FOREWORD
When the discussion focuses on the bio-dynamic impulse within the social
web, historical facts and objectivity might generally be preferred even
though a description in abstract form could be the result. In reality
bio dynamics does not lend itself to be described in scientific terminology
or historical sequence alone because the inherent core is of spiritual
nature, and the people who implement the basic ideas and principles are
human beings who recognize the spirit in themselves as well as in nature.
Bio dynamics rests on both a physical and a spiritual foundation. In the
past, active people within the bio-dynamic movement often hesitated to
express in public the connection between the spiritual and physical in
order not to be labeled with unpleasant, sometimes even insulting names.
However, this phase of the bio-dynamic evolution seems to have passed,
and present and future statements related to bio-dynamics will reveal
and admit its relation to spiritual science.
My own involvement started many decades ago, when I witnessed in Germany
as a youth the resulting outcome of material thoughts translated into
practical life. Materialism above all destroys life and property to the
extreme. It is anti-human due to the absence of a recognition of the spiritual
in man and matter. It is not concerned about human needs, human sorrow,
and human suffering. The continuation of human and earth life demands
of society to balance the advance of material science with increased emphasis
and development of spiritual faculties. Human values such as morality,
conscience, compassion, love and thankfulness have to keep in check habits
of greed, egoism, exploitation and selfishness.
My decision to enter the bio-dynamic realm of farming and gardening was
motivated by such thoughts. The question was how can my work benefit the
human needs of the greatest number of people? It seemed that by providing
sound, uncontaminated food was the most practical solution with the additional
bonus to heal the soil. Food for human consumption not only needs to feed
the human body, but also the human spirit. Human thought cannot comprehend
the spirit if it is fed with contaminated food. It seems so logical and
clear, though for the majority of people is still hidden in fog.
Since my early beginnings I have grown tons of bio-dynamic vegetables,
fruits, and herbs, and provided bio-dynamic aids for animal feeds. Throughout
these many years - in spite of all efforts - the market for bio dynamic
products has not increased. Each bio-dynamic grower operates on an island
and has little time and sometimes no skill for marketing, keeping the
prospect for each individual looking dim.
To remedy this situation, the following initiative has been devised. It
will be a huge task to educate the consumer about bio-dynamics, about
Demeter and about their relationship to the spirit in nature and food.
Everyone is invited to participate in this great effort.
Heinz Grotzke
"By their fruits ye shall know them"
Matthew 7:20
PREFACE
Goodness is inherent to every single human being, no matter what his condition or situation in life. In some it is manifested strongly and leads them to live a life of service to their fellow human beings. In others it is interred under such ugly manifestations of human experience that it seems almost nonexistent. However, that is never true - the same spirit animates all human beings. What is necessary is to draw the spirit out from the sea of confusion in which it is drowning.
This is a most noble task. Certainly one that will make the spirit of those who undertake this task to vibrate in unison with those celestial beings who are incessantly working for the sake of our planet. Raising our consciousness to vibrate at that level is certainly worth every effort.
The opportunity to do this has been presented by Dr. Rudolf Steiner when, in his 1924 lectures to farmers [1], he explained a form of agriculture that would have precisely the effect of drawing out the spirit from the sea of confusion in which most of humankind is immersed.
We are approaching a new millennium. In doing so, we are moving forward into a period of time in which spiritual forces are going to be more readily available in contrast to the past two thousand years. In order to become receptive to those spiritual forces, we must prepare the conditions. This was Dr. Steiner's message. He said it in simple words: "heal the soil." The soil is part of the physical body of the planet upon which we walk. By consuming the proper food we prepare ourselves to become a temple for the spirit.
This is what "Spiritual Food for the New Millennium" is about. It can be a grandiose project as this quote from Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov says [2]:
Jesus said, "My Father is constantly at work and I work with him." In saying this, He was calling on all to work for the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. The question of exactly how long it will be before this comes about is not important. What is important is that as soon as you decide to participate in this gigantic, noble, divine work and devote all your strength and energy to it, you are entering a totally new order of things; you are manifesting yourself as a true child of God.
It is very important to know for whom you are working and where your energies are being used....you must participate in a grandiose, celestial enterprise. It does not matter whether it actually succeeds or not, or whether people understand and follow you or not; what matters is that by your participation you are doing some good work on yourself...
Let's all work for the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. This project can contribute to this work - it aims to bring about the spiritual development of the planet by means of the food [3]. How will this be achieved? The ultimate objective is that bio-dynamic agriculture becomes "the" form of agriculture for the entire planet. This means to heal the soil on the planet in its entirety and to make spiritual food available to everyone, everywhere.
At this point, this initiative represents only the first steps in that direction. Following stages will unfold as the spiritual energy generated by the sum of all the kindred souls involved in the project attains the level of manifestation. After all what is taking place right now is possible thanks to those who have been devoutly dedicated to this work for more than sixty years.
Ideally, at some point all human populations will be served from bio-dynamic sources within a range that allows for freshly harvested food to reach them. To attain that stage, many interim steps need to be developed and implemented. The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association (BDA) started a program of "mail service" which is the stepping stone for this project. These initial steps are seeking expansion and consolidation.
The big picture can be seen most clearly by Anthroposophists and others who are familiar with Dr. Rudolf Steiner's teachings and have personally experienced their value and who trust that through bio-dynamic agriculture spirituality will be infused into the food and that the planet can be healed. It will be with their participation that a market can be formed giving an opportunity to the farmers to develop their work. This will give an opportunity to other segments of the population. Market development, then, is not about selling more food, but means establishing a different societal approach to one of the basic functions of the human being. It is the building up of a system of human relationships based on trust and spiritual principles in lieu of economic and self-serving ones. As Dr. Steiner envisioned, this farmer-consumer dynamic will create a new fabric for society to build upon.
With this big picture in mind, we are reaching out for kindred souls willing to partake of a "celestial and grandiose enterprise". What is important is purity of intention without any expectations for the fruits of the action, performing our actions as an offering to God.
If your heart feels drawn in this direction, if what you learn about the project resonates true to you, come and be part of it. Let's walk into a temple of love, leaving outside differences of belief systems, race, creed, social position or any other condition that does not identify with the spirit. This temple is the love of mankind as a manifestation of God.
Om Shanti,
Victor Landa
January 1998
I. PROJECT SUMMARY
Confronted by the growing evidence that today's diseases and allergies leading to chronically poor mental and physical health can be directly traced to the food industry, to conventional farming and to food processing methods, these are now being challenged by the organic and bio-dynamic natural agricultural methods that have emerged and have proven to be a way to combat disease, treat ailments, and generally promote healthier life styles. Demand for this kind of food is on the rise.
The purpose of our effort is to promote the adoption of the bio-dynamic form of agriculture worldwide. Bio-dynamic agriculture which predates organic farming encompasses those principles and much more by incorporating all aspects necessary for true physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health to ensure the consumption of fresh, vital, nourishing food for body, mind and soul. Due to the differences between organic and bio-dynamic farming and to ensure consumer confidence, Demeter Bio-dynamic certification of authenticity will be required of farms participating in the project.
The ultimate goal of the project is to raise the level of consciousness of the planet. Bio-dynamic agriculture fulfills a double purpose: addressing the physical and mental needs of the body while at the same time attending to the spiritual aspect of the human being and the earth organism.
In order to promote the adoption of the bio-dynamic form of agriculture worldwide, at this stage this initiative is to (1) assess the present situation and structure a program to encourage bio-dynamic farming and Demeter certification, (2) develop a market that knows and understands the benefits of bio-dynamic food and the importance of proper food for physical, mental and spiritual health and is committed to the healing of the planet, and (3) prepare the conditions for education and communication for the expansion of the market to include the population at large.
II. BACKGROUND
The bio-dynamic method of agriculture was developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in 1924 when farmers and soil scientists who followed his teachings observed deterioration of soil, crops and animal conditions. Dr. Steiner warned the world then that the new and widely promoted chemical approach to conventional farming represented a danger for all humankind. He sought to reverse the process of degeneration and to protect the environment in order to foster good health on the premise that it is the health and condition of the soil that determines whether food meets the necessary requirements for planetary well-being. Indeed, current research has emphasized the importance of properly growing the food that will eventually be transformed into cells in the human body. It is important to note that even in 1924 there was noticeable degradation in quality of soil, seed, plants and animals.
Bio-dynamics is a world-wide non-chemical agricultural movement which pre dates "organic" agriculture by two decades. However, bio-dynamic agriculture is about more than avoiding chemicals. Besides using a unique growing technique, it requires that certain conditions of farm operation be met in accordance with Dr. Rudolf Steiner's outline. Compliance with international standards for production and processing are necessary before receiving recognition as such and, in our case, certification and approval by the Demeter Association.
Bio-dynamic growers seek to improve the health and vitality of soil, plants, animals and human beings through working with the life promoting forces of nature. Bio-dynamically grown produce has been shown to have more life giving vitality for animal or human consumption than those resulting from any other form of agriculture. Also, above and beyond all physical concerns, the harnessing of cosmic forces infuses spirituality into the food and consequently to the individuals who consume the food thus emphasizing a spiritual approach to nature rather than a materialistic one.
Bio-dynamic agriculture aims at creating a living soil by applying solely composted manures and plant residues as fertilizing agents. In addition, crop rotation, green manuring and mulching are part of soil management. Special formulated bio-dynamic preparations establish a link to cosmic forces and are required for Demeter certification. Planetary constellations and cycles are observed and whenever possible become factors in determining dates of seeding, planting, and harvest.
The ideal bio-dynamic farm becomes a self-contained and self-supporting organism which has free range cattle and poultry fed by hay and grains grown in the same place and the same manner as described above and whose manure is added to the compost, a fishpond, bee hives, a garden and orchard with flowers, fruits, vegetables and herbs, and a small sanctuary of untouched land for wildlife and the spirits of nature to make their home. Special preparations unique to this form of agriculture were developed by Dr. Rudolf Steiner. They are not only fertilizers per se but are a healing remedy for the earth. It is through these preparations, along with the other bio dynamic practices and the farmer's own spiritual energy, that the living soil transmits into the produce the formative forces of nature. These subtle cosmic energies with life-giving properties which are not naturally present in the soil or in the produce have the effect of infusing spirituality into human beings.
Organic agriculture comes closest to the bio-dynamic approach to farming in as much as it abstains from using chemical pesticides and fertilizers, practices composting and crop rotation, and generally avoids unnatural procedures in growing the produce. Bio-dynamic agriculture, however, goes steps further by creating a self-sustained farm and a balanced ecosystem, and by drawing cosmic forces into the soil and the food. This holistic healing system brings good health of body, mind and spirit to the consumer, the farmer and to the planet as a whole.
III. THE PROBLEM
Currently, most bio-dynamic farmers sell their produce to organized local groups generally known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's) and/or to the regular food industry under the label "organic", with perhaps a small amount going to individuals through the mail order service of the BDA. Much of the produce, and in the case of some farms all of the produce, is being sold as organic to a market that doesn't understand the difference that bio dynamics offers. The bio-dynamic farmer, then, is bearing the burden of providing incomparable quality at ordinary competitive prices. The risk, as with any competitive industry, is that these farmers may feel a need to lower the quality simply to stay afloat or to drop out of the bio-dynamic system altogether. Such would be a loss to all: the farmer, consumer, and the health of our planet. In addition to this problem, many farmers, due to lack of a secure market, are unable to afford the certification process thus limiting the amount and variety of produce available to the interested consumer, and reducing growth of this form of agriculture in general.
Bio-dynamic agriculture is extremely demanding and labor intensive compared to conventional commercial farms which use extensive mechanization to reduce labor costs and which utilize all forms of artificial pesticides and fertilizers to increase productivity, thereby contaminating soil and produce. Furthermore, through genetic manipulation and other processes such as the use of dyes, wax and preservatives, commercial produce has been fabricated to come out in standard shapes and sizes that are long lasting and appealing to the eye. Naturally grown produce, on the other hand, can be very irregular in shape and form, less attractive, and may have a comparatively shorter life span. (For example, a new genetically manipulated tomato is said to have a shelf life of three months!) However, taste, vitamin and mineral content, enzymes, and vibrant life forces contained in bio-dynamic produce cannot be compared to anything grown commercially.
Since creating a bio-dynamic product requires more work than other farming methods and produces a better product, bio-dynamic farmers are carrying on their shoulders the gigantic job of keeping alive a form of agriculture which is, in essence, a healing impulse not only for the soil, as the sustainer of earthly life, but also for a spiritual awakening that is the real hope for man's possible evolution. Although the amount of work needed to develop a bio-dynamically grown product is greater than that required for a commercial one, the price needs to be competitive when it is sold in ordinary markets. The immediate consequence of this fact is that bio-dynamic farmers are constantly sacrificing their financial resources and the welfare of their families by underselling the fruits of their labor.
For the general public to understand and appreciate the intricacies of the problem and the true value of food, a long term educational effort will be required. Example and direct experience will be the most effective way of attaining results.
A special, carefully staged initiative is needed to reconcile the existing shortcomings of consumers' awareness of and need for true, health-giving, spiritual, food and to keep alive the healing, health-giving system of bio dynamic agriculture.
IV. SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INITIATIVE
As said before, the ultimate goal of the initiative is raising the consciousness of the planet. The immediate steps for which this initiative is being developed will lead to: creating a fabric of educated consumers based on trust and spiritual principles as opposed to economic and self-serving purposes, and bio-dynamic farms becoming centers of spiritual development [3]. Together both will contribute to consolidate the objectives of the spiritual movement set in motion by Dr. Rudolf Steiner.
Based on the assumption that we accept Dr. Steiner's statement that it is through the food that spiritual forces will be passed on to human beings to foster spiritual development, we make it a goal to provide this kind of spiritual food to every single person. Whether the consumer understands the principle or not is not important. The result will speak for itself: there will be an increasing spiritual awareness of the individual regardless of race, creed or any other difference. It will be a contribution to the individual's spirituality within his/her own faith or belief system. Bio-dynamic food acts on the spiritual body much as any other remedy acts on the physical body.
V. PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INITIATIVE
The projected initiative does not pretend to be a cost effective operation resulting in cheap produce. On the contrary, cost will undoubtedly be more than that for commercial products. The "profit" aimed for is to preserve human health and vitality and to infuse spirituality into the food, the people and the planet. Nature operates on the symbiotic effect of its components and it is through efforts such as bio-dynamics that a natural balance can be reestablished.
"We are what we eat," as it is said. In the system of medicine called Ayurveda, food is given so much importance that some Ayurvedic physicians use only diet as their form of treatment. Food is not only the raw material for human cells but has a mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual influence on human behavior.
It has long been proven, albeit outside the medical mainstream, that chronic, degenerative diseases can be prevented and also cured by a healthy, chemical-free lifestyle and properly grown, fresh, live food. In the mid twentieth century, a German born physician, Dr. Max Gerson, developed a therapy based on the regenerative ability of wholesome food to cure what are considered "incurable diseases" by conventional medicine. [5] (His success with former cancer patients was demonstrated in 1946 before the Pepper-Neely Congressional Sub-Committee during hearings on S. 1875, a bill to authorize the President to wage war against cancer.) The therapy is still being used successfully today. Similar success is shown by Dr. Norman Walker, a tenacious promoter of fresh, vital, life-giving food. [6]
This initiative aims to expand the number of bio-dynamic-educated consumers, people who know and appreciate the true value of bio-dynamic food and are willing to support the farmer in the process. In this way, the farmer helps the consumer by providing quality food and the consumer helps the farmer by buying his products. Together their action helps heal the earth, raise our level of spirituality and prepare the stage for acquainting more people with the quality of bio-dynamic food.
Following the example of CSA's, farmers will be able to plan their production and their budgets to ensure a reasonable livelihood. Consumers will benefit from more stable prices and a reliable source of food of the highest quality.
As with CSA's, the BDA mail order service kindles a connection between farmers and consumers. The mail order service is the "seed" process that will lead to the ultimate stage in which enough farms will be available to serve all the needs of each geographic area.
VI. LONG AND SHORT TERM GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE
The long term goal is:
To promote the adoption of bio-dynamic agriculture and of Demeter certification
worldwide in order to provide fresh, high quality, spiritual food for
all.
The two pillars of the long term effort will be EDUCATION and COMMUNICATION.
* Educate interested consumers and specialized educators such as teachers,
health educators, etc. on the benefits of fresh bio-dynamically grown
products.
* Keep farmers informed about the market and ways to meet its needs and
demands.
* Utilize media in its different forms: audio, visual, etc., to reach
larger sections of the population.
* Help consumers understand and appreciate the true value of food.
Short term goals are:
FARM DEVELOPMENT
* Increase the production of bio-dynamically grown food.
* Increase the number of certified farms.
* Promote bio-dynamics as an attractive form of agriculture for other
farmers.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
* Greatly expand the marketing and distribution of bio-dynamic products
through the existing mail order service with emphasis on the Anthroposophic
community.
* Promote a cooperative approach to marketing through communities like
educational and spiritual groups, natural food stores, and alternative
health care organizations.
* Improve the distribution systems to meet the needs of an
expanded service.
VII. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE INITIATIVE
FARM DEVELOPMENT
Increase Productivity:
Increase the amount of products available from certified farms to give
people the opportunity to experience this kind of food and to allow for
market expansion.
Revolving fund:
Create a revolving fund that will provide financial support for the process
of certification for interested farmers who need such support. A portion
of the funds will go to the publication and distribution of the requirements
to become a bio-dynamic farm.
Advisory Board:
Establish an Advisory Board to help and guide farmers and to give recommendations
for the implementation of this initiative.
Manual:
Produce a manual for farmers interested in Demeter certification.
Inventory of farms:
Take inventory of existing Demeter-certified bio-dynamic farms, those
awaiting certification, other bio-dynamic farms in operation and those
interested in or with a potential interest in switching over to this mode
of agriculture in the United States. Compare the present production levels
with the current market.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
This will not be an ordinary marketing strategy. The intent is to lay the foundation for partaking in the consolidation of the movement for the spiritualization of humankind set in motion by Dr. Rudolf Steiner.
From a practical point of view, enough food needs to be available to allow people to experience it. The farmers who have been forerunners of the process, need educated consumers who understand the objective to help maintain the purity of the process. This needs to be a solid, committed market capable of sustaining the farmers efforts and development until other segments of the population are incorporated.
The Anthroposophic Community:
Initial support is being asked from the Anthroposophic community because
their philosophy shares the concepts of bio-dynamic farming.
This support of the Anthroposophic community is crucial for the development of the project. Indiscriminate marketing would no doubt provoke a similar situation that is being experienced by the "organic" market where most food is now processed to extend its shelf life and to obtain a better price. Standards for farming and processing are slackening and are fast moving away from what is pure and natural. The term "organic food" is no longer what it is supposed to be and moves closer and closer to "commercial". Were this to happen to bio-dynamic farming, from a health and social point of view it would be questionable, but from a spiritual point of view it would be unacceptable if the purpose is to enhance the spirituality of the consumer. The Anthroposophic community is needed to provide the kind of support necessary to prevent this from happening.
Publicity:
Articles will be placed in magazines and newsletters of sympathetic organizations,
such as health and spiritually-oriented ones describing bio dynamic farming
and its products and introducing the mail order service. Materials will
be produced and distributed to respond to resulting inquiries.
Grass Roots Operations:
Individuals who use bio-dynamic products will be encouraged to contact
communities and organizations known to them to spread the word about bio
dynamics and the mail order service. Support will be provided.
Supply and Distribution:
A list of available products will be kept current. A distribution program
will be designed based on geographic location to ensure product freshness
and keep shipping costs to a minimum. Various alternatives will be explored,
for example, if there is one bakery on the west coast and one on the east
coast, one would be needed in the central region. This would provide the
opportunity for producers interested in becoming active in the program
to fill in where needs are felt. The process will be a continuing one
so that an increasing number of farmers and processors (e.g. bakers) will
collaborate to make food distribution more and more localized. The Advisory
Board will participate actively in this phase of the project.
EDUCATION
At this stage, only educated consumers will provide the support necessary for the project to be developed. Later states of the project will involve the gigantic task of educating the general population.
Advisory Board:
An Advisory board will determine and prioritize the educational areas
that need to be developed. It will be based on Waldorf School educators
involved in the area of bio-dynamic farming.
Consumer Education Program:
An education program will be designed to convey the advantages of bio
dynamic agriculture and its products. The initial stage will be oriented
towards Waldorf School teachers so that they can transmit to the coming
generation the importance of making the right choices for proper nutrition.
At a later stage, this will be expanded to include other organizations,
community groups and consumers in general.
Teams consisting of an educator, farmer and health care provider will be created to travel to different locations in the country.
Farmer Education Program:
This program will be designed to keep farmers abreast of any developments
related to their role, the needs of the consumer, and the means to maintain
the purity of the process and the trust of the consumers.
Teams consisting of a representative of the Advisory Board, a representative of consumers, and an experienced farmer will be created and available for conferences, other educational forums and other needs that may arise.
A school will be created to train evaluators to grant Bio-dynamic Demeter certification to applying farms. This will include among other things Dr. Rudolf Steiner's teachings on ethical responsibility towards the consumer.
VIII. ACTIVITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE OBJECTIVES
FARM DEVELOPMENT
* The revolving fund will be created to support the farm certification process. Funds will be sought from individuals and organizations committed to the project and from grants. Fundraising campaigns will be organized.
* The Advisory Board will be created with a double tier and a broad base including farmers not only with expertise in agricultural techniques but with marketing, educational and communication skills as well as, ideally, representatives from the different organizations involved in the promotion of bio-dynamic agriculture, education, health care and the Anthroposophic community.
The first tier of the board will oversee the development programs for production and marketing of produce from the certified farms participating in the program. They will take recommendations from the BDA as to the direction in which the programs should be oriented.
The second, smaller, tier will be available to advise farmers in a more direct form on the decision and means to switch to bio-dynamics, the certification process and marketing prospects.
* The Demeter Association, Inc. establishes certification requirements. These requirements will be incorporated into a manual or booklet that will also include information about the Advisory Board and other resources that the applicant might use. It will present the differences between conventional, organic and bio-dynamic farming and their products and the advantages in each case. Certification information will be updated periodically as provided by the Demeter Association.
* The inventory will involve collecting information on each bio-dynamic certified farm, its size, location, accessibility, forms of communications, products available, production per annum, marketing practices past and present, and certification history plus exploration of the farmer's interest in and an evaluation of the possibility for diversification and/or expansion.
The process of incorporating new farms would involve contacting organizations that certify organic farms to obtain lists of their members.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
* Since the educators in the Waldorf system seem to be the largest and best organized group within the Anthroposophic community, it will be the first segment on which market development efforts will be focused.
* Faculty and staff by themselves are a significant population but the
inclusion of parents and students should be considered as part of this
conglomerate.
* The active participation of at least two persons per school will be sought, depending on the size of the school, who will coordinate activities and act as a liaison between the school and the project.
* It would be a great support if existing forms of communication within the school system could be made available to maintain a process of involvement of the school community and to build adequate channels that would allow the establishment of a regular market. Ideally, the efficiency of the system will get to a point where shopping at a regular grocery store for fresh produce will no longer be the norm.
* After the Waldorf community and the rest of the Anthroposophic community have become the foundation of the project, efforts will be extended to other intentional and alternative communities such as yoga ashrams, spiritual and religious groups such as Seventh Day Adventist, natural health food stores, and any other organization or human concern that is likely to be open to this initiative whether for spiritual, environmental, ethical or health reasons. Broadening the base of conscious consumers will prepare the conditions to expand at a later stage into "conventional consumers."
* Parallel to the process of reaching out to sympathetic groups nationwide, a direct farmer/consumer relationship will be encouraged between those who live in proximity.
EDUCATION
* The education program needs to be developed from different angles to respond to consumers' interests such as from the point of view of nutrition, reliability, consistency of quality (as opposed to, for example, the tremendous differences in taste of grocery store tomatoes, peaches, apples and avocados that we have all experienced), price stability (in this system prices are based on the true value of food and are fixed each year), spiritual impact, or environmental impact. The education program must be comprehensive.
* The initial teams mentioned previously will be oriented to provide information to the educators and community of the Waldorf School system. At a later stage, this will be extended to other areas.
* An educational "travel pack" will be created including a video presentation, exhibits and literature conveniently packed for easy transport which will be offered for loan, rent or sale to organizations and community groups with instructions for anyone interested to give the presentation. The video and literature will be made available separately for sale or rent.
* Literature will be necessary to reach out when personal contact is not possible. Articles prepared for periodicals and magazines should be available for distribution. At some point media involvement will be a necessary mechanism of education.
IX. RESOURCES
To make the proposed agricultural transformation possible, resources must be procured. The Bio-Dynamic Association and sister organizations, that have long been working in this direction, are the greatest resource for the implementation of this new initiative. Support and active participation of the regional associations of the BDA as well as other organizations with similar interests will play another vital role. There will be a tremendous need for educators and organizers. Finally, the involvement of farmers is the core of this project; they are in reality the backbone of the spiritual revolution.
Individual consumers have a special role to play as it is their commitment and action that will ultimately advance this initiative.
Material resources will be sought from contributions whether in money, property, land, or equipment, etc. An initial action in this direction is the creation of the SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM FUND within the BDA to which tax deductible contributions can be directed. A budget will be drawn up to determine the amount of financial assistance needed for each phase. A fundraising plan, including grant proposals, will be developed.
Volunteer work and fundraising campaigns will be valuable efforts needed until at some point the project becomes self-sufficient.
There are many opportunities to serve in this project. The participation of each individual is what will make the difference. Farmers and consumers, let's walk into the new millennium holding hands in a tightly knit spiritual force that seeks to heal the planet and the spiritualization of mankind. Let's join forces with all those committed to such a grandiose purpose, as Dr. Rudolf Steiner envisioned, putting spirituality into practice.
[1] Agriculture, by Rudolf Steiner; Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association,
Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, London, N.W.1.
[2] Daily Meditations, by Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov; Prosveta
S.A., c/o Box 49614 Los Angeles, CA 90049.
[3] Bio-Dynamic Farmers - Backbone of a Spiritual (R)evolution, Victor
Landa; Shanti Yoga
[4] The Healing Aspect of Change, Unity School of Christianity, Unity
Village, MO 64065.
[5] A Cancer Therapy, by Max Gerson, M.D.; The Gerson Institute, PO Box
430, Bonita, CA 91908.
[6] Vibrant Health, and other publications by Dr. Norman Walker, Norwalk
Press, PO Box 12260, Prescott, AZ 86304.
This publication has been funded by the: SCHOOL OF LIFE
To help defray the costs of printing, donations are welcomed
by:
SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM
4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 208141-888-384-9642;
301-654-4899
