Living Farms: Biodynamic perspectives worldwide

In this episode, we read parts of the newly published book “Breathing with the Climate Crisis” from Lin Bautze, Ueli Hurter and Johannes Kronenberg. The book derived from the collaborations and discussions before and during the agriculture conference 2021 in Dornach, Switzerland.    We read Chapter 1 and Chapter 4. Further information about the book can be found here: English version: https://www.hawthornpress.com/books/changemaking/social-ecology-change/breathing-with-the-climate-crisis/ [https://www.hawthornpress.com/books/changemaking/social-ecology-change/breathing-with-the-climate-crisis/]   German version: https://goetheanum-verlag.ch/produkt/atmen-mit-der-klimakrise/ [https://goetheanum-verlag.ch/produkt/atmen-mit-der-klimakrise/]   French, Spanish and Russian version: https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/living-farms/breathing-with-the-climate-crisis [https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/living-farms/breathing-with-the-climate-crisis]   As this is the last episode of the podcast, I really want to thank all listeners and podcast speakers again for participating in this project, movement and your places in the world!!

In this episode, we talk with Katrina Wolff about biodynamics and social media. We exchange on the reasons to start a social media channel, what benefits it offers and what risks it might bear.   Katrina is a compost consultant and garden coach living in New Zealand. She began her business ‘Blue Borage’ in 2018, choosing to help make biodynamic composting better understood within the home gardening sector.    She now creates online courses and offers remote coaching, and is involved with a wide range of projects with businesses, schools and community groups to implement effective composting systems using biodynamic methods, and has clients all over the world.    Before becoming a Soilpreneur, she spent six years working as operations coordinator for an anthroposophical non-profit in the disability sector, did lots of Eurythmy as a hobby, dabbled in Extra Lesson training for a year, and also worked as a private music teacher. She then studied Human Design, and in 2021 began studying Nature Communication with Saskia von Diest of Ecofluency.    She sees the biodynamic preparations as allies to improve the energetic connections between landscapes and people, and works with anyone who is looking for ways to work in harmony with nature with more ease.   In Aotearoa New Zealand the Hua Parakore framework is her preferred approach for helping to make Kai Atua (roughly translated as pure food) available to everyone, and seeks to learn more about indigenous  Māori methods of growing and how biodynamics relates to these.    Her social media platforms are where you can see what she’s up to at the moment, keep up to date with progress on all her projects, and see the most recent courses and coaching packages on offer.    Check out her amazing websites and social media channels! Website: www.blueborage.co.nz [http://www.blueborage.co.nz] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blue_borage [https://www.instagram.com/blue_borage] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-wolff-47976422/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-wolff-47976422/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueBorage [https://www.facebook.com/BlueBorage]   You would like to know more about the results of the questionnaire Katrina did, check out her blog here: https://blueborage.medium.com/biodynamics-social-media-3066f2498887 [https://blueborage.medium.com/biodynamics-social-media-3066f2498887]

In this podcast we talk with Martin Quantin about biodynamic research communication. We exchange on the diversity of biodynamic research existing globally and how the practices on the farms influence the research of biodynamic agriculture. We elaborate on the role of media and communication for understanding the various benefits of biodynamic farming. And how biodynamic research can be strengthened in the near future.   Martin Quantin works currently for the Biodynamic Research Association in France. He has a Master Degree in Agriculture and also trained in biodynamic farming and Goethean science. Since 2010 he works for training and research in biodynamic agriculture, with an increased interest in bridging mainstream science with the emerging approaches, searching for more intimate understanding of the living.   You are interested in getting to know more about the work of the Biodynamic Research Association? Check out their website and subscribe to their here: https://biodynamie-recherche.org/ [https://biodynamie-recherche.org/]   You are interested in getting to know more about the research communication of the Section for Agriculture. Check out our website here: https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/research [https://www.sektion-landwirtschaft.org/en/research]

In this episode we talk with Konstanze Abouleish and Angela Hofmann about the Sekem initiative and the biodynamic movement in Egypt. We talk about the origins and first steps of Sekem and why the social organism is as important as the farm organism when cultivating a community. The SEKEM Initiative was founded to realize the vision of sustainable human development. Its mission is the development of the individual, society and environment through a holistic concept which integrates economic, societal and cultural life. Above all, SEKEM aspires to be an impulse for continuous development in all parts of life, to be not only a model for, but also a contribution to the development of the entire world. You would like to learn more about SEKEM? Check out their website here: https://sekem.com/en/index/ [https://sekem.com/en/index/] Konstanze E. Abouleish was born in 1963 and moved from Greece (1966-1971) to Egypt in 1976. Since 1982 she constantly lives at Sekem and is active in the kindergarden since 1988 and in primary shool. In 1993 she shifted to the textile business of SEKEM, co-managing NatureTex (2000-2022) and co-founder of the SEKEM future council. Further she is engaged as a Member of the Board of Trustees of Heliopolis University in Egypt. Angela Hofmann was born in Germany and went through Waldorf education. She learnt biodynamic agriculture in Germany and Switzerland and joined SEKEM in 1981. Since than she is involved in the land reclamation, aninmal husbandry and dairy production, agriculture research, projects and training. Additionally, she is leading music activities in the SEKEM school.

In this podcast, we talk with Annette Mueller from Fattoria La Vialla in Italy on the importance of customers for biodynamic products. We exchange on their experience how to come into contact and keep customers for a long time that value biodynamic products. Last, we explore why designing products with a circular economy approach is valuable for the farm, but also for marketing.   Located in the middle of Tuscany, Fattoria La Vialla is a family run wine and farming estate that uses biodynamic farming and produces high-quality wine, olive oil, pecorino (sheep’s cheese), vegetables, and a lot more. Fattoria La Vialla is a “whole circular economy”: they get everything they need in the farm, and even better, they avoid producing waste they have no use for. Because of biodynamic agriculture, their products (e.g. wine and tomatoes) are proven by consumers and experts to be better in taste and quality.  At the moment, Fattoria La Vialla, with approximately 150 people for manpower, manages over multiple estates with a total of around 2000 hectares of lands for olive trees, wine, grains, vegetables, etc. Aside from the wonders Fattoria La Vialla is already doing with their regenerative practices, they also help boost agritourism in Tuscany as people can come to the farm for visits and vacation. There, people see how the products are made, which helps them understand how much effort, sweat, and work are put into each bottle of wine or olive oil they bring to their tables. In the same manner, consumers can also see the value they pay for when the goods are purely organic.   Guests who come to spend their holidays in Fattoria La Vialla started to enjoy the products the estate offers, and that’s how they got involved with direct-to-consumer distribution. They ship the products people order directly (no  other distributor), so people can still consume the products even though they can’t visit the farm. Although they definitely want their goods to reach a broader audience in the future, a direct-to-consumer distribution, for Annette, is amazing—they have the freedom to receive feedback from their clients, whom they consider as friends, without anyone or anything coming between them.  Do you want to get to know more about Fattoria La Vialla? Check out their website here: https://www.lavialla.com/en-GB/ [https://www.lavialla.com/en-GB/]