in the ground to mine them or using a ton of energy to manufacture and transport them is actually creating natural resource rather than being dependant on them. It’s hard to argue with the social benefit of that.

It is also worth noting that Steiner’s concept of the farm as a living organism is the first public concept of sustainable/ organic agriculture: the root of where it all came from. The term “organic” actually came from Steiner’s view of “the farm as organism”. The Farm Standard is historically significant because it captures key agronomic principles not comprehensively addressed within any other agriculture certification system.

Finally, for all you wine enthusiasts, to really drive the point home, any wine that is labeled as a Biodynamic Wine has to meet the US Demeter Biodynamic® Winemaking Standard. When you read the winemaking standard you will see that a Biodynamic Wine also means something- the result of the grapes and not what is done to the grapes in the cellar. No added yeast, no enzymes, no acid, no sugar, basically just the grapes. These wines are authentic to where they come from. Since wine seems to be quite a subjective experience some will like these wines and others may not. Most people I’ve heard from think these wines are very good. We’ll leave that up to you to decide.

Cheers!

Jim Fullmer