A Bio Dynamic Valley?

I've made progress in the past couple of decades, from a puerile skepticism that yoga could improve the mind and body, to fervent belief in the spiritual side of farming. Maybe it's age but it seems so natural now to question the old verities and paradigms of modern life. Politicos talk about push back. I'm thinking push out, explore new limits, try it you might like it. Like opera and green tea, killing chickens, and turnips and tripe.

So I've revisited a fascinating subject that I had read about and pooh-poohed years ago: biodynamic farming. You've probably read some of the books too, both authentic and peripheral. I'm not talking the Farmers' Almanac, here, that's too pedestrian. Rising moon, plant tomatoes; waning moon, plant onions. When I was a neophyte grape grower I would listen to tales of my Italian neighbors racking wine by the moon: "if you can hear it working wait another week". It never occurred to me that they were echoing an ancient belief and following time-worn practices. It just sounded cool.

Rudolf Steiner did not subscribe to pagan beliefs nor did he consider his teachings the start of new fashion. For him it was science. Not known then by today's moniker "Biodynamics", his principles codified what was the best effort of the times to reduce nature's influences to a set of rules.

This posting will continue with an exposition of those rules and how modern practitioners implement them. We will then talk to some modern-day advocates in Dry Creek Valley.