EBOOK
Barefoot Biodynamics
How Cows, Compost, And Community Help Us Understand Rudolf Steiners Agriculture Course
Jeff Poppen(0)
About
With decades of knowledge and proven, common-sense methods from "The Barefoot Farmer," this practical guide to biodynamic principles and practices will appeal to growers of every scale and experience level.
"An excellent read for all who want to understand the keys to growing nutrient-dense food."-Gabe Brown, author of Dirt to Soil; co-founder, Understanding Ag
In Barefoot Biodynamics, organic grower Jeff Poppen-"The Barefoot Farmer"-combines tales from his personal history in rural Tennessee with the practical applications of biodynamic principles and the deep aspects of the biodynamic methods that continue to make his farm a success today.
Jeff's friendly, direct, and humorous writing will appeal not only to the biodynamic-curious, but also to farmers and gardeners who have experimented with the biodynamic approach and are looking for a deeper understanding of the practice.
Rooted in the teachings of biodynamic pioneer Rudolf Steiner, Jeff's unique insights and deep reflections on "guiding lines" of biodynamic growing are an invaluable resource. Those "guiding lines" include:
• producing a farm's fertility using cover crops, compost, and other on-farm inputs
• enjoying the renewing power of farm festivals
• augmenting scientific knowledge with the power of observation and intuition
• avoiding chemical fertilizers
• understanding that carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen make up 95 percent of the physical structure of plants and are freely available in the air around us
• enhancing the availability of critical minerals such as silica and lime through good farming practices
• building humus-rich soil teeming with microbial life
• using homeopathic preparations to heal and enrich the soil
In addition, Jeff walks the reader through the eight lectures on farming given by Steiner in 1924, summarizing important points from each lecture and "translating" them from Steiner's profound yet sometimes impenetrable vocabulary into plain language. In Barefoot Biodynamics, Jeff provides new insight into these enigmatic lectures, revealing an often overlooked yet cost-effective farming method rooted in common sense. "I love Jeff Poppen's barefoot humor, playful intelligence, and elegant intellectual prowess. His inspiring and uplifting writing reflects a deep, personal experience in farming and gardening, as well as an informative and articulate, yet simple, interpretation of Rudolf Steiner's agriculture lectures. A must read for adventurous agriculturalists and gardeners who are willing to enthusiastically explore their inner landscapes and the natural and supernatural sciences. An agricultural love story, this book is fun!"-Luke Frey, Frey Vineyards
"As I read Jeff Poppen's Barefoot Biodynamics, I could hear his laugh and picture his grin as he talked about the changes in language that have occurred in the past hundred years since Rudolf Steiner gave his lectures on agriculture. Jeff is the perfect person to make this 'translation' of Steiner's concepts easy to understand. Chapters on 'Secrets of Manuring,' 'A Self-Sufficient Farm,' and 'Farm Festivals' reveal how Jeff has adapted biodynamic management to fit the specifics of growing healthy food in Tennessee. By paying attention to soil conditions from the start and documenting the responses to the same 'disturbances' over time, Jeff could respond ever-more rapidly with appropriate management using processes suggested by Steiner. This book is an enjoyable read that subtly helps us discover Rudolf Steiner's wisdom and apply his ideas, just as Jeff did, to the specifics of the land where we farm or garden."-Elaine Ingham, founder, Soil Foodweb, Inc.; founder and head of science and research, Soil Food Web School
"Jeff Poppen has an incredible grasp of how the cycles of nature can work together to produce the abundance that nature means for us to enjoy."-Will Harri
"An excellent read for all who want to understand the keys to growing nutrient-dense food."-Gabe Brown, author of Dirt to Soil; co-founder, Understanding Ag
In Barefoot Biodynamics, organic grower Jeff Poppen-"The Barefoot Farmer"-combines tales from his personal history in rural Tennessee with the practical applications of biodynamic principles and the deep aspects of the biodynamic methods that continue to make his farm a success today.
Jeff's friendly, direct, and humorous writing will appeal not only to the biodynamic-curious, but also to farmers and gardeners who have experimented with the biodynamic approach and are looking for a deeper understanding of the practice.
Rooted in the teachings of biodynamic pioneer Rudolf Steiner, Jeff's unique insights and deep reflections on "guiding lines" of biodynamic growing are an invaluable resource. Those "guiding lines" include:
• producing a farm's fertility using cover crops, compost, and other on-farm inputs
• enjoying the renewing power of farm festivals
• augmenting scientific knowledge with the power of observation and intuition
• avoiding chemical fertilizers
• understanding that carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen make up 95 percent of the physical structure of plants and are freely available in the air around us
• enhancing the availability of critical minerals such as silica and lime through good farming practices
• building humus-rich soil teeming with microbial life
• using homeopathic preparations to heal and enrich the soil
In addition, Jeff walks the reader through the eight lectures on farming given by Steiner in 1924, summarizing important points from each lecture and "translating" them from Steiner's profound yet sometimes impenetrable vocabulary into plain language. In Barefoot Biodynamics, Jeff provides new insight into these enigmatic lectures, revealing an often overlooked yet cost-effective farming method rooted in common sense. "I love Jeff Poppen's barefoot humor, playful intelligence, and elegant intellectual prowess. His inspiring and uplifting writing reflects a deep, personal experience in farming and gardening, as well as an informative and articulate, yet simple, interpretation of Rudolf Steiner's agriculture lectures. A must read for adventurous agriculturalists and gardeners who are willing to enthusiastically explore their inner landscapes and the natural and supernatural sciences. An agricultural love story, this book is fun!"-Luke Frey, Frey Vineyards
"As I read Jeff Poppen's Barefoot Biodynamics, I could hear his laugh and picture his grin as he talked about the changes in language that have occurred in the past hundred years since Rudolf Steiner gave his lectures on agriculture. Jeff is the perfect person to make this 'translation' of Steiner's concepts easy to understand. Chapters on 'Secrets of Manuring,' 'A Self-Sufficient Farm,' and 'Farm Festivals' reveal how Jeff has adapted biodynamic management to fit the specifics of growing healthy food in Tennessee. By paying attention to soil conditions from the start and documenting the responses to the same 'disturbances' over time, Jeff could respond ever-more rapidly with appropriate management using processes suggested by Steiner. This book is an enjoyable read that subtly helps us discover Rudolf Steiner's wisdom and apply his ideas, just as Jeff did, to the specifics of the land where we farm or garden."-Elaine Ingham, founder, Soil Foodweb, Inc.; founder and head of science and research, Soil Food Web School
"Jeff Poppen has an incredible grasp of how the cycles of nature can work together to produce the abundance that nature means for us to enjoy."-Will Harri