Biodynamic® vs. Organic

Just as our society is catching on to the importance of organic foods versus conventional foods, there comes a new system of agriculture in town and a new label to look for.

It's called Biodynamic® farming. This is organic farming multiplied by one hundred. A hyper-stringent system of agriculture that creates a contained, fully-functional, eco-system all its own. No pesticides. No chemicals. No introduction of man-made products of any kind. Ever. It's the Earth in its purest form possible. As it should be.

I had never heard of this before, until earlier this year I attended a regional meeting with Eminence Organics, our skin care line. Always leading the way in developing holistic skincare while supporting and protecting the Earth, they have developed a specialized skin care line using only biodynamic farming methods.



So what is "Biodynamic®" farming?

"A controlled Biodynamic® farm must meet organic standards, such as the prohibited use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fungicides. The Biodynamic® approach goes even further, requiring disciplined soil enrichment, labor-intensive fieldwork, constant observation, and ongoing, intuitive awareness. A Biodynamic farmer maintains a close connection with the land and develops a self-contained ecosystem, harmonizing the cultivated land with the surrounding environment where, ideally, only farm-produced organic composts and manure amend the soil and pruning, planting, and the applications of special preparations are done with the lunar cycles."

According to an article I found in Organic Spa Magazine by Mary Beth Janssen, a gentleman named Rudolph Steiner developed this hyper-regimented concept of agriculture in 1924. He was a scientist, philosopher and founder of the spiritual science called Anthroposophy, meaning "the wisdom of humanity."

This is the new label to keep an eye out for. Demeter USA is the only certification agent for Biodynamic farms, processors and products. You can learn more about Demeter here.

The article's author goes on to say, "What distinguishes biodynamic from organic agriculture is the way the earth is seen as a living, breathing, metabolizing entity. There’s a deep consciousness of the interconnectedness of all living things. Water provides the circulation system, the movement of the seasons acts as a pulse—expanding in spring and summer; contracting in autumn and winter, the soil and plants blanketing the landscape act as the skin. So it can be said that biodynamics honors the cosmic rhythms, the natural rhythms of the earth. These cyclical rhythms — circadian, seasonal, lunar and tidal—are reflected in the universe, the earth, and within our own mind-body physiology. Humans and plants evolve with an intimate connection to their environment, including the movement of the sun, the seasons, and the lunar cycles. In biodynamic agriculture or gardening, cultivation is done in accordance with these rhythms. Aligned with this, the biodynamic approach harnesses the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water by classifying plants according to which part of them is most developed and harvested: fruit (fire), flower (air), leaf (water) or root (earth). Thus, as the moon passes through each of the 12 constellations each month, plants are worked on according to which ones the moon is currently governing."

This system sounds intense to manage as a farmer! At the same time, it makes perfect sense to me that agriculture should have always been managed this way. If it had, we probably wouldn't be in our current situation with regard to diminished natural resources, out-of-control global health issues and industrialized food systems would've never been developed. (I've often fantasized about an alternate reality where McDonald's didn't exist).



Aetheria Spa will be featuring Eminence Organics' biodynamic skin care line at this weekend's Live Green Connecticut expo in Norwalk. Stop by our booth and check it out. I've been using the Echinacea Recovery Cream for several months now and I'm delighted by how light and gentle it feels on my sensitive skin. Register to win a collection of skin care products (valued at $350) and learn more about Biodynamic vs. Organic. It's a positive, harmonious approach to wellness, both for us and the Earth.

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Live Green Connecticut
Taylor Farm Park, Norwalk
Saturday, September 18th, 10am-4pm
Sunday, September 19th, 11am-4pm
LiveGreenCT.com