Biodynamic Demeter Alliance

🌾 Biodynamic farming: Human development 🤝 🌱 This year marks the 100 years of biodynamic farming. To celebrate, the various contributions of biodynamic farming are highlighted every month. In September, we are shining a light on human development and empowerment - a core element of biodynamic farming. 🌿 In this regard, learning, training, and knowledge exchange are fundamental. These activities have a long history in #biodynamic farming as farming is a continuous learning process itself. It requires constant adaptation to external constraints such as varying climatic conditions or different soil types. But biodynamic farmers also aim for higher objectives, striving to make their farm more #resilient and #sustainable, while at the same time ensuring economic viability. 🌍 To support human development further, biodynamic farming encourages work in collaboration at the farm level. Animals can, for instance, be held in partnership between farmers which enables to share the constraints and for all farms to benefit from animal presence. Not only do farmers gain in efficiency, but the different collaborations are a key platform when it comes to encourage knowledge exchange and community building. 👉 For more information on human development: https://bit.ly/4g4qYSo 📷 Viscom Demeter Österreich DEMETER CS EBDA #InTheRhythmOfChange #100YearsOfBiodynamics #100YearsOfBiodynamicFarming #BiodynamicFarming100Years #BiodynamicAgriculture #BiodynamicFarming #HumanDevelopment #BiodynamicSolution #HolisticFarming #RegenerativeFarming #SustainableFarming #Demeter #DemeterInternational #DemeterStandards #DemeterCertification #DemeterCertified

"I have been walking around in the golden light feeling as though I live inside a miracle. These crisp autumn days in the plants are something I look forward to and cherish every season. Even so, as my eyes and heart are overwhelmed by the natural beauty, my phone pings tirelessly in my pocket with dark news. My joy for this beautiful season on the farm is slowly eaten away by insidious feelings of survivor’s guilt as I learn more about the absolute devastation in Southern Appalachia. Doom-scrolling the internet for even five minutes can leave you feeling powerless against the momentum of it all. And yet, as I study the brown lacewing larvae scarfing up aphids on my plants and thank the traveling turkeys for taking a tour of my lower pasture, I am reminded that hope is a seed and it is planted in the heart of every individual called to steward the land. Farmers are often overlooked members of our modern society. They rarely chase fame or TikTok views and are portrayed by modern media to be simple people with a lack of interest in adventure or culture. What the majority doesn’t realize, is that farmers are keepers of great wisdom and their skillful work and the land they tend are our greatest hope for a prosperous, green, and just future for all." >>> Read the full article on The Farmers Land Trust blog! https://lnkd.in/e69AAwy9 #hope #farmers #Appalachia #helene #farmlandcommons

We hope you'll join us this November as we gather to reimagine the future of agriculture. Register by OCTOBER 15 for Early Bird rates (25% off)! https://lnkd.in/ea2syFWd We're excited by the possibilities the online format offers in bringing together members of the biodynamic community not just in the US, but across the world. Stay tuned for updates — we'll be adding speakers and workshops as they're confirmed!

Many people are seeking a world where agriculture serves as the foundation of our communities, is spiritually grounded, and actively cultivates the health, well-being, and development of our Earth and all her inhabitants. Biodynamic education provides the crucial tools needed for people across the US—and beyond—to understand and implement the principles and practices that can bring about this vision. Your support of the Biodynamic Scholarship Fund can help make these opportunities accessible to all who are interested, enabling them to take what they've learned onto their land and into their communities, sharing with others and broadening the impact of biodynamics. https://lnkd.in/gFW5ZaAs

We're pleased to share that registration for the 2024 Online Biodynamic Conference is now open! We'll be adding more workshops and presenters as they are confirmed, but we're pretty excited about what's already in place. Register by October 15 to take advantage of a 25% early bird discount. Membership discounts and scholarships are also available. (If you're not already a member, you can join for as little as $10 before registering and get your $10 discount — plus enjoy a year's worth of online member benefits!) We hope to see you there! https://lnkd.in/ea2syFWd #biodynamic #biodynamics #reimaginingagriculture #regenerativefarming

🌱 Biodynamic Plant Breeding 🌿 🌾 Farming always starts with the #seeds. This means that the #organic and #biodynamic sector need varieties bred for low-input farming, adapted to local conditions, and often aiming for specific food qualities. For these reasons, #Demeter was the first organic association to develop guidelines for plant breeding and to certify biodynamically bred vegetable and grain varieties, leading to the development of organic and biodynamic plant breeding. 🌽 Organic and biodynamic plant breeding provides the farmers with varieties adjusted to the low-input production system of biodynamic agriculture. Increased biodynamic plant breeding and cultivation will enhance the availability of regionally adapted varieties, #agrobiodiversity, #sustainable agriculture, and environmental protection. Biodynamic plant breeding also often goes hand in hand with the conservation of traditional and local varieties – an important activity to keep a broad range of genetic resources alive. But conservation should not be confused with biodynamic breeding, which is essential in providing organic farmers with modern varieties suited to serve the sector. 🚜 Therefore, it is essential to foster the further development and use of organic and biodynamic varieties and to stimulate biodynamic plant breeding. In this regard, the current seed marketing reform at the EU level will be key, as it should facilitate market access for organic varieties through an adapted registration framework. This will help breeders to bring new varieties to the market and foster biodynamic plant breeding. 📷 Pascal Mora 👉 More info: https://bit.ly/3Yb6VsP #Seeds4all #SeedDiversity #SeedsVarieties #OrganicSeeds #OrganicVarieties #OrganicPlantBreeding #Biodynamicbreeding #BiodynamicBreeders #BiodynamicSeeds #BiodynamicVarieties #Demeter #DemeterCertification #DemeterStandard #DemeterSeeds #DemeterVarieties

🌱 Seed diversity and autonomy 👩🌾   🚜 In 2023, three Belgian #biodynamic farms - Kollebloem, Zonne Kouter, and Ouroboursos - started the De Vroente market gardening project together. The basis of their cooperation is land pooling: They grow crops for each other and have established agreements, depending on who grows and sells what. This enables them to specialise, streamline production, and offer a diverse and attractive range of high-quality products to their customers. But most importantly, it also drives them to save and use their own seeds as much as possible, granting them seed diversity and autonomy.   🥬 Together, they grow #heirloom varieties such as leek, winter lettuce, or fennel. All the varieties collected are then grown on all three farms to test their ability to adapt to the different growing conditions. On this basis, each farm chooses whether to continue growing a variety according to its performance. Some varieties have been grown for so long that they are now very specific, as is the case with the leek, which has now become a symbol of the seed autonomy of farmers. Even if none of the farmers chose a variety that has been tested, they might continue to grow it, thus contributing to cultivated #biodiversity.   👉 Have a look at full article ‘A leek for a change’ by Agricultural and Rural Convention - ARC2020: https://bit.ly/3y3PjXg   📷 Yool #Seeds4All #diversityiskey #Arc2020 #FarmSavedSeeds #SeedSaving #SeedDiversity #IChooseGMOFree #Biodynamics #BiodynamicFarming #BiodynamicPartOfTheSolution #BiodynamicSeeds #Demeter #DemeterCertification #DemeterStandard #DemeterSeeds

🚜 Holistic farming with biodynamics 🌱   🌍 Biodynamic farming works with a #holistic, #ecological, and #ethical approach. It is about striving to work in collaboration between humans, plants, animals, and nature, while making sure every part is flourishing and reinforcing the other. Biodynamics is not only about replacing agrochemicals by natural means, but also about shaping the environment, the living world, and striving for a naturally developed balance. In this regard, each farm is unique and must be regarded with a holistic approach. Holistic means: ‘It’s good when every part is well’.   🏡 In #biodynamic farming, each farm or garden is indeed viewed as an integrated whole, as a living organism. Like a human being, a farm is made up of many different organs and systems. When these are managed and brought together in a dynamic way, they interact positively with one another to support the health and well-being of the whole. The farm individuality encompasses soil types and characteristics—such as mineral content, organic matter and the mix of sand, silt, and clay—as well as forests and meadows, wetlands and cultivated ground, flowering trees and shrubs, domestic and wild animals, buildings and equipment, and human beings living and working on the land. It also includes the history, character, and purpose of the farm, as well as the geographical aspects.   🌿 Through holistic management practices that acknowledge the needs of all of nature’s domains and of human beings, biodynamic farmers produce high quality food while taking care of #nature and our #environment. Through this #holistic and #regenerative approach, biodynamic farming provides solutions to the challenges of today and gives us inspiration for the urgent food system transformation that is needed!    👉 Learn more about biodynamic farming: https://bit.ly/3ERGBvd   📷 Yool   #Biodynamics #BiodynamicFarming #BiodynamicPartOfTheSolution #BiodynamicPirnciples #Demeter #DemeterCertification #DemeterStandard #DemeterInternational #HolisticFarming #RegenerativeFarming #OrganicFarming #SustainableFarming #FoodSystemTransformation #FarmOrganism #FarmIdentity

What makes biodynamics unique? Learn more about the farm organism, working in rhythm with the earth and cosmos, how biodynamic farmers cultivate their observational skills, and more. https://lnkd.in/gEA-p56 #biodynamic #biodynamics #farming #gardening