Biodynamic farming strives to heal the Earth by prohibiting the use of chemicals, hormones or antibiotics. It started in 1924, in what is now Poland, when a group of discerning farmers began to notice the negative effects on its farms from the use of chemical fertilisation - crops were not yielding the sort of harvest that pre-industrial farmers had become used to. So Rudolf Steiner came up with a solution to this question and set out his answers in a series of lectures promoting a purer, more holistic method of farming.

John Ehrlich of Alderlea Farm, Vancouver Island, came across Steiner’s lectures on agriculture while studying international politics and agricultural policy at university. He finished school and spent the next four years apprenticing on different farms practising this special approach to farming. Ehrlich was captivated by the idea that a farm should work towards becoming self-sufficient and self-sustaining by creating a healthy mix of livestock, pasture, crop and forest land. The human dimension was also integral to this sustainable agriculture and Ehrlich realised he could serve the world more fully by focusing on and serving the small community around him.

It is the spiritual and holistic elements of biodynamic farming that make it unique and set it apart from other farming methods, including organic farming. The theory is that the plant world is influenced by the planetary rhythms of the moon, planets and stars and hence a powerful relationship exists between the cosmos and the earth. To an amateur like myself, translating the biodynamic sowing and planting calendar looks fairly complex. Not so for farmer Ehrlich, as he explains: “The best time for sowing seeds is a week before the full moon, when the moon reaches its full potential as a source of power.”

Let me explain. The half dozen Dexter cows and the three calves born in the field during my stay provide the on-farm production of the natural fertiliser. The cows manure is composted in an unconventional way and then put back onto the land.

Manure is put into a cow's horn and buried underground on the farm for a period of six months. This is referred to as BD 500, one of a series of farm preparations set out by Steiner. John excavated his cache of buried horns on a summer’s morning. The smell, texture and deep rich earthy colour of the horn manure was quite beautiful and it was exciting to witness the essence of what this farming method is all about.

“We strive to create and build a diversified and integrated farm that serves the entire community who depend on its fruits. This not only includes the people who eat the food, but it extends to the soil life, the plants and trees, the livestock and wildlife, and the children who learn about agriculture and farming,” says Katy Ehlrich.

We had already risen early, at 4.30am, to prepare the field spray for the crops by adding ground quartz crystals (BD501 - quartz crystals are placed in a cow's horn and buried in the earth for a season) to three gallons of water. Stirring by hand to create a vortex, clockwise and then anti-clockwise, John explained that this had to continue for a full hour before the preparation was ready to spray on the crops. "The field sprays are working to enhance and make the very most of this cosmic and earthly polarity that is so successful in creating plant growth," says John. These preparations can be made on the farm or acquired from the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics.

I asked John how a farmer can safely protect his crop without resorting to more conventional solutions. He told me that his only pest problem currently was wireworm or the click beetle, as a result of turning over new pasture. These pests are nature’s intention to quicken the decomposition of the grasses, unfortunately it impinges on Alderlea’s potato harvest. Steiner recommended exposing water to the two-week waning moon and drenching the field with it. This solution works. John and Katy have planted a variety of different flowers around the borders of their crops to both deter and attract different insects.

Harvesting on Alderlea Farm begins at 5.30am each morning. The dew covered crops are harvested before the intense heat of the day begins. John and Katy supply fresh vegetables weekly to more than 70 families who have all signed up as shareholders on the farm.

“Being a shareholder establishes a mutual and supportive relationship between us and the consumer and creates a direct link between consumption and food production,” says Katy. The farm is part of a CSA (community supported agriculture) scheme and receives a grant from the community Food Security Program of the Vancouver Island Health Authority. It was created to raise the awareness of food security as well as increasing the access to healthy local food. As one shareholder explains, “it means everyone has access to nutritious, life-giving, environmentally and culturally appropriate food. It marries up urban and rural communities."

Education is also at the forefront of this food community. Katy and John host volunteers from the CSA community and have developed their own apprentice programme for those wishing to learn more about biodynamic farming. Many of their volunteers have come through a programme called Wwoof (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). In exchange for their working day they are given a place to live and eat their meals with the family.

At 6am everyone comes together, as Katy explains the order of the day. Seeds are sown in the farm's own potting soil made from the farm's own compost, peat and other natural ingredients. The sowing, tilling and weeding begin once the peas, beans, basil, beautiful big crisp lettuces, carrots, beets, kale are all harvested to fill the large brown paper bags in which vegetables are distributed.

At midday there is a real sense of achievement when bags are ready for collection. They are delivered with a newsletter and recipes to help customers with some of the less familiar crops.

Alderlea Farm rests at the heart of the fertile Cowichan Valley, which produces asparagus, wild mushrooms, honey, balsamic vinegar, artisan cheeses, cider and local wines. Glenora Gold Maple Syrup fresh from a neighbouring farm, is the perfect compliment to a short stack of pancakes at breakfast. Coleslaw is made from farm-fresh shredded cabbage, carrots and chopped fresh parsley, a perfect compliment to a roasted chicken.

Their committment to the biodynamic method of farming has earned Katy and John the title of Best Horticultural Producers by the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia in Canada. It is a deserved award for a dynamic couple who are breathing new life back into the land.

Alderlea Biodynamic Farm, Demeter Certified Vegetables, Pastured Lamb and Poultry John and Katy Ehrlich 5086 McLay Road, Duncan, BC, Canada V9L 6S1 johnkaty@shaw.ca

Hungary Lane Farm
A mixed bio farm working with sheep, pigs, poultry, arable crops and vegetable fields.
Sutton Bonnington, nr Loughborough Leics LE12 5NB (01509 673897)

Biodynamic Fortnight runs from 6-21 October. for more information visit the Biodynamic Agriculture Association's website: www.biodynamic.org.uk or call 01453 759501

Sarah Lyon belongs to Slow Food Rutland and Lincolnshire

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