First Maunga Kereru workshop

Notes taken from Maunga Kereru workshop

Biodynamics - working with biology and energy ( - dynamics)

Bio geometry - Dr Emoto

We are water

Biodynamics - Homer Farming

difference between biodynamics, biological farming, permaculture and organics

Organics

• no chemicals, but use elements which are not always good for the biology

• not thinking through biology

• monoculture

• lowest bar of certification

Biological farming

• thinking through the biological systems

Permaculture

• design tool

• energy

• energy input vs energy output

• large focus on shape

• wind

• sun

When setting up a garden you want to have different zones

1st zone: go into all the time = close

2nd zone: don’t go to as often = further away

Biodynamics

• goes beyond biosphere

• preparations 500 - 507

• planetary forces

• Quantum physics

• Rhythmic and arhythmic (out of rhythm)

Think to your plants

Convince

Biogeometry - physics of quality

Science vs Nature

Science

• Isaac Newton

• left brain

• analytical approach

- Goethean science - scientist and philosopher

• Gertian approach

• Steiner - rigid

INTERGRATION

between left and right

Becoming and unbecoming

clay in centre, silica at one end and calcium at the other end POLARITY DIAGRAM

Full moon - cells in plants elongate slightly

• suckers come out (bugs)

Biodynamics is a slower process

vegetables prefer to grow in a consistent growing pattern.

But biodynamics is just the icing on the cake. First we need the cake (soil, garden, gardening methods i.e. permaculture, biological farming etc.)

We are working with quantitive and qualitative space.

cow horn: shape and antenna

• spiral

• horns connect cow with environment

Biodynamics works between silica and lime

500 - lime based

• don’t do 501 unless you have done 500 twice (at least)

• shape and material affects energy

• horn = shape

• vortex inside - spiral (shape)

• milking cows - changes quality of the manure (material) Must be from organic dairy farm

• should do by hand (intention and thought)

We want to be using materials that are bioavailable (available for a plant to use)

Plant matter is always bioavailable to other plants.

right relationships of chemical elements.

501 - quartz silica

• radiates light and has energetics

• water - need to have had some rain to do 500 and 501

• water = conjuant

Tool kit

• 500 - twice before 501

• need to use 500 within the first 6-8 months

• energy with harmony

• energy which is non-harmonic

Cow Pat Pit (CPP) - balanced

• filled with micro organisms

• synth ropy

• used biology to create biology

• soak seeds

• use when planting out of moon cycles

• cocoons in good pattern

• use before planting

• dip roots of seedlings in before planting

• seeding in - water in with CPP

• spray around

Don’t want to over use manure

• cow poo is least acidic

• plant friendly immediately

Bach herb and animals have different relationships to planets

Liquid fertiliser teas

• seaweed

• comfrey

preparations

Valerian - silica - Saturn - outside boundary or sheath of our solar system, knows well what its skin is.

• gives plants strong outer sheath and is warming

• weak outer sheath = eaten by bugs

Bacashi

• intense biological product

• needs to be watered down or inoculated into compost

• pathogenic and beneficials

• anaerobic and aerobic

All boundaries and sheaths

• make sure beneficials are there before pathogenic

• inoculate

• one handful of worm castings buried in deep is enough to sustain a plant for 2-3 months

The Ascending and Descending moon relate to water

Maria Thun

Maria Thun tested constellations, planets and the biodynamic ascending and descending moon.

If you can’t be perfect with the planetary rhythm use CPP.

Test things planted on different constellation days.

Get it wrong to get it right - learn from your mistakes.

On a node it is a good time to cut weeds and grass - slow

regrowth

On the biodynamic planting calendar…

Ag = Apogee (moon is closest to the earth)

Pg = Perigee (moon is the furthest away from the earth)

Compost

• To be done in a descending moon

• Building with nitrogen and carbon

• must have water and oxygen all the way through

• Should be no wider than 1.2m, but can be as long as you would like.

Shape is of high importance

• clear shape

• anything outside/sticking out gets woven back into the heap

• consistent layers all with similar/same thickness or depth.

24 carbon : 1 Nitrogen

seaweed

cow poo

organic coffee grounds

grass clippings

kitchen waste - micro organisms

calcium - limes

silica - sand

blood and bone or dead animal (not killed by poison)

Layers

• Dry leaves - carbon (absorbs and is static)

• teepees of sticks to allow airflow

• moisten/soak the dry leaves

• liberal sprinkling of lime

• sand

• dry grass

• cow poo and water slurry to nitrogen and water fix

• then soak the edges with a hose

KEEP THE SHAPE - weave in from the outside so the inside can look after itself

• egg shells crushed

• ash from the fire

• food waste (nitrogen)

• dry grass/hay

• worm castings

• seaweed soak of cow poo slurry

• limes (calcium - worms love)

• sulphur - ground aquatic creatures

• sand - silica

• grass clippings

• poo slurry

• seaweed soaked in cow poo slurry

• limes (2-3 handfulls)

• dry grass soaked in cow poo slurry

• food waste - chop up big bits

• seaweed in cow poo slurry

• chopped up green matter (we used pulled out weeds like calla lilies)

• last layer hay or other dried grass

Once the compost heap has been made make five truffle sized balls with the best soil you can find from your property. Press a dent into each of the balls, then each ball will have a small pinch of a different preparation (502-506) inserted into them and closed up. With a broom stick you then push a tunnel into the top of the heap, as well as one into each side, one preparation ball gets pushed arms length into the compost heap in each of the tunnels made.

Then, in a bucket, put a small splash of 507 (valerian) then dilute it with about half a bucket of water. Vortex for 20mins. splash all of this over the compost heap to give it a warm sheath.

Cover with hessian sacks and tarp, leave for at least six months, then turn it, opening it up so the outside goes to the middle and the middle goes to the outside. This turning process will input oxygen and re-start the fire.

Maunga Kereru blog posts on compost making - good to refer back to:

http://maungakereru.blogspot.co.nz/2014/04/biodynamic-compost-success-failure-and.html

http://maungakereru.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/how-we-made-our-biodynamic-compost.html

http://maungakereru.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/all-important-balls-part-two-of-bio.html?q=compost

http://maungakereru.blogspot.co.nz/2012/03/magic-balls-part-three-of-bio-dynamic.html?q=compost

#compost #moon #ascending #preparations #modernfarmer #biodynamics