Biodynamics can and should become the agriculture of the future. It holds the answers to many problems that beset modern agriculture and the wider natural environment. It builds open, friable soils to depth, increasing humus levels and biological activity, absorbing and holding more water, reducing flood severity, healing salinity and absorbing and storing vast amounts of carbon dioxide. By bringing soils to a high state of biological functioning, it reduces the need for fertilizer inputs, thus conserving Earth’s finite phosphorus reserves. Indeed, as phosphorus becomes scarcer and more expensive to extract, the economics of conventional farming will become more and more problematic.
Changing your farming system, however, does not happen overnight. It takes a certain amount of preparation and the development of a new outlook by the farmer. By reading some of the Biodynamic literature in the Biodynamic Resources section of this book, and talking with practising Biodynamic farmers, a new perspective will gradually develop. Real desire for change must take hold before a farmer is ready to take what, to many, will seem an alarming leap of faith.
It is advisable to do some research on the prospects for marketing your farm produce. It may be that you decide to go ahead on the basis that you want to transition to Biodynamics but still market produce uncertified, or you may identify real opportunities for maximising income by becoming certified. In the early years of Biodynamic development in Australia, the majority of farmers who converted did so because they recognised the enormous benefits to the health of their farm and to their families – the demand for organic/Biodynamic food lagged behind the vast acreages converting to Biodynamics, so most Biodynamic production was sold in the open market. Now there are far more opportunities to market produce as certified, with the associated premiums.
The motivation to convert to Biodynamics (or indeed to organics) should always stem from a genuine appreciation for the benefits to the land and nature rather than solely from a desire for additional income, though of course that will often come as a welcome bonus.
Having done the necessary reading and research, and made the decision to transition, contact your national Biodynamic association (in Australia, see ‘Biodynamic Resources’) for further help. The first practical step is the obtaining of a suitable sized stirring setup for 500 (which can also be used for 501) and a spray rig to match. Generally, for a small property up to around 100 acres (40Ha), an 8 acre stirring machine will suffice. Larger properties are better served with a 20 acre machine, and as the size of the property increases, multiple (20 acre) barrel machines operating in tandem, driven by the same drive system, should be obtained or built. The spray tank should match the size of the stirring setup. As soon as weather conditions and soil moisture allow, 500 spraying can begin.
Important Considerations
- Transition from organic or conventional – transition from organic to Biodynamic is often accomplished more smoothly than from conventional to Biodynamic, depending on the length of time the farm has been run organically, the innate fertility of the soil and many other factors. Chemical use has already ceased on an organic farm and, hopefully, biological activity and humus development will already be underway. Every situation is different however and attention to detail in the application of the method, including the use of highest quality BD preparations, will see steady improvement in even the most damaged soils.
2. The property should be converted as a whole. Once conditions permit, the whole farm should be sprayed with 500. If only part is done as a trial, stock will be reluctant to graze unsprayed paddocks, having tasted the grass sprayed with 500. Wool breaks have occurred when sheep are rotated from sprayed to unsprayed areas and back.
3. For very poor soils or those that are highly chemicalised, straight 500 should be used for the first few applications before switching to prepared 500.
4. Until soils have had a chance to develop biologically and humus levels increase, some allowable fertilizer inputs may be required, reducing as the soil develops. Soil testing can be a useful aid in the early stages, together with careful observation of plant growth and animal health.
5. Plants and animals may well need extra care and attention during the first few years of conversion. Many problems will gradually reduce and eventually virtually cease as soil health and vitality build. Crops or pastures that are attacked by red legged earth mite or lucerne flea, for instance, will steadily become less susceptible. Biodynamic techniques are available to strengthen plants under such attack[2]. In cases where crops may be lost, a farmer may have to resort to a chemical spray in the early stages of conversion, but of course this will delay the certification process if you are seeking certification. Be prepared to drench susceptible animals for worms, preferably with allowable, natural materials, especially if you are seeking certification. However, in serious cases, animal health must be prioritised and a chemical drench may be needed to save lives.
6. Once regular chemical drenching ends, susceptible stock will become obvious. They will need special care. Susceptible animals can be progressively sold off and stronger animals used to slowly develop a more worm resistant cohort. Techniques such as running a program of worm egg counts in ram faeces can help with worm resistant breeding. This process can take some years.
7. Soil chemical residues may be an issue. Soil testing should be done to identify any potential problems if seeking certification – normally, residues of substances such as organophosphates, organochlorines and heavy metals[3] must be below certain levels for certification. When buying a new property, the contract of sale should include a clause ‘pending acceptable chemical residue levels as determined by soil testing’ or similar. Advice can be sought from your national Biodynamic association as to acceptable levels. In some cases, testing of produce is also relevant – a problematic level of a chemical in the soil may be found to be absent from particular types of produce. Also, experience has shown that after a number of years of Biodynamic practice, plants feeding from newly created soil and humus may test free of the contaminant. For instance, a Biodynamic asparagus producer in Victoria, whose soil contained problematic levels of breakdown products of DDT, carried out an ongoing testing program, finding that after a few years the asparagus tested clean. This is not to say that chemical contamination can always be solved quickly – on this property, marrows grown on the same land still contained residues despite the asparagus testing clean.
8. Generally an experienced Biodynamic farmer can convert a new piece of land more rapidly than a newcomer. Many farmers make mistakes in the early years of their Biodynamic practice – this is only natural, but with time one’s understanding and skill in application improve and the whole process accelerates.