Trav and Kacy, two Mainers with an intense interest in the finer things of life, set off from home last April traveling to various Biodynamic and organic farms in the US. They have been kind enough to share the journey with us through word and photographs. If you want to join in on the cross country farm trek, wander on over to Portrait of a Farm.
Title: Organic Gardening Workshop Location: 1920 Pinehurst Road, Dunedin, Florida Link out: Click here Description: COMPOSTING IN YOUR BACKYARD
Taught by Sweetwater Organic Farm Manager, Roberto.
Join as for a workshop on how to build a compost bin in your backyard. Ideas on how to build several types of bins different materials will be covered.
This presentation will also cover what is biologically happening in the different compost piles (aerobic and anaerobic), what materials can be added, and how to transform trash into fertility.
Focus is on composting as a form of recycling, transforming locally available materials into fertility for your garden.
We will also pick a random drawing of all attendees to win a few FREE Compost Bins!
Organically Grown Plants and other Co-op items will be available for purchase before and after workshop!
View Larger Map
Space is Limited, so you must click here to RSVP, ASAP to Bree via this email form. Please include Phone and Address and indicate if you are a paid Co-op Member. Dunedin Harvest Co-op Members will receive priority.
This workshop is part of the Planting Seeds Organic Gardening Series that is sponsored by the Dunedin Harvest Food & Garden Co-op and Cabana Cafe & Gifts and Pan y Vino Brick Oven Pizza and Wine Bar.
Start Time: 18:00 Date: 2101-08-30 End Time: 20:00
Today I found an intersting video at The Alternative Consumer’s website. Jessica Blaiir, one of their contributing editors, was fortunate enough to be invited to Weleda’s gardens in Germany and was kind enough to share the experience with us.
We should talk about a few of the most significant things to recognize before you begin shopping for groceries.
There are numerous choices open to you, and one of the first things that you can think about is biodynamic amd organic grocery shopping. This is the point at which you can make a conscious choice to encourage better farming practices and to make sure that you and your family eats better, you’ll find that looking into organic grocery shopping can help you in both fields. Consider shopping for organic groceries and think about what the benefits can do for you, your family and the planet
What qualities must a food have to be classified as organic or to be certified as biodynamic?
Fundamentally, organic means foods that are in conformity with specific production standards. Organic foods don’t have food additives, fertilizers, sewage sludge, or pesticides, in accordance with fairly strict standards. A majority of countries block farmers from using the term “organic” on their goods if it has been modified genetically. You’ll find that organic meats have not had antibiotic drugs used or growth hormones on them USDA’s National Organic Program determines the criteria for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that would like to sell an farm product as organically produced.
The standards for Biodynamically produced food is more stringent than that of organic foodstuffs. Demeter is the certification group that is responsible for the authentication of biodynamic products. The Biodynamic farmer conceives his farm in terms of forces and processes whereas organic and sustainable agriculture farmers think in terms of substances. The biodynamic farmer also uses the preparations outlined in Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture course. The preparations are homeopathic substances designed to heal the earth and bring forth the force for a healthy farm organism. The Biodynamic farmer is tuned into the daily, monthly and seasonal patterns of nature, for instance, the impact of the moon phases on establishing seeds and plant development.The biodynamic farmer relies upon a minimal amount of nutrients from remote sources and, ideally will generate the richness of his soil through cover-cropping and the use of manure from animals that dwell on the farm. He realizes that by importing fertilizers he may also bring in problems from other farms. To date there are only a handful or Demeter Certified farms in the United States (about 110) but the number is growing as biodynamics gains critical mass in the Western Hemisphere.
Where can I find organic foods? The grocery store is the best place to begin looking for organic foods. Most supermarket chains now have organic sections or even their own organic brands You may also find that you are able to make use of your local co-op.
Bidoynamically grown foods are more easily found by shopping CSA’s. (community supported agriculture}. There are also a number of Demeter Certified products available at Green concious markets.
As you’re anticipating to eat healthier, remember that you’ve plenty of choices with organic grocery shopping. Patronise stores in your area and be sure to take advantage of the options there.
A view of one of the most efficient ways to grow food organically. Video Rating: 4 / 5
The second component of biointensive gardening is deep bed preparation. (see John Jeavons’ book “how to grow more vegetables“, or www.growbiointensive.org) This video is the first of four videos which show the double-digging method. Here, you see us spreading compost about an inch thick over the five by twenty foot bed. Video Rating: 4 / 5
During my many years as a backyard biodynamic and organic gardener I have often been asked, “Is it possible to practice biodynamics without the use of animal products?”
I think that the question that should be asked is it possible that agriculture could be practiced at all without the use of animals, most notably the cow, the bee and the earthworm. The plethora of creatures great and small; insects, nematodes, Ciliate, flagellates, amoeba, mites, ants, aphids, birds, moles, voles, rabbits and woodchucks contribute their excretions and bodies to the living soil organism and are as important as the flora with which they coexist.
Also agriculture is totally bound up with culture and if you have studied anthropology you would know that there has never been a “vegan” culture. Even India where there are a goodly number of vegetarians would be totally bankrupt if it were not for the “Holy Cow” that provides milk, fuel and fertilizer. In the western world we have removed the cow from the farm and placed them in stock yards in mounds of their own manure and that is an aberration that has bankrupted our agriculture.
Is it possible to concoct homeopathic remedies that do not directly rely on animal products to heal the earth? I am certain that it can be done and would be a great area of research for one who is so inclined. One would have to study the preparations and their planetary attributes as well as the micro-life they foster. I have met many biodynamic farmers who do not ingest meat or practice the slaughter of animals. I am sure there are “vegan” participants in the world who have taken inspiration from the “Agriculture” lectures and have molded their own practices of the science to conform to the personal choices that they have made. I’m sure there have been some that have met with varying degrees of success. I know that Alan Chadwick, the master gardener did not use the preparations exactly as Rudolf Steiner indicated. He was a big fan of herbal teas as well as using plants that were not mentioned in the original recommendations. His success was phenomenal.
It is up to each of us to use reason, observation and experience to create the farm organism that reflects our being. Being totalitarian about any system cannot be beneficial, After all it is a world of all possible worlds and there is certainly infinite variety in the human condition.
We should talk about a few of the most significant things to recognize before you begin shopping for groceries.
