What is Biodynamic Farming?
Biodynamic farming is a method of agriculture that treats the farm as a unified living organism composed of interdependent elements—soil, plants, animals, compost, and people—managed in harmony with natural and cosmic rhythms. Developed in 1924 by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), it emphasizes spiritual and ecological perspectives alongside practical farming techniques. It was the first of the organic farming movements, predating the widespread use of the term “organic.”
The approach shares common ground with organic farming—eschewing synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides—but distinguishes itself through the use of nine specialized biodynamic preparations (numbered 500–508) applied to soil and compost, and through attention to lunar and planetary cycles in planting and harvesting.
Origins & Lineage
In June 1924, Steiner held an “Agriculture Course” with farmers in Koberwitz, a small village which was then in Germany but is now Poland. The course, formally titled Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture (also known as the Agriculture Course or Agriculture Lectures), consisted of eight lectures and five discussions given at the estate of Count Carl von Keyserlingk. Steiner fell seriously ill in September 1924 and died in March 1925, making this one of his final major lecture series.
A group of farmers in Germany were already noticing the impact that agro-industrial practices, and the use of chemical fertilisers, was starting to have on their soil and yields. They approached Steiner based on his philosophical work in anthroposophy, a spiritual movement he founded that explored connections between the spiritual and material worlds.
Steiner said the lectures should be considered first of all as hints, not to be spoken of outside this circle, but looked upon as the foundation for experiments. Between 1924 and 1938 Steiner’s ideas were tested only by Anthroposophists. The term “biodynamic” was developed during this experimental period. In 1938, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s book Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening was published in five languages, releasing the method to a wider public.
The Demeter symbol was introduced and registered as a trademark in 1928, establishing the world’s first certification standard for this style of farming. A year after a 1939 conference at Lord Northbourne’s estate in England, Northbourne published Look to the Land, which introduced the term “organic” farming to the world, effectively secularizing many biodynamic principles.
How It’s Practiced
Biodynamic farms operate as closed-loop systems. Each biodynamic farm or garden is an integrated, whole, living organism made up of many interdependent elements: fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place. Key practices include:
Preparations: Horn manure (#500) enhances the life of the soil and is made from cow manure buried inside a cow horn during the winter months; horn silica (#501) increases plant immunity, strengthens photosynthesis, enhances ripening, and is prepared from ground quartz crystals buried in a cow horn over the summer months. Six compost preparations (502–507) made from yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, and valerian are added to compost piles. Horsetail tea (#508) helps prevent fungal diseases and balances the watery element in plants and soil. These preparations are applied in minute doses after being dynamically stirred in water for one hour.
On-farm fertility: Biodynamic farms aspire to generate their own fertility through composting, integrating animals, cover cropping, and crop rotation. The integration of livestock is considered essential for nutrient cycling.
Biodiversity: At least 10% of the total farm acreage is set aside for biodiversity, preserving uncultivated areas, hedgerows, and habitat.
Timing and rhythms: Some practitioners follow planting and harvesting calendars based on lunar phases and planetary positions, though this practice varies widely among farms.
Biodynamic Farming Today
As of 2022, biodynamic techniques were used on 255,051 hectares in 65 countries, led by Germany, Italy and France. The practice has gained particular prominence in viticulture, with numerous notable wineries adopting biodynamic methods.
The Biodynamic Federation Demeter International is the largest certification organization for biodynamic agriculture, with 46 member organisations in 36 countries, and over 6,500 participating farmers around the world. The Demeter Biodynamic Standard for certification was established in 1928 and over 5,000 farms encompassing more than 400,000 acres are certified in 60 countries. Certification requires that the entire farm—not just individual crops—meet standards, and farms are inspected annually.
Practitioners today encounter biodynamic farming through courses offered by organizations like the Biodynamic Association, farm apprenticeships on certified Demeter farms, regional conferences, and educational centers such as Emerson College in the UK. In the 1980s, biodynamic farmers in the northeast U.S. used Steiner’s economic ideas to pioneer the concept of community supported agriculture (CSA).
Common Misconceptions
It is not simply organic farming. While biodynamic farming includes organic practices, it requires additional elements—particularly the use of the nine preparations, whole-farm certification, livestock integration, and biodiversity set-asides—that distinguish it from standard organic certification.
Scientific evidence is contested. No difference in beneficial outcomes has been scientifically established between certified biodynamic agricultural techniques and similar organic and integrated farming practices. Biodynamic agriculture is characterized as pseudoscience as it lacks scientific evidence for its efficacy because of its reliance upon esoteric and mystical beliefs. Some meta-analyses suggest modest soil quality improvements, but rigorous controlled trials often show no significant differences from organic methods.
The preparations are not fertilizers. The biodynamic preparations are applied in homeopathic doses and are understood by practitioners as working through “radiant effect” or energetic influence rather than as material substances providing nutrients. They are used alongside conventional composting and manuring.
Not all biodynamic farmers follow astrological calendars. While some practitioners plant and harvest according to lunar and planetary cycles, this is not universally practiced or required for Demeter certification, and remains one of the most debated aspects of the method.
How to Begin
For farmers: Contact a regional Biodynamic Association or Demeter certification office to learn about standards and connect with mentors. Read Steiner’s Agriculture: Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Course) to understand the philosophical foundation, and consult practical manuals like Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening or the Biodynamic Preparations Good Practice Manual by Anne and Rolf Bucher.
For gardeners and seekers: Begin with composting practices and observation of natural cycles on a small scale. Attend a preparation-making workshop or biodynamic farm tour to experience the methods firsthand. Many biodynamic farms offer CSA memberships or farm stays that provide direct exposure to the approach. The Biodynamic Association maintains directories of farms, courses, and resources for those beginning to explore the practice.