Biodynamic Farming: A Balancing Act
Certified organic Barolo winery Rivetto with their rows of compost
Image | Anna Savino
Anna Savino | Italianna Food & Wine Tours
In the 1920s, Dr. Rudolf Steiner was a major contributor to what we know as biodynamic farming. This type of farming practice is based on creating a balanced environment for the crop while always keeping in mind holistic, ethical, and ecological elements that surround it. However, many are skeptical because of its cosmic and mystical considerations.
One of the most well-known practices in biodynamic farming is burying a cow’s horn, which has been filled with ground quartz or manure, deep in the soil. This is usually done in autumn because the horns, which act as antennae, collect cosmic energy when it is at its peak in the soils. The horn is ready to be lifted in the spring and emptied. The quartz and manure are mixed with water and stirred in one direction until a vortex is created and then switched and stirred in the opposite direction until the vortex is formed again. This dynamization goes on for one hour, stirred by hand. This preparation is then sprayed into the fields in small quantities and nourishes the plants with potent energy.
The author’s son, Nico, helping to set up the family greenhouse this year.
Image | Anna Savino
My husband just started a biodynamic gardening course which takes place once a week. He has come home with notebooks full of fascinating theories and everyday methods to put into practice.
For example, if you visit rural Italy, you can always see persimmon trees in vegetable gardens. This plant plays a fundamental role in keeping the whole garden balanced and thriving. The garden should be divided into different squares representing the different elements and then rotated. The seed planting can be influenced by the moon in relation to the signs of the zodiac and the constellations.
According to biodynamics, plant categories can be root, fruit, flower and leaf. In the 1950s, Maria Thun, a researcher and authority on biodynamics, made a series of experiments and came up with evidence showing that it was beneficial to plant according to the corresponding elements and constellations.
EARTH plants, like root vegetables, could be planted during the zodiac signs of Taurus or Capricorn. During the FIRE or Aries or Leo constellations, it would be beneficial to plant the seed/fruit category, such as tomatoes or pumpkin. For AIR, with Gemini, Libra and Aquarius constellations, the flower plants—things like sunflower, broccoli and cauliflower—should be sown. WATER, represented in the Pisces and Cancer constellations, should encourage the growth of the leaf category, with vegetables like spinach and lettuce. We are learning so much and can't wait to use some of these practices in our own garden.
Biodynamic farming in Barolo
Image | Anna Savino
Compost and humus preparations are also a huge part of biodynamic farming. Last year, I interviewed a certified biodynamic Barolo winemaker for the Napa Valley Wine Academy about their compost practices. If you would like to learn more, you can watch the video here:
