Dynamic Biodynamic Food

The Dynamics of Biodynamics
Biodynamic food is food grown with the principles of biodynamic agriculture which strives to go beyond organic. While organic agriculture’s aim is to do no harm and add no harmful chemicals to soil or plants, the aim of biodynamic agriculture is to observe the systems of the earth and how they work together and to work with the earth in such a way that promotes the planet’s healing. Proponents of biodynamics say it is a continuous path of learning rather than the application of techniques.

The science of biodynamics is based on the work of scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Steiner observed that the practices of western civilization were unsustainable and damaging to populations of the earth and the planet itself. He sought a holistic way to balance science and innovation with spirituality, sustainability, and humanity. Rudolf Steiner’s work touched the fields of art, education, banking, medicine, psychology, and, of course, agriculture.


Some of The Basic Principles of Biodynamics Include:

Broaden Our Perspective: Plant life is influenced by an array of elements, all of these elements must be observed and considered relevant to agriculture. Reading the Book of Nature: By careful observation of nature under many different circumstances, a person can come to a full understanding of nature, and learn new practices from nature’s own rhythms. Cosmic Rhythms: Heavenly bodies, such as stars, sun, moon, etc., have tremendous impact on plants. By understanding this rhythm a person can sow, cultivate, and harvest in harmony with cosmic rhythms. Plant Life is Intimately Bound Up With the Life of the Soil: Soil can be a living thing and healthy soil is integral in cultivating healthy, vital plants. A New View of Nutrition: The more vital our food is, the more energy and vitality it will give to us. Biodynamic farmers aim for high quality and not quantity. Medicine For the Earth: Biodynamic Preparations: Naturally occurring plant and animal materials are combined in specific recipes and placed into a compost pile at certain times in a season. These combinations or “biodynamic preparations” become medicine for the earth and attract more cosmic life force. The Farm as the Basic Unit of Agriculture: Rudolf Steiner held the ideal that the farm should be a self-sustaining unit. In this ideal, farm animals would provide enough manure to fertilize the farm, and, in turn, the farm would produce enough food for the animals. This principle is also evident in the practice of composting, which is integral to biodynamic agriculture. Raw food scraps and plant trimmings are composted to enrich the soil of the farm. Economics Based on Knowledge of the Job: Steiner strongly felt the people who raise crops should determine agricultural economics, and that from this model the farmer and consumer would both benefit. This principle gave birth to community supported agriculture in which a group of consumers agree in advance to purchase shares of a farm’s harvest. This model supports farmers and gives consumers greater insight into the needs of the farm and the earth, not to mention healthy fresh produce all season long.

For a more in depth description of these principles visit Organic Consumer’s Association.

Benefits of Biodynamic Food
In a report entitled Nutrition and Biodynamics: Evidence for the Nutritional Superiority of Organic Crops by Virginia Worthington MS, ScD, CNS, the author states biodynamic produce has been found more nutritious than conventional produce 59 percent of the time in scientific studies. Worthington also concludes biodynamic produce contains higher levels of vitamin C and other nutrients than both conventional and organic produce. Worthington asserts small differences in indivual nutrients make a big difference. The writer explains that they add up when considering the number of different nutrients in a given food, and they enhance each other, ie: vitamin C increases the effects of vitamin E, folic adic, and iron. Although there had been no human studies at the time of the report, in animal studies conducted to measure the performance of animals fed biodynamically grown feed compared to animals fed conventionally grown feed, biodynamically fed animals came out on top every time.

Sources:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/biodynamics.cfm
http://www.biodynamics.com/steiner.html
http://www.asantegeorge.com
http://www.localharvest.org/csa/
http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/Arun/V%20Worethington.pdf


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