Tag Archive for: biodynamics

Enjoy the last month of 2024!

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And as we move into the last half of December, we thought we would share a few key dates that maybe of interest to you.

Summer Solstice, Saturday 21st December is an ascending fruit day. This is a great time to get your Biodynamic community together for a BBQ and to share some yummy, expressive libations.  If you’re in a region of the country that is experiencing cooler soils you might still be lifting horns; root days, especially Taurus are nice days to work with the soil. 

The Ascending Scorpio moon around the 23rd to the 25th could also work well for lifting horns.  It’s also nice to plan ahead to put 501 on vines in January to improve seed hardening.  Just be careful not to do it when it’s too hot!

For many of us around the country, December has been gifting us with soaring temperatures and lots of summer sun. These hot days provide us with the perfect excuse to seek shelter under the shade of a tree to cool down and to sit and observe the garden/farm/soil for a while.

While we are enjoying the shade, we might like to reflect back on the year and record what worked really well in our gardens, what crops flourished, what may not have gone to plan and to also outline our plans for the garden/farm/vineyard as we get ready to move into 2025.

The council and team members of Biodynamics New Zealand would also like to take this time to wish you, the valued members of our biodynamic community (as well as your families and friends), a peaceful and relaxing Christmas/festive season.

Thank you all, for your support, aroha and for those in our membership, thank you for helping to build a beautiful, thriving biodynamic community, here in Aotearoa.

Enjoy the final month of 2024 and we look forward to sharing more biodynamic news and events in the New Year!

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Land Based Primary Production Students in Action

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On a ‘descending root day’ the North Auckland, Land Based Training: Sustainable Primary Production students gathered at Shelly Beach Farm to dig up last year’s cow horns and spread 500 on the pasture. By all accounts it was a great social event.

Bridget Henderson has shared with us some fantastic photos of the students in action and the following observation;

“When the horns were laid down we buried some with openings facing down and some lying on their sides.  Upon digging up, the ones facing down had not turned as well as the ones on their sides.. interesting!”

We would like to thank Bridget for sharing with us these fabulous images – its great to see biodynamics in action!

If you have any images and stories of events you have attended around New Zealand, we would love to hear from you and feature your event in our monthly members newsletter, or here on the blog.

Please email secretary@biodynamic.org.nz to share your stories and images.

New Content for YouTube!

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Get Ready For Spring!

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Spring Equinox inches closer with the usual August snow and frosts one day and clear sunny warm days the next; encouraging the bulbs and fruit tree buds towards blossoming… Spring is on its way!   

We are now heading into one of the busiest times in the Biodynamic year. It is a last opportunity to prune fruit trees and vines, apply tree paste, spread out compost and CPP to stabilise the Spring growth forces. Its also time to sow seeds for Spring and Summer planting, prepare to dig up the Horn Manure 500 horns and stir and spray Horn Silica 501, as bud burst occurs on fruiting plants.

To help you with your planning some key dates are:

  • September 3rd with ascending new moon opposition Saturn in Leo, in front of Sun sign Leo, for seed sowing, or spraying Horn Silica 501 if you have fruit trees and have already put out several lots of Horn manure 500.

  • The Sun moves in front of the Virgin, just into the early morning of the 18th September with a Perigee Full Moon Lunar Eclipse that day, and a Node on the 19th.  Consequently it might be best to either dig up your BD500 horns, or stir 500 on Sunday 15th September, or wait until the 22nd/23rd/24th September and join the crowds!

  • 100 Years Spring Equinox Countrywide Stir Sunday 22nd September 3pm! With Spring Equinox not far off, Biodynamics New Zealand invites you to gather together with friends, regional groups, and BD whanau to stir some Horn Manure 500 or CPP to enliven your properties. The Moon will be in a descending phase in earth (root) sign Taurus on the 22nd and 23rd September, so perfect timing for some down to Earth action.

If you are keen to participate in the 100 years Spring Equinox Stir, please send in a photo or short reel to Jayne secretary@biodynamic.org.nz in doing so you agree to have your images/videos posted on social media or used in our monthly 500Footnote email.  

All those who send in photos or videos will go in the draw to win a prize pack that includes a Brian Keats calendar, the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Calendar and a preparation pack of 500, 501 and CPP.

Entries are open to New Zealand residents only and close at 5pm September 29th and the winner will be drawn on October 1st, 2024. The winner will be contacted directly and posted in the October footnote and featured on social media.

Good luck to all who enter, we cannot wait to see your photos and videos!

Climate Considerations from Members

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Harvest Magazine – Autumn 2021

The following piece is an excerpt from The Autumn/Winter issue of Harvests 2021. For access to the full article and to participate in monthly Zoom gatherings, become a member of Biodynamics New Zealand.

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Biodynamics and Demeter Certification at Seresin Estate

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João Corbett of Seresin Estate was interviewed for the 2021 Spring issue of Harvests Magazine, in the interview he talks through the benefits of Demeter Certification from his perspective as an agricultural engineer and his experience working on a vineyard. For access to the full article and other perks, become a Member of Biodynamics New Zealand.

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The New Generation of Biodynamic Gardeners

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Kaitlyn is  18 years old and is John Paul College’s environmental captain in Rotorua. She has a huge passion for growing nutrient rich food from seed and diverting waste from the landfill by making compost. She has recently become a member of Biodynamics New Zealand and shares with us her passion for gardening, sustainability and visions of what her future holds.

This is an excerpt from the Spring 2021 issue of Harvests, to have access to the full article, and many other perks become a member of Biodynamics New Zealand here https://biodynamic.org.nz/biodynamic-association/joining-the-association

What is it about biodynamics that interests you?

What interests me about Biodynamics is that the garden and every single part of that garden environment is looked at from a holistic viewpoint. This is very important, as nothing in nature is separate. They are all interconnected. Just like we are to Papatuanuku. Which is why I love how growers use ‘waste’ and plants from their land/garden to improve the health of their soil and therefore the health of the food they produce and the health of the ecosystem. I find this truly amazing because nowadays lots of growers depend on external inputs in order to grow food, which isn’t sustainable. I believe if we can return to biodynamic methods, then we will be able to even further slow down the greenhouse effect and find an even stronger connection to our environment. 

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Into the Soil: An interview with Mattias Olssen about biodynamics and film making.

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I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to Swedish film maker and podcaster Mattias Olssen about his documentary film ‘Into the Soil’ for the Spring issue of Harvests. He is the creator of the multimedia project called Campfire Stories, where he interviews people in his community pursuing sustainable and sometimes alternative lifestyles.  In this film he documents the philosophical approach of the biodynamic farmer Brigid LeFevre, who grew up in a Camphill community and now runs a small biodynamic farm where she grows supplies to make some of the best Kimchi in Europe.

To read the full interview and have access to Harvests Magazine, become a member of Biodynamics New Zealand here

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2017 pre-conference workshop

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Newsflash! We’re thrilled to announce we’re hosting a pre-conference introduction to biodynamics: Bringing life to urban gardens.

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Conference 2017: Andy Black

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There’s very little Hawke’s Bay resident and 2017 conference speaker Andy Black doesn’t know about growing veges and herbs. He’s also an expert at growing under glass.  Read more