Biodynamic agriculture

What does "biodynamic" mean?

The word "biodynamic" has two roots: "bio" means that it acts according to the laws of life, while "dynamic" emphasizes that it also takes into account the "forces" (or organizational principles) acting in and on substances.

Animal breeding.

The farm must also breed animals, the most important of which are cattle because of their extraordinary ability to enhance the fertility of soil.

The animals must be grown according to their need for movement and the typical diet of the various species, allowing them to pasture.

Biodynamic preparations.

Preparations are substances that are taken from nature - medicinal herbs, manure and silica - and processed using a special preparation (e.g., burial or exposure to sunlight in specific periods of the year). They are used in minimum doses to: favor compost maturity and the positive action of the organic fertilizer on the life of soil; intensify the formation of humus and growth of plant roots in the soil; favor the growth, ripening and reproduction of plants.

What are the differences with organic farming?

As in other types of organic farming, the goal is to respect ecological balances without altering them: it is absolutely forbidden to use synthetic chemicals to fertilize soil and protect crops. The biodynamic production standards (Demeter) are more restrictive than those for organic farming according to EU Regulations. A biodynamic farm is a living being whose cycle is as closed as possible: the organic fertilizers are produced on the farm, which must guarantee the variety and rotation of crops and the presence of animals. The big difference with organic farming is that, besides requiring a deep knowledge of the biological processes of nature, there is the awareness of a new element, namely the realization that there is a spiritual reality that acts on life on earth.

This is the vision behind the development of biodynamic preparations: new substances that do not exist in nature, the fruit of a spiritual vision of humankind that steps in to foster natural processes and introduce healing principles.

The higher principle of a biodynamic farm is the human being who observes phenomena using imagination, integrating agronomic culture with an ethical and esthetic spirit. The biodynamic farmer seeks to capture the deeper essence of living beings and act based on this knowledge.