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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] A History of Organic Farming--

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "David Inglis" <mhcsa@verizon.net>
  • To: "'Healthy soil and sustainable growing'" <livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] A History of Organic Farming--
  • Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:07:08 -0500

>They
>did, however, start by giving Steiner a write off to establish Howard
>as the father of all organics. It doesn't really matter either way,
>but if people make this sort statement they at least ought to
>present the facts. Steiner gave his lectures in 1924, which picked
>up on traditional methods still in practice at the time. And even
>though I don't practice biodynamics, I recognize his merit for
>presenting an organic alternative to farmers at a time when
>agro-chemistry was considered the only way to go and anybody
>who did not use synthetic fertilizers was considered a backward
>peasant. Howard, who published his Testament in the US in 1945,
>is a great guy. And there were probably many, contemporary or
>since, who deserve equal praise.

Dieter,
You make a good point about Steiner and Howard but there is more to say I
think.
While I agree with you that the 'who came first?' question is not important
compared to other issues, as you say, the facts should be right. Also the
comparison of how the two men worked is illuminating. It used to be far more
common for the two 'camps' to deride each other but as the best practices of
both have been absorbed by the other it has become less of an issue. While
the original mild hostility was mutual it is unfortunate that Howard chose
to question, in print, the long term prospects of BD. However this
questioning, I think, would have been welcomed by Steiner but was not by his
followers. Ah well.

Steiner gave his lectures in '24 but they were a closely guarded secret for
many years until the 'indications' had been worked out in practice. They
were only published later because inaccurate renderings were circulating but
by then there were numerous examples of working farms in operation. There
were only a few numbered copies that were in private circulation up until
then.
The '45 publication of Howard's seminal book was the end process of a
lifetime of public research, experimentation and practical application and
the bulk of his work was done prior to the BD lectures being given.
Howard was a botanist and Agriculturalist that worked his whole lifetime on
these issues from within the mainstream Agricultural research structure.
Steiner's considerable contribution to Agriculture was only a small part of
his activities and were derived from an entirely different source[ his
knowledge of peasant wisdom combined with his 'spiritual' insight ie more
like a Shamen {a very middle European one}than a boff ].
While much of what became BioDynamics has been proven to be effective, at
the time it was not proven and it is not surprising to me that it was
greeted with some skepticism. BD makes for some mighty strange study at
times, especially when not backed by examples, and I say that as someone
with a BioDynamic training.
My own sense is that the potential of neither Steiner's or Howard's approach
has been fully realized and that they will again become more relevant as the
resource infrastructure becomes unstable.
Good luck to you Dieter, I like your inclusive thinking.
Dave
Mahaiwe Harvest CSA
Mass.
Z5









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