What is Biodynamic Agriculture?
Biodynamic agriculture is a holistic farming system that treats the farm as a self-sustaining, living organism in which soil, plants, animals, and humans function as interconnected parts of a single whole. Developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner (1861–1925), it predates and influenced the modern organic movement. The method combines conventional organic farming practices—avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, emphasizing composting and biodiversity—with unique elements including nine numbered herbal and mineral preparations, attention to lunar and planetary cycles, and a spiritual-scientific framework derived from Steiner’s anthroposophical philosophy.
The system is distinguished by its requirement that practitioners view agricultural work not merely as mechanical production but as participation in living processes that extend beyond the material realm. It treats soil fertility, plant growth, and livestock care as ecologically interrelated tasks, emphasising spiritual and mystical perspectives. Unlike conventional organic certification, which may certify individual crops, Demeter biodynamic certification requires the entire farm to meet standards and integrate livestock where feasible.
Origins & Lineage
Biodynamic agriculture began in 1924 with a series of eight lectures on agriculture given by philosopher Rudolf Steiner at Schloss Koberwitz in Silesia, Germany (now Kobierzyce in Poland). These lectures, the first known presentation of organic agriculture, were held in response to a request by farmers who noticed degraded soil conditions and a deterioration in the health and quality of crops and livestock resulting from the use of chemical fertilizers. The 111 attendees, fewer than half of whom were farmers, came from six countries, primarily Germany and Poland. The lectures were published in November 1924; the first English translation appeared in 1928 as The Agriculture Course.
Steiner, trained as a scientist and philosopher, had developed anthroposophy—a term derived from the Greek words for “human” and “wisdom”—as a spiritual-scientific method for understanding the relationship between material and non-material realms. Steiner emphasized that the methods he proposed should be tested experimentally. For this purpose, Steiner established a research group, the “Agricultural Experimental Circle of Anthroposophical Farmers and Gardeners of the General Anthroposophical Society”.
In 1938, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s text, Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening, was published in five languages – English, Dutch, Italian, French, and German; this became the standard work in the field for several decades. In the year after Betteshanger, Northbourne published his manifesto of organic farming, Look to the Land, in which he coined the term ‘organic farming’ and praised the methods of Rudolf Steiner.
The Demeter symbol was introduced and registered as a trademark in 1928. The Demeter symbol was registered as a trademark 1928. Demeter certification remains the international standard for biodynamic practice and the legal owner of the “Biodynamic” trademark.
How It’s Practiced
Biodynamic farming in practice involves several layers of work. At the foundational level, practitioners follow organic principles: building soil through composting, rotating crops, integrating animals where possible, maintaining biodiversity (Demeter standards require a minimum of 10% of farm acreage reserved for uncultivated habitat), and avoiding synthetic inputs.
The distinctive feature is the use of nine numbered preparations. Horn manure (#500) enhances the life of the soil and the relationship between soil and plants, 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) use yarrow, chamomile, stinging nettle, oak bark, dandelion, and valerian, each processed through specific methods involving animal organs, burial, and seasonal timing. Horsetail tea (#508) helps prevent fungal diseases and balances the watery element in plants and soil.
Preparations 500 and 501 are diluted in water and applied to fields through a practice called dynamization—stirring with small amounts of preparations and at certain rhythms, which is why working with the preparations is also called homeopathy for the soil. Many practitioners follow a biodynamic planting calendar that correlates agricultural tasks with lunar phases and zodiacal positions, though this remains more contested even within the biodynamic community.
Each biodynamic farm or garden is an integrated, whole, living organism. This organism is made up of many interdependent elements: fields, forests, plants, animals, soils, compost, people, and the spirit of the place.
Biodynamic Agriculture Today
Today, biodynamic farming is practiced in over 65 countries, with more than 7,000 farmers stewarding 255,000 hectares of land. The Biodynamic Federation Demeter International is the largest certification organization for biodynamic agriculture. It is a non-profit umbrella organisation with 46 members organisations in 36 countries, and over participating 6,500 farmers around the world.
Biodynamic methods are especially visible in viticulture, where wineries in Austria, France, California, and Oregon have adopted certification. The system has also influenced the development of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): In the 1980s, biodynamic farmers in the northeast U.S. used Steiner’s economic ideas to pioneer the concept of community supported agriculture (CSA), which has since been adopted by thousands of farms across North America.
Individuals encounter biodynamic agriculture through Demeter-certified products in grocery stores (wines, grains, dairy, baby food), farm apprenticeships and training programs, and academic programs. Emerson College (UK) was founded in 1962 and named after Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and transcendentalist. Since then it has held courses inspired by the philosophy and teachings of Rudolf Steiner, including on biodynamic agriculture.
Common Misconceptions
Biodynamic agriculture is frequently misunderstood on multiple fronts. It is not simply “extra-organic” farming—while it includes organic practices, its cosmological framework and required preparations distinguish it fundamentally. The preparations are not fertilizers in the conventional sense; they are used in homeopathic dilutions and are understood by practitioners as catalysts for life forces rather than nutrient inputs.
The scientific standing of biodynamic agriculture remains contested. When methods of biodynamic agriculture were tested scientifically, the results were unconvincing. In a 2004 overview of biodynamic agriculture, Linda Chalker-Scott, a researcher at Washington State University, characterized biodynamics as pseudoscience, writing that Steiner did not use scientific methods to formulate his theory of biodynamics. However, A 2021 review of international scientific literature found that switching from conventional to organic farming improved more than 70% of soil biological quality indicators, including microbial populations and soil fauna. Switching from organic to biodynamic improved those same indicators by an additional 40%. Research results remain mixed, with some studies finding no measurable difference between biodynamic and organic methods.
Biodynamic agriculture is not a weekend gardening hobby requiring mystical attunement—it is a demanding, full-farm management system with annual inspection requirements and significant labor for preparation-making. It is also not universally accessible: Demeter certification involves costs, and the requirement for livestock integration presents challenges for market gardens and specialty crop operations.
How to Begin
For those exploring biodynamic agriculture, the canonical entry point is Steiner’s Agriculture: Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture (originally Agriculture Course), available through the Biodynamic Association and anthroposophical publishers. Pfeiffer’s Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening remains a practical companion text.
Practical starting points include:
- Visiting a Demeter-certified farm during public events or seeking apprenticeship opportunities listed through the Biodynamic Association
- Beginning preparation work in a home garden with horn manure (500) and compost preparations, which can be purchased from the Josephine Porter Institute or regional preparation-making groups
- Attending introductory workshops offered by biodynamic farming associations in North America, Europe, and increasingly in Africa and Asia
- Consulting regional Demeter organizations for guidance on transitioning existing organic operations toward certification
The Biodynamic Association (biodynamics.com) and Demeter USA (demeter-usa.org) maintain directories of farms, educational resources, and preparation suppliers. Serious students may pursue multi-year training programs at biodynamic training centers or through mentorship with experienced practitioners.