• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Has Anybody Had Success w/ Biodynamic Farming?

 
Posts: 13
Location: Old Fort, North Carolina, USA. Sandy Loam.
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

I have to say, I'm impressed with the claims that biodynamic farming uses no pesticides or herbicides in a monoculture setting.  As permaculturist, pests have been my main concern in the food forest.

My question is, anybody out there using biodynamic with success?  How long does it take to start seeing the effects?  Is the food noticeably different tasting?
 
Posts: 77
Location: Eastern Shore of Virginia, USA, Zone 7b, KeB Bojac Sandy Loam
7
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Many people say it takes as much as seven years. Straight from Steiner, his indications for animals seem to be that they are acclimated/adapted to the farm after a couple of years. It depends on how you're working. The compost preparations help improve the compost process, making a higher cation exchange capacity (CEC) final product. Almost any soil being converted to permaculture (or biodynamics) is probably very tired and biologically dead.

Pests show up when organisms "leak" nutrients (odors). They do more of this when fed raw manure or unfinished compost. The first step to biodynamics is better compost. Attached is a good PDF that can seriously help improve composting -- one I wish I'd found years ago:http://www.worldsbestcompost.com/index.html?hop=weaverllc

Weeds show up for the same reason -- often excess nutrients and/or acidity.

Start with a very small area until you see results that differ from the rest of the farm. If you do make the whole farm biodynamic all at once, you may feel like it's not doing anything. I've been progressively converting our farm and there are distinct "zones" from progressive years of biodynamic treatment.
 
pollinator
Posts: 4328
Location: Anjou ,France
258
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
depends what you define as success
Does it give you the same yields - arguable
Do you get a better price by using Demeter standards well here in France yes .

David
 
Posts: 120
Location: Australia, Tasmania, Coastal, sandy, windy and temperate.
16
goat dog trees books chicken food preservation
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
How to Make Colloidal Humus Compost.. Free info


Overview
Compost is made from decomposed organic materials. A colloid is a liquid with solid suspended in it firmly like, for example, butter, which is cream with fat suspended in it. Completed compost becomes humus. Additional fermentation is needed for it to become colloidal. When compost reaches the colloid state it can be rolled into a rubbery ball. It will continue to compost and feed itself. This process keeps important plant nutrients from being washed away.

Step 1
Place grass clippings, dry leaves, kitchen scraps and straw into a shredder. One can be rented from your local equipment rental dealer. Shred organic materials into fine particles.
Step 2
Add shredded materials to large back trash bag. Add 1 cup of lime to the bag. Add 1 quart of water to the bag. Place the bag in direct sunlight during the summer and into a heated garage or basement in the winter. It takes approximately six to 12 months for this to completely breakdown.
Step 3
Open the bag after six months. Grab a handful of compost. It should form a rubber-like ball. If it does not form a rubbery ball, close the bag and allow the mixture to decompose for six more months.

Tammy Curry began writing agricultural and frugal living articles in 2004. Her articles have appeared in the Mid-Atlantic Farm Chronicle and Country Family Magazine. Ms. Curry has also written SEO articles for textbroker.com. She holds an associate's degree in science from Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

http://www.gardenguides.com/89099-make-colloidal-humus-compost.html

 
Nadine McKenzie
Posts: 13
Location: Old Fort, North Carolina, USA. Sandy Loam.
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Thank you everyone for sharing!  I wonder how nature fabricates the colloidal compost.  Either way, it's very interesting.
 
gardener
Posts: 4284
637
7
forest garden fungi trees food preservation bike medical herbs
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have been inching into biodynamics, because I have a kind of mentor out here who is a real biodynamic farmer.

I have been applying biodynamic tree paste and it has saved some fruit trees.

I just started using the horsetail spray. It's too early since I just started. I also didnt' quite do it right. I forgot to cook it.  I can confirm that it does smell very bad.

I would consider myself to be barely participating in biodynamics, intrigued, but not really an experienced biodynamic gardener.

I will try others next year, probably.

John S
PDX OR
 
Posts: 28
Location: London, England
4
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Quite a bit of my farmers' market veg brought in to London, UK, is biodynamically grown
 
Posts: 153
Location: Connecticut
2
3
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I believe Brian Kierkvliet is a biodynamic farmer.  He has done podcasts with Paul about it.  He has YouTube videos of his own and is famously in Paul's video about using horsetail tea on his squash plant.  i haven't personally taken a tour of his farm but from what I can see from various videos he has a great system setup to harvest water and nutrients on his property.  Enjoy listening to Brian.
 
Posts: 4
Location: cochrane, ab
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I noticed it immediately the very first year. best crops I ever had
most disease and pest resistant as well. I also had a control group where i planted each group of veggies in one plot on the same day. They did horrible in comparison to the rest of the garden when planted on the right moon days.
 
Posts: 314
Location: USDA Zone 7a
29
books food preservation wood heat
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi All, Happy New Year and Happy Healthy Gardening!  I see this is an old forum topic but I didn't find another one that seemed right for posting this video link, so here goes. The title is "How to Grow the Best Foods Imaginable - Interview with Ashley Armstrong"  based on Biodynamic Farming.    https://www.bitchute.com/video/QczWtD09vsxy/
 
For my next trick, I'll need the help of a tiny ad ...
turnkey permaculture paradise for zero monies
https://permies.com/t/267198/turnkey-permaculture-paradise-monies
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic