Welcome to this podcast series, Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia. The series was commissioned by Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. and produced by Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc. (Australia).

The six episodes of this series contain interviews with a wide range of Australian biodynamic growers working in various forms of agriculture and horticulture and at different scales. From a one acre organic property producing herbs, vegetables, and pasture-raised chicken in New South Wales, to a horticultural operation of over 100 acres suppling botanicals and healing herbs to a natural skin care company with international reach. From biodynamic cherry and fruit tree growing in South Australia to mixed biodynamic farming in Far North Queensland.

Though the locations and types of growing undertaken by our podcast guests differ it has been fascinating to hear of the similarities of methods and approaches to their growing work which have developed through their adoption of biodynamic practice principles and wider philosophy.

Each guest story illustrates the environmentally protective abilities of biodynamics to regenerate the biological health of soil, supercharge organic growing, restore biodiversity and work in harmony with mother nature – and all in the process of producing well grown food of delicious taste and high nutritional value - and plant products beneficial to human wellbeing.

We hope that you enjoy this podcast series, as well as the text based profiles of our interview guests contained in a companion booklet also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia.’ Details are available on the website of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

Andrew Nicholson - Producer of the series 

GUEST: Cherie Hutchinson, biodynamic farm manager for the Jurlique Natural Skin Care Australia company

INTRODUCTION TO THIS EPISODE:

My guest on this episode of the series, Cherie Hutchinson, is a farm manager for the Jurlique natural skincare company overseeing the production of over 35 different botanicals and healing herbs on Jurlique’s farm at Biggs Flat in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia.

Jurlique is a natural skincare company established in 1985 by Jurgen and Ulrike Klein. The owners were passionate about growing biodynamically which led to Jurlique’s farm receiving biodynamic accreditation in the 1990s. Working for the company Cherie fell in love with the ethos of biodynamic farming. She attended regional and statewide workshops on agriculture and horticulture and learnt about biodynamics on the job and through training providers and workshops including those run by the Biodynamic Australia Association. She holds a Diploma in Horticulture.

A written account of Cherie's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in minutes.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• What does the future hold for your managerial role and the farm you manage ? - 25.22 - includes Cherie’s comments on future human and leaner farming challenges to be overcome.

• Do you have a short take home message for listeners ? 31.30

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

 Guest: Cherie Hutchinson Jurlique Natural Skin Care Australia

Podcast production:

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135  Email  WEB  Facebook

 Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566  Email  WEB  Facebook

Production details:

 Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on  2nd October 2023.

 Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski   Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series - brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

IDEAS MENTIONED AND RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION

 PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

 Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The website also contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics and a free eNewsletter.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

BOOKS AND RESOURCES SUGGESTED BY CHERIE HUTCHINSON

 Norrie Pearce: A Bio-Dynamic Farmer’s Handbook: by Norrie Pearce (1989) possibly out of print  (citation on Google Books)

 Alex Podolinsky: Bio Dynamics, Agriculture of the Future: Alex Podolinsky (2000) pdf. available online

 Rudolf Steiner:

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

Maria Thun: Gardening for Life - the Biodynamic Way: A Practical Introduction to a New Art of Gardening Sowing Planting Harvesting (1999) By: Maria Thun, Matthew Barton (Translator). See a review on Booktopia.

 OTHER RESEARCH AND RESOURCES

 The spiritual and cosmic elements within biodynamic practice

See a fascinating recent academic article (2020) on Spirituality and Soil care in Biodynamic Agriculture based on participant observation research work carried out by Dr. Anna Pigott on a Wales (UK) biodynamic farm.

 Podcast series containing material relevant to biodynamics 

• The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)

Guest: Kym Green, biodynamic fruit grower at Ellimatta Orchards (South Australia).

Introduction to this episode:

My guest on this episode of the series, Kym Green, is a sixth generation fruit grower from Lenswood, near Adelaide in South Australia. Kym and his brother Peter run Ellimatta Orchards which are intensively planted with multiple modern varieties of organic and biodynamic apples and cherries. This was not always the case and Ellimatta Orchards were once standard commercial orchards farmed chemically for many decades. The story of the biodynamic transformation the orchards have undergone is told by Kym in this interview.

A written account of Kym's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• Can you tell us more about the biodynamic methods you are use on your farm - and the beneficial effects they have. – 31.02

• What does the future hold for your farm? - 1.07.57

• Guest take home message – 1.14.55

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Guest: Kym Green, Ellimatta Orchards, Lenswood, South Australia

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135  Email  WEB  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566  Email  WEB  Facebook

 Production:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 11th October 2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski   Incidental Music: James Nicholson

 BFGA podcast series - brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION

GUEST FARM/property mentioned: Ellimatta Orchards, Lenswood, South Australia.

CONCEPTS:

Mulders Chart – representation of the interaction between essential plant elements.

Brix - measure used for estimating the approximate amount of sugars in fruits, vegetables, juices, wine.

Phion MEA water structuring device as described on the Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd website.                 

RESORCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW OR RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION:

Dowsing – for an introduction to concepts and practices see the Dowsing Society of Victoria Inc. and Dowsers Society of New South Wales Inc.

Francis Chaboussou: Healthy Crops - A New Agricultural Revolution (2004 edition) Google Books. listing.

Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books. listing

Pierre Masson: A Biodynamic Manual (2014 edition) Google Books listing.

Jay McCaman: When Weeds Talk (2013 edition) Australian book source listing.

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer: The Biodynamic Treatment of Fruit Trees, Berries and Shrubs (1992 edition) Google Books listing.

 Rudolf Steiner:

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

Peter Tompkins, Christopher Bird, William Thomas,  : Secrets of the Soil New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet (1998 edition)  Google Books listing

OTHER PODCAST SERIES - containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture. 

• The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)

GUEST INFLUENCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Dr. Elaine Ingham – soil biology expert – a brief background article on her expertise and educational work.

Cheryl Kemp: a short YouTube video with Cheryl talking about ‘biodynamic silica prep 501 application for atmospheric enhancing of natural vitality (2022).

Hugh Lovel: Book: A Biodynamic Farm, For Growing Wholesome Food (2000 edition) Amazon books review A recent video of Hugh Lovel offering farm consultancy in the USA Part 1 (2019)

Peter Procter Book: Grasp the Nettle: Making Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Work (2004 edition). Google Books review

Documentary: One Man, One Cow, One Planet (2007) a story of Procter’s teaching and training work in India - and the use of biodynamics by marginal farmers there to regenerate their lands as an alternative to the  bio-colonialism of multinational corporations.

John Priestly: A number of interviews on biodynamic topics contained on a podcast series Quantum Agriculture.

Jane Slattery  - Natural Intelligence Farming – fairly recent podcast interview conducted with Jane in March 2022 for the Regennaration podcast series (listed below)

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The website also contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics and a free eNewsletter.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

Guest: Adam Collins, Kisima Farm, Evelyn Tablelands (FNQLD)

Introduction to this episode:

My guest on this episode of the series, Adam Collins, was born and raised in Kenya, and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in the United Kingdom. However he says that after five years of learning how to ‘kill’ everything he felt disillusioned as he believed that farming should be “about growing life, not killing it.” In 1985 Adam’s family moved to Australia and bought a 100-acre block in far North Queensland near Ravenshoe named Kisima Farm - the ‘place of peaceful water.’ After doing some soul-searching and travelling, Adam partnered with his father on the farm in 1999 and began his systematic  journey into biodynamic practice from that point on.

A written account of Adam's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

 INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• Guest parting advice to audience on biodynamic adoption – 1.06.06

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

 Guest: Adam Collins, Kisima Farm, Evelyn Tablelands (FNQLD)

Email: [email protected]  WEB: Biodynamics FNQ  Tel: 07 4097 8126

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135  Email  WEB  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566  Email  WEB  Facebook

Production:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on  9th October   2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski   Incidental Music: James Nicholson

 BFGA podcast series - brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

 IDEAS MENTIONED AND RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION

KISIMA FARM, EVELYN TABLELANDS FAR NORTH, QUEENSLAND – MORE DETAILS

See guest entry in the profile booklet companion to this podcast: Stories of our biodynamic farmers

and gardeners in Australia, Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd (2023)

Newspaper article on Kisima Farm bumper garlic crop harvest (March 2021)

GUEST INFLUENCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Peter Procter (died 2018) Book: Grasp the Nettle: Making Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Work (2004 edition). Google Books review

Documentary: One Man, One Cow, One Planet (2007) a story of Procter’s teaching and training work in India - and the use of biodynamics by marginal farmers there to regenerate their lands as an alternative to the  bio-colonialism of multinational corporations.

Hugh Lovel: Book: A Biodynamic Farm, For Growing Wholesome Food (2000 edition) Amazon books review A recent video of Hugh Lovel offering farm consultancy in the USA Part 1 (2019)

John Priestly: A number of interviews on biodynamic topics contained on a podcast series Quantum Agriculture.

Cheryl Kemp: a short YouTube video with Cheryl talking about ‘biodynamic silica prep 501 application for atmospheric enhancing of natural vitality (2022). And on Life forces and metaphysics processes

BOOKS MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW:

 Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books review.

Rudolf Steiner

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The website also contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics and a free eNewsletter.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

CONCEPTS AND OTHER RESEARCH MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Holism and (w) holism concepts

Some early ideas by Jan Christian Smuts (late 19th/early 20th century)

Spiritual and cosmic elements within biodynamic practice.

See this fascinating recent academic article (2020) on Spirituality and Soil care in Biodynamic Agriculture based on participant observation research work carried out by Dr. Anna Pigott on a Wales (UK) biodynamic farm.

Past societal collapses occurring through human induced environmental destruction.

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail Or Succeed (Jared Diamond, 2013 edition) Google Books Review

A New Green History Of The World The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations (Clive Ponting, 2011 edition ) Google Books Review

Gut health linked to food quality – the ZOE website and podcast series provides a smorgasbord of cutting edge science on nutrition its effects on gut health and its microbes (the microbiome) and knock on effects to general human health and wellbeing.

Other podcast series containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture. 

• The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)

GUEST: John Hodgkinson – experienced biodynamic grower and multi-talented volunteer with Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd.

Introduction to this episode:

‘My guest on this episode of the series, John Hodgkinson, is a highly experienced and knowledgeable biodynamic grower who first encountered biodynamic methods in the mid-1990s and started using them on an existing 40 hectare farm he then owned and ran. So impressed was he with early results that he launched  into full-scale adoption of the biodynamic method on his property.

After selling his farm in 2005 John moved to Bellingen NSW and has kept very busy with biodynamics ever since. He maintains his own container garden, has managed numerous rental gardens and he helped develop a veggie garden just outside of the town which supplied bunched salad varieties to a weekly grower’s market stall. John is also member and active volunteer with Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. which is headquartered in Bellingen. His work for the organisation has included making biodynamic preparations as well as editing and contributing to the News Leaf journal and performing an advisory and educational role.

A written account of John's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• Guest take home message and biodynamic advice to listeners– 1.06.14

Guest: John Hodgkinson, Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd, Bellingen NSW.

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135  Email  WEB  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566  Email  WEB  Facebook

Production:

 Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 11th October 2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski  Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series -  brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. And out short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

RESORCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW OR RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION:

Anthroposophy: for an introduction to some key ideas such as spiritual science see the Anthroposophical Society in Australia website (2023)

Thomas Berry: The Great Work Our Way Into the Future (2011 edition) Google Books listing and preview

GUEST’S SPECIFIC BOOK INFLUENCES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Rachel Carson: Silent Spring (book published 1962) – extensive background on this and other popular scientific work and scholarship by Carson.

The Findhorn Garden Story: (2008 edition) Google Books listing and preview

Peter Tompkins, Christopher Bird, William Thomas: Secrets of the Soil New Solutions for Restoring Our Planet (1998 edition) see Google Books listing

Also by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird:

The Secret Life of Plants: A Fascinating Account of the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Relations Between Plants and Man also by Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird (1973) see 2018 edition preview on Google Books listing

OTHER INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Dowsing – for an introduction to concepts and practices see the Dowsing Society of Victoria Inc. and Dowsers Society of New South Wales Inc.

Masaru Emoto: researcher on water energies for example see The Secret Life of Water (2011) Google Books listing and preview

Robin Wall Kimmerer: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge (2020 edition) Google Books listing and preview

Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books. listing

Peppering for pest control in biodynamic growing – webinar handout (2020 from My Food Garden.

Rudolf Steiner:

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

A range of quotes attributed to Rudolf Steiner

GUEST PERSONAL INFLUENCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Robyn Francis: Australian permaculture pioneer

Shane Joyce: article on his farming approach with details of biodynamic teabag preparation (2012)  

Bill Mollison: (1928 – 2016) – Wikipedia biography

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The organisation website contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics. There is also a free e Newsletter available via the website.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.  The organisation’s News Leaf Journal is a quarterly paid subscription publication that covers issues on biodynamic agriculture and farming both locally and internationally.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

And see: Alex Podolinsky: Bio Dynamics, Agriculture of the Future lecture (2000) pdf. available online

OTHER PODCAST SERIES - containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture.

•  The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)

Guests: Luigi and Nidya Marasco-Bellido, The Patch Organics (Bellingen, NSW)

Introduction to this episode:

My guests on this episode of the series, Luigi Marasco and Nidya Marasco-Bellido are share farmers whose Patch Organics business cultivates an acre paddock using biodynamic techniques on what used to be a holding pen for dairy cows. Their Patch Organics cultivation produces herbs, vegetables, and pasture-raised chicken, and takes place within the bigger, certified organic, 500-acre Levenvale Farm situated within beautiful rolling hill country near Bellingen NSW.

A written account of Luigi and Nidya's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

 INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• The generosity of the BD community linked to history of concern with healing the land – 32.35

• Guest take home messages and parting advice to audience on biodynamic adoption – 1.11.02

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Guests: LUIGI AND NIDYA, THE PATCH ORGANICS (BELLINGEN, NSW)

  Tel: 0422 872 206     Email:  WEB:   Facebook

 Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135     Email:  WEB:  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566      Email :  WEB:  Facebook

Production:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 27th October 2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski   Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series - brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW OR RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION:

THE PATCH ORGANICS FARM Facebook page and Patch Organics on Levenvale Farm’s website with details of  produce ordering, events, training and other matters of interest.

Anthroposophy:

For a short introduction to some key Anthroposophical ideas such as personal growth and development, interdisciplinary collaboration and spiritual science, see: the Anthroposophical Society in Australia website (2023) and Sydney Rudolf Steiner College (teacher training) article What is Anthroposophy?

Astral calendar use in biodynamic growing see the short article Working with the Antipodean Astro Calendar on  Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.’s website.

Masaru Emoto: researcher on water energies - for example see The Secret Life of Water (2011) Google Books listing and preview

 Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books review.

Peppering for pest control in biodynamic growing – webinar handout (2020 from My Food Garden.

Permaculture as a model of ‘organic gardening . . . and. . . a design system for resilient living and land use - based on universal ethics and ecological design principles.’ This wording taken from the Holmgren Design Permaculture Vision and Innovation website of David Holmgren the co-founder of permaculture along with Bill Mollison (now deceased)

World Permaculture Association website with definition of permaculture and quotes from Bill Mollinson and other practitioners.

Rudolf Steiner:

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

A range of quotes on life philosophy attributed to Rudolf Steiner.

The Sustainable Table initiative has a mission ‘to transform farming, food and fibre systems through regenerative ways of being, doing and knowing. ‘Its innovative Australian Regenerative Food and Farming Map shows the distribution of registered regenerative growers around the country https://www.sustainabletable.org.au/map

Vermicasts – a short video from ABC Australia on farming use of worm compost.

GUEST INFLUENCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Charlie Arnot – regenerative farmer – and Hamish MacKay biodynamics practitioner and educator. The Regenerative Journey podcast series mentioned below has an interview with Charlie Arnot and Hamish MacKay in Episode 21 (2020). There, MacKay is described as an ‘elder statesman of Biodynamics and Regenerative Farming.’

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of preparations and products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The organisation website contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics. There is also a free e Newsletter available via their website.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.  The organisation’s News Leaf Journal is a quarterly paid subscription publication that covers issues on biodynamic agriculture and farming both locally and internationally.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

OTHER PODCAST SERIES - containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture.

•  The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)

Guest: Sam Statham from Rosnay Organic farm near Canowindra, NSW

Introduction to this episode:

My guest on this episode of the series is Sam Statham who grows vines, olive and fig trees on his farm, Rosnay located near to the town of Canowindra in the central west of NSW. This is also the home of Sam’s family his wife Simone and their three children Molly, Georgie and Floyd. Sam himself grew up with his two brothers on a family farm in NSW which he describes as a bush paradise of rough, hilly country, mostly non arable and often drought declared.

During a life changing trip around New Zealand in the 1990s, Sam visited biodynamic farms there and took that biodynamic experience back into the family farm. Over the last 20 years Sam and his own family have continued to develop their farm using organic and biodynamic practices as well as turning it into a community title subdivision, with multiple growers working together under an organic covenant.

A written account of Sam's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00

• Guest take home message and parting advice on biodynamic adoption – 49.10

GUEST AND OTHER CONTACT DETAILS:

Guest: Sam Statham

Rosnay Organic and Rivers Roads Organic Farms: Email:[email protected]  Tel: (02) 63443215 Web: https://rosnay.com.au/

Podcast production:

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: 07 4639 2135  Email  WEB  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: 02 6655 0566  Email  WEB  Facebook

Production details:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 25th October date 2023.

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski (HOPE)   Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series - brief listener survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

 IDEAS MENTIONED AND RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION

 GUEST’S FARM

Rosnay Organic – also has details about and link to information on Rivers Roads Organic Farms

BOOKS/DOCUMENTS:

Robin Wall Kimmerer: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge (2020 edition) Google Books listing and preview

Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books review.

John Soper: Bio-Dynamic Gardening Paperback (2002 Edition) Google Book listing

Rudolf Steiner

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates. 

BIODYNAMIC METHODS:

Dowsing – as a means of confirming a connection with another species. For an introduction to concepts and practices see the Dowsing Society of Victoria Inc. and Dowsers Society of New South Wales Inc.

Peppering for pest control in biodynamic growing – webinar handout (2020 from My Food Garden.

PEOPLE:

Cheryl Kemp former expert and education officer in biodynamic and organic farming. A short YouTube video shows Cheryl talking about ‘biodynamic silica prep 501 application for ‘atmospheric enhancing of natural vitality’ (2022).

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The website also contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics and a free eNewsletter.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

OTHER PODCAST SERIES - containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture.

•  The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)