Who we are - Biodynamic Association

Who we are - the Patron, Team, and board of trustees.

Patron

In Spring 2011 Patrick Holden CBE agreed to be Patron for the Biodynamic Association. He has a long association with biodynamics, having spent a year on the biodynamic course at Emerson College.

He was formerly the Director of the Soil Association; he is currently Director of the Sustainable Food Trust, which he founded in 2011.

Biodynamic Association Team

Gabriel Kaye

Executive Director

Gabriel Kaye has worked with and supported biodynamics all her life. Born on a biodynamic farm and a keen biodynamic gardener, Gabriel has worked for the Biodynamic Association and Certification for seven years. She helped start, develop and lead the Biodynamic Land Trust. Gabriel has a background in administration and management of associations, schools, and other charitable organisations, building a wealth of expertise in these areas. She has run her own craft pottery business, been a trainer and consultant in organisational structures, charity requirements, and management for Steiner Schools and has a grown family. Now in 2019 she brings her experience and expertise to the Biodynamic Association as its Executive Director.

Dan Powell

Farm Service Development Manager

Dan joined the team at Biodynamic Association as Farm Services Development Manager in 2020. He has spent his whole adult life immersed in farming and the countryside, starting off as a farm apprentice nearly 40 years ago on a well-known Biodynamic Farm in Sussex. Since then, Dan has gained both practical and academic experience across Europe and the UK and on a diverse selection of farms, before moving into farm consultancy with a desire to help others work with their charges of land and livestock using a holistic approach.

Gary Roberts

Charity Manager

A passionate nature conservation and climate campaigner, environmental communicator and an advocate for green/blue economies. He’s the founding director of Earthwild Partnership - a company being designed to operate as a net-zero eco-business. Through ‘quiet leadership’ as an innovative ceo, consultant and director Gary has developed 38-years comprehensive experience with communications, income growth strategies, nature climate solutions, business, charity and conservation management. This benefits bio-circular economy initiatives, climate-change mitigation, protection of endangered biodiversity and habitat management partnerships and projects internationally. Gary has helped organisations grow, develop their sustainability, raise their profile, communicate their vision, increase their income, develop partnerships and deliver change. Effective communications are vitally-important to deliver fundraising successes. With an interest in how philanthropy benefits good causes, he has delivered c.£11 Million and secured gifts of up to seven-figures. Gary is now bringing this experience to the charity manager role for the Biodynamic Association.

Jessica Standing

Office Manager

Jessica has worked for the Association since 1999. It is a job she loves and she never fails to be excited about the work of the biodynamic movement and its potential. Each day, the Association brings her in touch with all kinds of inspirational and heart warming people both from the UK and abroad. For her, it is like belonging to the best family possible.

Her role is to run the office: this involves anything and everything to do with the Association, including assisting with any inquires about biodynamics, membership, events, regional groups, education, sourcing products, and administering our online shop for books, DVD’s, and biodynamic preparations. She also has responsibility for the e newsletter, Biodynamic Buzz, and helps with the day to day updating of the website etc.

Richard Swann

Editor Star and Furrow and Research Coordinator

Richard has been involved with biodynamic work for over 45 years, mostly in the fields of gardening, research and food processing, including nearly 30 years working in Camphill Communities (both in the UK and overseas). A former Trustee of the BDA, he has been editor of the BDA membership magazine Star and Furrow for the past 18 years. Richard has an in depth knowledge of biodynamic standards, and is the Biodynamic Certification’s Processing Technical officer, and an Inspector. He has a degree in Chemistry, is currently studying for a Master’s Degree on Researching Holistic Approaches to Agroecology with the Crossfields Institute, and acts as the BDA’s coordinator for biodynamic research.

Biodynamic Association Council (Trustees)

Jenni Rosenbrock (Chair)

Jenni has been growing organically for over fifty years, and has moved into biodynamic agriculture over the last three years, following a long career in education spanning kindergarten to university, mainstream to special needs and disabilities. Currently Jenni is working primarily with adults with autism, and at Martin Bradshaw’s Moss Valley Market Garden, a biodynamic site in Sheffield, delivering an organic/biodynamic veg bag scheme for the local community.

Ian Bailey

Ian looks after and dispatches the biodynamic preparations and books on behalf of the BDA from where he lives in the Grange Village Community, Gloucestershire. He was also the BDA treasurer between 1999 and 2015 and still keeps a keen eye on the Association’s finances. He is passionate about the planets and stars and especially how they influence biodynamic growing through the biodynamic planting calendar. On this he has given many workshops and courses to biodynamic apprentices and others over the years. Ian came to biodynamics after a 20 year period in Birmingham involved in wholefoods and Friends of the Earth campaigns. He worked for a while in the garden at the Grange growing seeds before working in the Grange office for many years.

RIchard Thorton - Smith

Richard had a former career as a geography professor specialising in soil science. Subsequently he devoted himself to biodynamic training in the UK and notably in an outreach programme for Sri Lanka. He is the author of Cosmos, Earth and Nutrition: the biodynamic approach to agriculture. Richard has worked with the Association over a number of years as a biodynamic inspector, on certification committees and is currently chair of the Board of certification.