The state of our own countryside is now part of the national debate. The social dilemma facing the community, the decline of rural culture, the BSE scares and now genetically modified food crops growing in our midst, (supposedly regulated), pollinating freely with the flora of our landscape. We sometimes fall into the trap of saying "What do you expect, the way agri-business is taking over the farming and rural community !" Well now we cannot walk away, our land and its possibility to sustain us - or not - both nutritionally with our food crops and ascetically as a landscape environment, is in a crisis which we are all involved in and painfully aware of.

In this article I write as a Council member of the Bio-dynamic Agricultural Association and I would like to look both towards the resources of our anthroposophical community and towards the many questions and hopes that an increasing number of people have about this crisis of land, it’s use and abuse, the contamination of the food we eat; and how our work with Bio-dynamics can help find answers. For as many of us know there is a quiet shining jewel in our midst, namely the Agriculture Course given by Rudolf Steiner in 1924 and which needs to be brought to the attention of those who need to hear about it. And it needs the help of Anthroposophical Society members to underpin this sharing of information and in helping us to let the jewel shine to its proper level of brightness.

The Bio-dynamic Agricultural Association, the oldest association promoting a healthy soil and environment, and founded in the early 1930’s, gets many enquiries not only concerning the food scares and environment crises, but also from the serious land students. To help with the numbers of calls and letters and to show the B.D. work more visibly, we have recently opened an office and visitor centre. Situated in the Painswick Inn Project, itself a socially and environmentally aware initiative in Stroud, Gloucestershire, the office handles these enquiries every weekday morning with the employment of a new secretary Carole Eyles. The visitor centre function has displays of books for sale (and on mail order) new leaflets on B.D. work, ready or in preparation and a full reference section involving copies of the twice yearly journal Star and Furrow going back to the 1930’s. There’s quite a heritage here and as you leaf through the articles you see that in a strong yet careful way the Bio-dynamic movement has played an important part in the defining moments of the history of the organic movement. This story is shown outwardly so clearly in the successful work of the Soil Association.

To maintain its rightful place in the growing organic and environmental movement, the Association needs to be underpinned with a strong membership of committed anthroposophists from all walks of life. That is partly why Bernard Jarman as chairman of the Association asked that the official address of the Association be at Rudolf Steiner House when the office at Clent closed a few years ago. It expresses a strong affinity between the two organisations and moreover underpins common aims both in spiritual and practical work. This work, spraying the horn preparations, using the compost preparations in the compost heaps and the study and understanding of these workings are indeed cornerstones of the B.D. movement where the spiritual and practical - spirit and matter - come together.

If this article has given a first taste of the work of the Bio-dynamic Agricultural Association then please do consider becoming a member. For £25 per annum (special rates for students etc. please enquire) you will receive a quarterly newsletter and a twice yearly Star and Furrow. The office and visitor centre are at your disposal to make enquiries, order books and perhaps arrange a visit to a local bio-dynamic farm or garden. That may lead you to joining one of the many local groups which in turn will help you to work with and stir the silica + horn manure preparations for one hour with newly found friends and colleagues. A growing sensitivity towards nature’s course of the year is an element of a new wisdom to be found through this work on the land through the seasons. All in all a worthwhile experience and one with immense practical worth which is seen in examples from work we know.

What’s behind the potency of the herb and flower medicines, ointments and tinctures that Weleda takes care in producing ? That is one outward demonstration of Bio-dynamics in action where the flowers and herbs are biodynamically grown.

The Demeter label that is appearing on fresh vegetables and fruit juices, meats and even teas and breads is a guarantee that the livestock and produce that is used is grown bio-dynamically. That in itself takes a lot of work in assessment, inspection, advice and processing enquiries from new producers and is by far the most outwardly important development area of bio-dynamics in recent years. As a result the Demeter Symbol holds very great respect both by growers (who have come to appreciate the inspector’s personal interest and advice - we’ll leave out the paperwork ! ) and the consumer who begins to understand Demeter’s international status.

So, like the "tip of the iceberg" there’s more to the Bio-dynamic movement than meets the eye. A recent example of the work in action is the opening of the extended Kolisko Farm Shop in Brookthorpe village near Gloucester. As you can see from the photos an important event, where the farm and the customers to the farm shop, are in a close relationship.A feeling for the farm’s biography, an understanding of what the land can or cannot grow and a readiness to help in time of need in various ways demonstrates the social side of biodynamics, the mutual responsibility of grower and customer where each cultivates an interest in the other. Out of this mutual strength such initiatives as training schemes for future biodynamic landpersons can grow and indeed Kolisko Farm is part of the Severn Valley Training Group.

Any other plans for the future ? Well yes - a partnership which would set up a demonstration area within a farm / garden holding and with clear explanations of what is happening on marker boards, leaflets and with verbal explanations. A new exhibition which could be taken to fairs, agricultural shows, exhibitions and the like - I won’t go on because those future developments and ideas involve you ……….

Vivian Griffiths

March 1999