THE BIODYNAMIC METHOD IN 100 WORDS
- 3 mins
We asked our biodynamic barley grower, Richard Gantlett of Yatesbury House Farm, to explain biodynamics in 100 words. Here's what he said.
The Yatesbury biodynamic method goes:
1. The whole farm is treated as one organism; soil, plant, cattle, wildlife and people – one team.
2. The soil is at the heart of everything we do. We feed the soil with a broad diversity of growing roots, repairing and enhancing the soil with biodynamic preparations, which include a soil life inoculant (rather like how a starter works in sourdough bread-making).
3. Light tillage, akin to hoeing in a garden, rather than ploughing, limits soil damage and facilitates annual cropping such as barley and oats.
4. Competitive and vibrant crops are tolerant of pests and weeds.
If we condensed everything that we do into one word it would be – health. As Lady Eve Balfour said, “ the health of soil, plant, animal and man is one and indivisible”.
