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.
Read more about Patrick hereBiodynamic Association Team
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.
Mark Moodie
Charity Manager
Mark is the Biodynamic Association's Charity Manager. His biodynamic focus is matching the theory of biodynamics with the results on the ground, with a particular interest in potentised preparations. Mark is a father, sportsman, builder, researcher, gardener, and a musician
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)
Ian Bailey (Chair)
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.
Jeremy Stephens
Jeremy Stephens joined the BDA Certification Board several years ago to represent processors. He brings a wide perspective, which as trustee is now available to the whole BDA activity, this is in particular, commercial understanding and financial planning. He is the owner of Bestcare Products Ltd and HealthDesigns. He is a consultant to the Heathcare Industry - specialising in New Product Development, Quality Management Systems, Legal barriers and Marketing/Sales. Jeremy has taken on the role of Treasurer for the Association
Mattias Emous
Mattias has nearly three decades of experience in biodynamic and organic horticulture and land stewardship in England and abroad. Over the last 20 years, he has felt privileged to develop and manage the therapeutic gardens at Ruskin Mill following biodynamic methods and practice. He has witnessed first-hand the profound benefits of gardening on individuals' well-being. He is particularly interested in initiatives that increase accessibility to biodynamic practices, educate the public on the benefits, and foster intersections between biodynamics and other regenerative agricultural models.
Milly Snell
Milly Snell is a creative project manager with over 20 years experience delivering projects across the cultural and commercial sectors. She brings skills in research, strategic planning, stakeholder collaboration and end-to-end project delivery, developed through her experience in the fields of photography and visual communications. Milly is committed to regenerative and biodynamic-aligned land stewardship. She works with farmers and community groups in Wiltshire on grassroots environmental initiatives, with a focus on ecological restoration, native hedgerow planting and community engagement.
Lynda Brown
Lynda Brown is a former award winning food and cookery writer, specialising in organic kitchen gardening, food and farming. She first joined the BDA as a trustee, and represented Council on the BDA Certification Board and at the English Organic Forum meetings. She Followed Peter Brown as Director, and then with Jessica Standing, founded and ran BD online gardening Club, including launching Step by Step Biodynamic Gardening courses in collaboration with Ruskin Mill; and, with Weleda, the Health & Happiness Introduction to Biodynamic Gardening boxed set of videos, and the current illustrated booklet, Biodynamic Preparations, heart & soul of biodynamics. Her published books include Modern Cook’s Manual, BBC Gardeners’ World Vegetables for Small Gardens, Shopper’s Guide to Organic Food, and Dorling Kindersley’s Organic Living. Apart from writing, she has had considerable experience in communications, including advertising, broadcasting (radio & TV), and social media. She’s a life member of Garden Organic and the Soil Association, runs a wild at heart garden, finds she talks a lot about biodynamics, and is delighted to be back and looking forward to helping to foster greater awareness and understanding of biodynamics.
Jennifer Steward
Coming Soon
Lynda Brown
Coming Soon