What is Biodynamics?

Biodynamic is a combination of two Greek words “bios” and “dynamos”. Bios means life and dynamos means energy. Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition. Biodynamic farming is a method of farming which believe in the spiritual powers of the celestial objects like the Sun, the moon, the planets and the stars to make artificial and organic fertilizers for the crops in the farm. Method insist farmer to use on farm inputs.

The methods of biodynamic farming were given a scientist called Rudolf Steiner in 1924. A group of German farmers asked him for help. He gave them methods of how the health of the soil and crops depend on the magic of the celestial objects, he developed methods for biodynamic farming.

Below are preparations for Biodynamics.

• BD 500 Cow horn manure

• BD 501 Cow horn silica

• BD 502 Yarrow

• BD 503 Chamomile

• BD 504 Stinging nettle

• BD 505 Oak bark

• BD 506 Dandelion

• BD 507 Valerian

• BD 508 Horsetail tea

Rhythms

Biodynamic farmers strive to bring life back into the soil, so that the food produced from this living soil has increased life force/vitality/nutrition, enhancing the quality of human life. There are 6 different rhythms that occur every 27-29 days. The planting calendar indicates days of farming activities that is they show what the farmer has to do every day.

The 6 moon rhythms are:

• Full new moon 29.5 days
• Moon opposite Saturn 27.3 days
• Ascending-descending moon 27.3 days
• Moon nodes 27.2 days
• Perigree-apogee 27.5 days
• Moon in zodiac constellations 27.3 days

When the moon’s size increases, it is called the ascending period of the moon at that time the earth breathes out. Due to that the cosmic forces work above the rhizosphere and it is suitable for foliar application, propagation activities, sowing and harvesting. When the size of the moon decreases it is called the descending period of the moon in this time the earth breathes in. Due to that the cosmic forces work below the rhizosphere and it is suitable for compost application, transplanting, land preparation and harvesting of root crops.