We have visited a number of places so far in Iceland, one of these being a biodynamic farm. The farm houses sheep, chickens, and cows, and produces cheese, milk, and various organics from the crops they harvest in the summer. The principles of the biodynamic farm derive from the philosophy that everything on the farm can be recycles so that nothing goes to waste. It is an ingenious system that is almost completely self-sustainable.
Although I have made plans to generate eco-villages for my career, I thought that as long as they have a sustainable supply of energy and clean water, they will figure out the rest for themselves. I thought that if the village has survived up to this point, they will survive in the future as well with the added bonus of clean water. At the biodynamic farm, I learned about the importance of taking care of one’s soil and how humanity has, in the past, drained many nutrients off its farming grounds. The overuse of pesticides and monocropping has scarred the humus layer of this soil, and it will take decades to regenerate these nutrients. Because these unhealthy farming practices can be detrimental to a community, I learned that it is important that communities learn about sustainable farming practices if they want to call themselves “eco-villages.”
I also learned about the spiritual aspect of biodynamic farming. The idea behind the spiritual aspect is that there are times where certain crops are grown. For an earthy crop like a carrot, one has to pick an earth month to plant it. Many will say that this superstition is not worth believing in and that conventional organic farming is just as sustainable, but I find that there is value in making that spiritual and emotional connection to the land that feeds oneself.
We as a CELL group have recently focused more on valuing nature and only taking what you need instead of what you want. I think that biodynamic farming does an excellent job of that. The farm we visited has sustained itself for more than 35 years, and its liveliness is certainly a testament that biodynamic farming works. Because I have no experience in any farming or gardening, I will challenge myself to learn more about biodynamics and the “anthroposophy” that lies behind it.