Biodynamic gardening activities for children

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The garden is the perfect playground for children. It provides a space that can help develop both fine and gross motor skills, whilst playing in the soil and observing plants and insects can help introduce elements of biology, maths in a way thats fun and simple. At the same time, the garden provides a space that cultivates a sense of wonder and imagination. In addition to this, the beauty of a biodynamic garden, is that children can explore nature in its natural, organic state, while you can rest assured that you are not exposing your child/ren to any toxic sprays.

So, if you are passionate about biodynamics and are looking to entertain your children, here are 10 activities that are fun, hands-on and encourage kids get outside and connect with nature (while gently introducing the core principles of biodynamics):

1. Moon Phase Planting Calendar Craft:

  • Activity: Create a simple moon phase chart and use it to decide when to plant seeds or carry out simple garden tasks.
    For example: NEW MOON, All of the plants life force is focused down into the root system, making it a great time to prune your plants.
    FULL MOON: Sowing seeds just before the full moon tends to result in good germination.
    This is the perfect craft activity to do on a rug or table outside, or if it’s cold and raining, it can be done inside. All you will need is some markers, paper and perhaps some images of the moon.
  • Teaches: The biodynamic principle of planting in tune with lunar rhythms, whilst also developing fine motor skills.



2. Compost Exploration Station:

  • Activity: Build a child-friendly compost pile. After a few days, let kids explore with magnifying glasses to find worms and decomposers. They could make a list of all the different insects found in the compost heap and later on look them up in books or online to learn more about each creatures diet and lifecycle.
    You can use leaves, cardboard, green waste from the garden, food scraps etc to get your compost heap started.
  • Teaches: Soil health and natural recycling, a key part of biodynamic cycles. This activity also helps foster children’s interest and curiosity in insects and the creatures living around them, whilst developing gross motor skills.



3. Experiment with optimal and non optimal planting days:

  • Activity: Use the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening calendar to identify days that are optimal for planting root crops (e.g. carrots), leaf crops (e.g. lettuce) or days that are best for flowers and plant out the appropriate seeds out accordingly and record how well the seeds germinate, the seedlings health etc. Then you can widen the experiment by planting the same seeds on days that are not optimal (eg: planting carrot seeds on a flower day) and record how this affects the plants health and growth. You may find for example, that the carrot seed planted on a root day develops a big juicy carrot, but the carrot seed planted on the flower day, puts all its energy not into developing a root, but, instead shoots up develop its flower and set seed.
  • Teaches: The influence of cosmic rhythms on different plant parts.



4. Water vortex:

  • Activity: Fill up a big bucket of water and have the children practice stirring the water to create a whirlpool or vortex. Practice breaking the vortex and spinning the water the other way. As your children play with the water you talk to them about adding in biodynamic preparations and how these preparations help plants to grow and thrive.
  • Teaches: Imaginative understanding of biodynamic preparations and gross motor skills.



5. Herbal Tea for the Garden:

  • Activity: Brew a chamomile or nettle “tea” for plants. Let kids help prepare it (please be sure to supervise children around hot water to ensure safety) and once cooled, spray it gently on the garden. In addition, Chamomile can also make a gentle, calming, mild tasting tea for children to enjoy too, just ensure that no child has any known allergies to the asteraceae family. A discussion can be had about the ways plants can give nutrition and healing properties to both humans and other plant life.
  • Teaches: Biodynamic herbal preparations and care for plant vitality.



6. Insect Friends Scavenger Hunt:

  • Activity: Go on a bug hunt to find pollinators and beneficial insects. Create an “insect hotel” for them. Insect hotels can be easily created by using materials such as rocks, wood, twigs, pinecones, bricks etc and stacking them up agains a wall. An alternative or bonus activity could be to research what types of flowers and herbs are the most attractive to our pollinator friends and plant them out in the garden or in pots to attract these insects in.
  • Teaches: Fosters an interest in Biodiversity and ecosystem balance.



7. Harvest & Seasonal Feast:

  • Activity: Harvest vegetables and herbs, then make a seasonal salad or soup together. This activity is very helpful in getting fussy eaters to try new vegetables, by involving them in the act of harvesting and preparing food.


Teaches: Seasonal awareness and farm-to-table mindfulness.

8. Nature Mandalas with Garden Finds:

  • Activity: Gather leaves, petals, pinecones, seeds, etc and arrange them in circular mandalas. If you are near a beach, you may wish to include items like shells, seaweed, drift wood and feathers.
  • Teaches: Patterns in nature and holistic design (connected to biodynamic harmony).️

9. Blessing the Garden Ritual:

  • Activity: Let children help create a simple ritual or song to “bless” the garden before planting or harvesting.
  • Teaches: Connection, intention, and reverence for life- all of which are core to biodynamic philosophy.


10. Garden Journal with Moon & Weather Tracking:

  • Activity: Keep a fun illustrated journal to track things like: moon phases, weather, plant growth, or insects, birds and animals spotted in the garden. Children can get really creative here and use paints, markers, pencils, magazine cut outs, stickers, washi tape etc.
  • Teaches: Observation, rhythm, and recording natural patterns, helps develop fine motor skills.

We hope you enjoy these activities and use them as a spring board to spark your child’s imagination and interest, have fun out there in the garden with your kids!

The Biodynamic Journey: From Garden to Plate workshop

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Thank you to Gill Bacchus, for this post:

On 15 March Titirangi Rudolf Steiner school teachers hosted a workshop that focussed on biodynamic gardening principles and how they can be practically applied in school and home gardens; preparing and eating nutritious vegetables and their health benefits.

Diane de Saint Quentin greeted 14 participants warmly and guided them on a tour of several productive gardens that harmoniously blend into extensive bush clad school grounds. “Have you ever wondered how some gardens manage to flourish even in the face of challenging conditions? she asks. As we wander through the gardens, Diane emphasises the art of observation and the importance of understanding nature as a whole ecosystem. Discussions spark among participants:

· Could these holistic methods regenerate even the most depleted soils?

· How might these principles be applied to urban home plots and container gardening?

The answers begin to reveal themselves as the group explores the orchard and the Ngahere (bush kindergarten) garden beds. The teachers and parents speak to the land’s resilience and their commitment to learning about biodynamic practices. Together, they navigate challenges such as dry summer heat, limited water, and bush terrain. These spaces prove vital for children, fostering connection to nature, inspiring curiosity, and cultivating stewardship. Attendees begin to reflect: What does it truly mean to nurture the land that sustains us? We see how biodynamics has built fertile soil and discuss how the soil and plants could be further improved such as applying preparation 501 to balance the growth from preparation 500 application.

Next, Gill Bacchus invites participants to look beyond the soil – to their relationship to plants and their food. Drawing inspiration from Rudolf Steiner’s teachings, she highlights the profound connection between plant vitality and human well-being. “What does the flavour of a tomato reveal about its nutritional life force?” she asks, offering both supermarket and biodynamic tomatoes for tasting. The contrast is striking: the biodynamic tomatoes radiate vibrancy, embodying the care and holistic practices invested in their growth. She discusses how formative forces enhanced by a biodynamic system increase plant vitality and stimulate our physical, soul and spiritual health.

As midday arrives, the enticing aroma from the outdoor kitchen draws everyone near. Kevin Helas, founder of The Wholefood Kitchen, greets the group with culinary wisdom and a simmering pot of stock. “Simple ingredients,” he explains, “yield the richest meals when treated with care and creativity.” Sharing his macrobiotic expertise, Kevin demonstrates how seasonal, foraged produce like nettle and potatoes served with sourdough bread can be transformed into nutrient-dense soup and one-pot meals bursting with flavour. The act of sharing food became- a moment to savour not just the kai but also the deep connections – to nature, to ourselves, and to the life-sustaining cycles that surround us. Kevin introduces the Māori concept of kotahitanga (unity), emphasising the profound bond between people, the whenua (land), and its abundant bounty. In this shared tasting, kai becomes an expression of gratitude and celebration, woven into a tapestry of holistic connection.

As the workshop draws to a close, teachers meet with Gill and Diane to continue their good work of embed biodynamic principles within the school. Plans emerge for more compost-making sessions and further application of biodynamic preparations.

Practical Biodynamics – an exciting new workshop

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The team at Biodynamics New Zealand have been busy behind the scenes creating an exciting workshop “Practical Biodynamics” – aimed at introducing biodynamics to the keen gardener,  this workshop covers the main principles and practices, whilst you learn the simple steps needed to get started with biodynamics in your own gardens and properties. 

With interest in organic produce and growing methods, continue to gain popularity, biodynamics offers a holistic approach to growing which can enhance any organic or regenerative growing system. Biodynamics is unique, in that, it focuses on working with natures rhythms and uses the biodynamic ‘preparations’, 9 soil remedies made from plants and minerals, to create soil fertility and thriving balanced ecosystems.

Learning new concepts and ways of doing things can often feel overwhelming for those new to biodynamics, this is where the Practical Biodynamics workshop comes in, as it is a fun way to connect with like minded people, learn from a biodynamic practitioner, be introduced to the biodynamic approach and also provides a space for you to ask all your burning biodynamic questions!

Taught by Bridget Henderson a biodynamic practitioner, educator and BDNZ council member, our first Practical Biodynamics workshop was held on Sunday 27th April, 2025 at Ethos Garden.

The day started with a presentation on the main concepts found in biodynamics and then carried on with two hands on activities: burying biodynamic preparation 500 in the ground and spreading it over the Ethos garden.

Participants were also encouraged to bring an empty 2-4 L container so they could take some preparation 500 home to use on own garden or property. We are so pleased to report that the feedback from participants was extremely positive!  

A big thank you to Ethos Garden for providing such a wonderful space to host our workshop in.

BDNZ will be hosting more Practical Biodynamics workshops over the next few months, if you are keen to learn more or to attend one, please keep an eye on the BDNZ facebook page  as we will upload all the details of the event- including location and ticket details, we hope to see you at our next Practical Biodynamics workshop!

The healing potential of rose hips 

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In the latest issue of Harvests magazine, Holistic Health Consultant Nic Parkes shared her recipe to make a gentle rose hip glycerite rather than the usual sugar syrup.

Here, she delves deeper into the healing potential of rose hips, observing their qualities through the lens of anthroposophy. Inviting us to follow her journey, she experiments with these unique fruits and uncovers how, when combined with others, they may form a powerful, holistic remedy for both body and spirit. 

Anthroposophy: a path to understanding plants and healing

Anthroposophy, the spiritual science developed by Rudolf Steiner, provides a path to cultivate our spiritual-sensing faculties, starting with developing attention, and an attitude of wonder and gratitude. Steiner described it as “a path of knowledge, which intends to lead what is spiritual in the human being to what is spiritual in the universe”. 

Plants not only serve as food and remedies, but also embody spiritual principles and forces that connect us with the rhythms and energies of nature. They bring the mineral earth to life, with their roots sensing into the earth, and their blossoms and fruit connecting with the warmth and light of the cosmos. Food is a little like a rainbow, a bridge between earth and the cosmos. The human spirit is able to transform the nutrition taken in.  

Much has been written about roses and rose hips. How does an anthroposophic view look? 

A closer study of the rose shows that it bears the sun’s signature. The pentagonal blossom dances with the play of light and darkness. Red roses have the colour of irradiated blood. 

A closer study of the rose shows that it bears the sun’s signature. The pentagonal blossom dances with the play of light and darkness. Red roses have the colour of irradiated blood. 

The Rosaceae family, to which the rose belongs, is the greatest fruit-producing family in the temperate regions, the middle ground between the cold pole and the hot tropics. These fruits of today, apples, strawberries, pears, cherries and more, are all related to the rose, tracing their origins to a common ancestor. 

In anthroposophy, the connection between body and spirit is fundamental to understanding health and well-being. The nutritive qualities of fruit help body and spirit work harmoniously together. The physiological basis of this function is circulation, which Steiner viewed not just as a means of transporting nutrients, but as a vital force linking the physical body to the spiritual realms. The blood alternates between downward densifying (contraction) and upward sublimation (expansion). Fruit feeds the circulatory processes and even has a direct part in making the blood.  

A storehouse of light and vitality

Within the Rosaceae family, there are different groups of fruit, each with different characters. Rose hips, also referred to as haws, are the fruit of the rose. Haws have numerous pistils, all contained within one receptacle. There is a motherly quality of embracing the pistils.  

Radiating out from the receptacle, like rays of light, are the styles, with their bright yellow stigma. Rose hips are rich in Vitamin C, which Rudolf Hauschka, Austrian chemist and anthroposophist, refers to as “latent light” in The Nature of Substance. 

The physical substances found in the fruit of the rose are tannins, some volatile oils, and carotene — the pigment that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis, relating to the dynamics of light. Additionally, it has sugars, pectin, and fruit acids such as malic acid and citric acid, with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) being particularly abundant. The seeds in the fruit contain vanillin, a fatty oil, and silica. At the mineral level, the rose hip is rich in iron, calcium and phosphorus, all of which play important roles in the blood process. 

Unlocking the healing power of rose hips

We’ve analysed the nutritive qualities, but how would I now look to see if a medicine could arise? What is the “one-sidedness?” What pharmaceutical processes are required to bring the plant into the right relationship with the illness process in the human body so that it can address and treat it? Is a compound medicine needed, bringing together different plant parts or substances, and if so, what would the other substances be? For inspiration, I look to the nature around me in my garden and my country, as well as the cosmos. Steiner talked about making preparations from the individual parts of plants and then using them singly or in different combinations to achieve the right healing effect. 

Regarding the rose hip, the special relationship to the sugar process points to using the hips, with seeds removed, to help diabetes. The inversion of the fruiting process in the rose and the direction of the silica process relate to enhanced kidney elimination. Here we would want to use the seeds of the fruit.

The fruit acids, carotene and vitamin C are revitalising. The whole fruit becomes a boosting tonic for the metabolism and brightens the senses bringing equilibrium. What am I looking for here? A way to bring the sun, the light inside, as we go through winter. Winter is the time when we develop our inner light. 

The distillation process to produce a hydrosol, a water-based solution containing the beneficial compounds of plants, using the warmth and water elements, could be useful. I am a fan of mixed distillations using the right still (Alquitar, column or traditional), devices designed to separate the plant’s different compounds through heating and condensation. To find the right ingredients to bring together in the process, I first need to observe and converse with nature’s gifts, research using the tools of natural science, and then bring this together with the spiritual scientific research process. 

I’ve already used rose blossom flowers in my Pounamu/Helianthus oral liquid and Pounamu/Aurum salve, but am now inspired to explore rose hips. When combined with other plants or minerals they could potentially form a powerful, holistic healing remedy. 

Many other Rosaceae family members are used in anthroposophic medicine, like quince, hawthorn, and herb bennet, each addressing different imbalances such as allergies, circulation, and digestion. 

As I continue this exploration, I invite you to follow me as I share future discoveries and formulations that may come to life on my website. I also encourage you to embark on your own journey of discovery through embodied, Goethean-style observation—an approach to understanding nature holistically and intuitively. For more insights, consider exploring Taruna College’s ‘The Art of Well Being’ programme, which includes foundational anthroposophy courses and workshops. 

Nic is the Honorary Treasurer for the Anthroposophical Society in New Zealand and works closely with the International Circle of Treasurers of the General Anthroposophical Society. She is a Holistic Health Consultant with a background in pharmacy, Bowen therapy, and organic growing, and expertise in herbal, homeopathic, and anthroposophic medicine. Nic handcrafts personalised remedies imbued with her spirit at her clinic Healing Lands in Hastings. She has been a member of Biodynamics New Zealand for 25 years. 

www.healinglands.nz  

Help share future issues of Harvests magazine

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Harvests is the official magazine of Biodynamics New Zealand, dedicated to exploring and celebrating biodynamic practices, philosophies, and community stories. Published twice a year—Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter—each issue brings together practical gardening wisdom, discussions on anthroposophy, and real-world examples of biodynamics in action.

Have your say

We want Harvests to reflect what matters most to you. Whether you’re drawn to deep explorations of anthroposophy, hands-on gardening techniques, or real-world examples of biodynamics in action, your feedback will help guide our content in future issues.

Let us know what you’d like to see more of by completing this short survey. Your input will help us create a magazine that supports and inspires our biodynamic community.

Fill out this quick survey here, and let us know what you’d like to see more of.

Women in Biodynamics – Celebrating International Women’s Day

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It was recently International women’s day on March 8th; and this year we wanted to celebrate by spotlighting a few of the fabulous women we have practicing Biodynamics here in Aotearoa. 

From home gardeners, to keen writers and educators, to biodynamic based businesses; these women are out in their communities and are sharing their knowledge and passion for biodynamics and we think that deserves to be celebrated this International Women’s Day.

Of course there are many women out there in our communities doing incredible work to bring Biodynamics to their family, friends and communities (we would have loved to have shone a spotlight on you all) ….we applaud each and every one of you!

Please read on to learn more about each of the women we were  able to feature in our “Women in Biodynamics” social media posts, for International Women’s Day and be sure to check out the links they have shared, so that you can further learn from them and support the work they do.

Katrina Wolff:

Katrina has been mesmerised by biodynamic gardening since discovering it in 2009 when her two children were at the Titirangi Rudolf Steiner School. She blended her hobby of gardening with other anthroposophical studies until she started Blue Borage in 2018 with the hopes of helping bring biodynamic methods (especially composting) into mainstream gardening and urban waste management practices. 

She’s in the 2025 ‘top 50 women in food and drink’ with Cuisine Magazine, and in the ‘Next 95’ with the Sustainable Business Network. Her current focus is exploring how the plants used in the biodynamic compost preparations can be used to make a simple floral compost activator, following the work of Maye Bruce (1879-1964), you can listen to her talk about this with Kate Heming Panchal from the JPI Institute on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/bxxMrsqvry4?si=jeTNbd2XGroFP7bQ

If you’d like to learn more about this research, then there are links in this blog post: https://blueborage.podia.com/blog/floral-compost-activator

Katrina’s often out in the community teaching composting workshops, and is the garden coach for Ceres Organics in Auckland. Her wide range of online courses are designed to help beginners find ways for biodynamics to make sense in their home, workplace, school and community. Look out for a new series soon on ‘Closing the Loop: the Art of Composting’

Please follow on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube for updates, or sign up for her weekly emails to see the latest offerings from Blue Borage. 

www.blueborage.co.nz

Gita Krenek:

Gita shares: “My biodynamic journey began in 1979 when my husband and I took over a sheep farm in North Canterbury and converted it to biodynamics. Over a few years, we introduced cattle and grain growing into the mix, and built a millhouse so we could start milling our grain and selling to private customers and shops. Twenty five years later it was time to hand over to our son, and I retired to Golden Bay (Top of the South) where I take care of a large vegetable garden, some fruit trees, and a couple of livestock. I also give occasional workshops on biodynamics, and have written a small book on the biodynamic preparations.”

Please keep an eye on the BDNZ web shop for Gitas booklets.

Joanne Turner:

Joanne shares this about her biodynamic journey, “Twenty something years ago, Greg and I moved to our little property and we wanted it to be run organically from the day we arrived.  Greg was interested in biodynamics and I was happy with organics, so it seemed a good fit to be certified with Demeter.  During the first few years Greg did all the preparation work and I did all the paperwork.   As I was working fulltime on the property I would be making compost heaps during the week, but Greg wouldn’t get round to adding the preparations until the weekend.  I decided it was time I took over that task.  I also used to help with the stirring of preparation 500 and 501 but not the application.  My thinking of this also changed and I now help with the application.  I felt that I was not fully being a part of the farm and needed to be involved with the preparation work.  It’s a wonderful feeling to be using the preparations and to feel connected to the organism that is Woodhouse Farm Organics.  I still do all the paperwork.”

Please check out Woodhouse Farm Organics here https://woodhousefarmorganics.co.nz/

Su Hoskin:

Su Hoskin has spent two decades practicing biodynamic farming principles on a mixed farm, vineyards and on her home gardens and allotment. She is a trustee and active member of The Hawea Food Forest and community gardens and Co-hosts the Wanaka Death Café where her affinity is advocating for environmentally sound burial practices and a more holistic approach to end of life matters.

Her training at Taruna, in 2005 gained her a certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics. She later went on to help facilitate the same course in her own region, Central Otago in the South Island.

Between 2015 and 2018, She completed a term on the New Zealand Biodynamic Associations Council, Education Coordinator and was a trustee on the Kete Ora Trust for many years.

For those interested in learning more about Su Hoskin,  please check out Biodynamic Community Aotearoa,https://www.facebook.com/groups/768457823177333

Hawea Food Forest https://www.facebook.com/groups/3051328904899592

and Wanaka Death Cafe https://www.facebook.com/groups/1170353396645132

Jan Koberstein:

Jan has this to share about her journey into biodynamics, “I was introduced to biodynamics 25 years ago when our children joined the Tauranga Rudolf Steiner kindergarten.   Biodynamics so resonated with me and my learning journey with biodynamics began.  I practiced biodynamics developing big gardens with lots of fruit trees as we moved properties a few times.  I completed the Taruna Certificate of Applied Organics & Biodynamics in 2009 with intentions of bigger things.  Wherever I have resided, I have enjoyed connecting with local BD groups and I enjoy organising local get togethers for a BD 500 stir or CPP making etc. I am a co-opted member of the BD Council learning in the ins out outs of keeping the BD Association thriving.    I have recently taken on the Biodynamic Preparation Dispatch Role and library service, so If you are in the Kapiti Coast or Horowhenua area, keep an eye out in the footnote for a get together at my place to open a few library books.”

Monique Macfarlane:

As a holistic food systems facilitator, Monique Macfarlane of Natural Wisdom teaches a variety of workshops within biodynamics, spiritual gardening and planting by the moon. She has spent time growing in many different climatic regions throughout New Zealand, and produces an accessible monthly biodynamic calendar with Soil & Health and Biodynamics NZ. Her heartfelt passion for food, localisation, and thriving nature is the foundation of her incredible offerings – and finds her greatest joy in helping people back to the land, and themselves. 

Monique has also just recently returned from the Goetheanum in Switzerland, where she presented a keynote lecture ‘Feeling the Earth as a Living Being’ with Agriculture Section co-leader Eduardo Rincon at Agriculture Conference 2025. Weaving anthroposophy and biodynamics closer together is her current passion, breathing a deeper life into our lands and our practice. 

https://www.natural-wisdom.net/  or https://www.instagram.com/_natural_wisdom_/

Jan Johns: 

Jan on how she came to biodynamics, “A chance meeting and visit( 20 something years ago) from Peter Proctor and Rachel Pomeroy “opened my eyes” to biodynamics.

 Peter said “Don’t let the perfect get in the way, just do it!” It took a little more time!

I completed the Certificate in Applied Organics and Biodynamics through Taruna and then with the enthusiasm of our vigneron, Jeremy Hyland, have been using biodynamic principles in the vineyard since 2018.

We now make all our own preps (often with other members of the local biodynamic community) and our vineyard and wines are showing the benefits.

Peter was right!!”

Bridget Henderson:

Bridget learnt all about Biodynamics while living and working on Shelly Beach Farm, mentored by John Pearce. She continues to practice and promote BD and is currently a BDNZ Councillor.  Bridget is also actively involved with Organic Farm NZ, as regional chair and auditor, as well asTutor of NZ Certificate in Sustainable Primary Production.  Bridget believes in taking every chance to share the BD magic!

Christine Moginie:

Christine Moginie’s love of Nature, Colour and Form, has lead her on a long destiny journey through urban organic gardening and rural lifestyle life in NZ and Australia.

Art, artistic therapy, storytelling, biography counselling, teaching adults and children, meditation, and biodynamics all melded together through studies in Anthroposophy since 1983.

Christine’s businesses “Conversations in Colour Artistic Psychotherapy” and Vortex Biodynamic Gardening Workshops and Consultation, combined with motherhood, and a love of learning, led her to join the BDNZ Council in 2020, and the role of Chair since 2023. Biodynamic preparations as medicines for the Earth .If you would like to connect with Christine and her work we encourage you to follow her @vortexbiodynamics 

Jane Cumberworth:

Jane is active stirring 500 twice a year since being involved in Beehive gardens Hastings 1980s .  She introduced children to 500 stirring at schools too: Hastings 1986, Welcome Bay Waldorf school, 1990s and Motueka Steiner School,2004 to 2016.  Now Jane is involved with groups who organise stirs for the school’s land care group in Robinson Road, Motueka, as well as a group who do 500 stirring and 501 for home gardens.

We Need Your Help!

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The future of organics and biodynamics within New Zealand is currently facing a HUGE challenge to its future, in the form of The Gene Technology Bill.

This bill was drafted to facilitate the development of a global GMO sector in New Zealand and was presented to parliament in December.

If passed New Zealand will become the most deregulated and permissive country in the world with regard to the environmental release of novel, genetically modified organisms and the use gene-editing applications in our food production systems. If passed our ability produce and market natural, unmodified foods will be critically impacted.  

Key aspects of the Bill include:   

Deregulation to facilitate full development and release of genetically modified organisms and applications in our natural and productive environments

Removal of the ability for communities or regions to declare themselves “GE Free Zones”

Redefinition of legal terms to effectively remove labelling and traceability of GMO’s within our production and food systems

Removal of the precautionary principle from legal and regulatory considerations 

This is a huge concern to the future of organics and biodynamics here in New Zealand, so we are calling on our community to come together to protect our future, by taking action to stop the Gene Tech Bill.

Our friends at Organics Aotearoa New Zealand have compiled a fantastic GE Free Activation Tool Kit to help you make your submission, organise your local community and to spread the word.

They also have a donation fund which you can contribute to. The money raised goes towards helping support fund a national campaign raising awareness about the risks of GE policy changes.

Any action you can take, large or small, will help make a difference to keeping our future GE Free!

New Content for YouTube!

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Read more

Soil ~ Soul ~ Social Conference Celebrating 100 Years of Biodynamics

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We invite you to join us in the beautiful Hawkes Bay May 4-5th during organic week to celebrate the biodynamic community and the agriculture course birthed 100 years ago.

Read more

Road to Regeneration with Zach Bush

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By Christine Moginie

Road to Regeneration – Sunday 12th November 2023 at the ASB Viaduct Theatre in Auckland with Dr Zach Bush Farmers Footprint , Nicole Masters Integrity Soils, Dr Hugh Jellie Ata Regenerative, Te Rangikaheke Kiripatea Kai Rotorua, Tre Cates nRythm, and Angela Clifford The Food Farm/Eat WellNZ 

Fresh from a sold out 800 plus attendance event in Byron Bay NSW “Reconnect” with Charlie Arnott, Joost Bakker, and others on the Saturday, Zach Bush MD joined the line up to inspire those looking for answers to the “where to now?” question, and to launch his charity Farmers Footprint NZ.  

Organisied by Hugh’s marvellous all girl team Fran Baxter (daughter of Kaye), and Amber Rose, the VIP Meet and Greet with Zach before the main event, had around 40 people turn up for networking, canapes and wine, and to enjoy a seriously heartfelt shared hug with Zach. This was also the opportunity to hand him a copy of our latest Harvests Magazine, and discuss a little about Biodynamics in NZ.  

Also to talk with Geoff Ross and his manager/guide Richie from Lake Hawea Station in Central Otago who Charlie interviewed and stayed with before the Feilding Conference this year. 

Not surprisingly Zach finds while hugging his patients, that he can often experience, and diagnose what is going on for them, and why they are coming to see him. Somewhat different to the standard inevitable – “What are you coming to see me for” question I get on visiting medical practitioners!

This already set the scene for understanding how this remarkable man has been inspiring people around the world for some time now. In my limited experience, the ability to not only competently share scientific and medical knowledge, statistics, and research; but also deep spiritual experiences, knowledge, and wisdom in the same presentation is rare. 

There is a humbleness not often associated with the movers and shakers on the Global stage, who rub shoulders with politicians, corporates, and other FP’s (Famous People). The range of topics he covered was vast and extensive …look him up there’s lots of content available online, and Charlie Arnott has interviewed him in his Regenerative Podcasts. 

“Glysophate literally puts out the 10,000 x brighter than the sun light that michochondria and bacteria shine in the cells of all living things”.  

“Since the 1970’s all the drugs that have been manufactured since marijuana, to cocaine, MDMA, Ecstasy, and P etc, have been introduced to completely control the population, and have shut down the human nervous system completely.” 

“We are our own best tormentors if we keep on flipping the victim/perpetrator coin that constantly destroys everything that Nature has created, and the world is built on this long established pattern” 

“Stories shape our realities. Fear, guilt and shame will be transformed when we truly experience the pain, and feel not just the emotion but the true feeling as a whole. The future we can feel and know in our hearts will create our new world”. 

The main impression shared with the uplifting energy /being that filled the auditorium when Zach mentioned his experience in France at the Mary Magdalene/Mother Mary caves, is of a human being who is walking the talk, connecting like-minded souls around the world, very much in touch with his Higher Spirit Self. 

250 plus people attended the main event and Nicole Master’s storytelling, and history of dealing personally with the effects of paraquot chemical poisoning, and associated health issues from growing up playing in the biofuel runoff near Whenuapai Airforce base as a child, was a poignant reminder of NZ’s crazy love affair with chemical fertilisers and big Pharma products. 

Her 2 x sold out Integrity Soil based events organised by Soilsisters, are currently drawing much interest in NZ while she is here, and also around the world. A signed copy of Nicole’s excellent book “For the Love of Soil” will soon be available to borrow from BDNZ’s resource library….when I’ve finished reading it! 

“The first step is to dig a hole, get to know the root system”. “Biologically alive soils reconnect us to the landscape of life”. 

Dr Hugh Jellie realised that there had to be other ways to naturally support and work with animal health during his long career as a Vet, when a farmer client commented on how he couldn’t see that the health of his cows had deteriorated due to the increase of chemical fertilisers, and they looked fine. Hugh’s view was the opposite and so he started Ata Regenerative to educate others. 

Te Rangiheke’s warm hearted stories about growing kumuera for and with his whanau, working with students at local high schools, and inspiring community based projects in and around Rotorua through his work with Rotorua Kai, were interspersed with sharing his Redband gumboots with Angela Clifford though her sandals didn’t fit him or go too well with his outfit…He’s quietly observed how even the most difficult characters become transformed while having their hands and feet in the soil. 

Angela Clifford was the delightful MC and grows food on her permaculture Farm, showing people not only how to grow healthy, nutrient dense food, but also how to cook it. 

A lot of what I heard, I knew already, and while it was inspiring and uplifting and supportive,  knowing there is movement within the conventional agricultural realms, I wonder what the difference really is between Regenerative, Organic, Permaculture, and Biodynamics?  

The question that resonates most for me is would 250 plus people pay $195 to attend one of our BD events, and $350 for a VIP meet and greet?  

Who are BD’s Zach Bush’s and Nicole Masters? How do we best inspire others to step into Biodynamics? What do we need to change to meet this change in the world? Food for thought.