For the past two years, Oregon's Wild Harvest has been transitioning to become a certified Biodynamic® farm.  Now, the farm not only grows certified organic herbs, but certified Biodynamic® ones as well!

Biodynamic®, definition: The brainchild of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, Ph.D, Biodynamic® farming is founded on the principal that the farm is an organism unto itself, and is capable of meeting its own needs, without the assistance of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Steiner believed that the key to good health-of people and of the planet-is total sustainability in agriculture. Nutrient-rich soil is the foundation of this sustainability and superlative quality plant material. You can't grow nutrient-rich produce from nutrient-deficient soil. The nutrients, like everything else needed to sustain the plants, come from the farm itself.

An ideal Biodynamic® farm is a self-sufficient ecosystem that produces its own compost seeds, livestock, and operates within the larger context of the district and its make up - the country, the world, and the rhythms of relationships of the solar family that influences the soil, the seeds, and the plants that grow. A Biodynamic® farmer grows for nourishment, not simply to make money. Just as the spiritual human requires nourishment, as much as the physical input to remain healthy, so does the plant world growing on a Biodynamic® farm.  The sustainability of the Biodynamic® farm helps reduce the carbon footprint of the operation, with decreased use of fossil fuels for shipping of elements typically used on other farms.

Biodynamic® vs. Organic: Really, the two are not in competition. Biodynamic® is the origin of organic farming. But many organic farms have incorporated industrialized methods to keep up with demand, such as importing fertilizers and other materials. Even if these materials are organic, proponents of Biodynamic® farming contend that the produce that results will not meet the quality of Biodynamic® produce. The quality will be compromised, usually in an effort to produce more. In general, Biodynamic® takes organic to the next level. A Biodynamic® farm is always organic as well, but an organic farm is not always Biodynamic®.

Basic Biodynamic® Principals and Practices:

• Farmer manages the farm as a self-contained, living organism with its own ecosystem
• The farm's organic materials are recycled back into the farm
• Water is cycled through the system to prevent waste
• Natural plant matter and animal materials are composted together to feed the soil
• Sustainability and quality always take precedence over quantity

One of the steps OWH has been taking toward this goal includes carefully timed deposits of composted manures derived from the farm. This is an essential element of Biodynamic® farming. The manure is tilled into the soil, over the top of cover crops. It will serve as a great source of micronutrients and nitrogen.

The farm is really seeing the figurative and literal fruits of the extra labor. Oregon's Wild Harvest recently completed the second full growing season using Biodynamic® farming methods, and the results are quite convincing: crops of Ashwagandha, Echinacea, and Astragalus harvests were the most plentiful and healthy ever! Plants were bigger, had stronger roots, and the flowers and seeds were much more bountiful than they've ever been before.

For all of these reasons, Biodynamic® farming is synonymous with quality. It's fitting then, that OWH is taking the necessary steps to offer certified Biodynamic® herbs. Quality has always been our highest goal, as our customers' health depends on it.

"Everything is inter-related. Healthy food is our medicine. Growing herbs on a holistic farm is just another quest in our path to provide our customers with only the healthiest plant material available on the planet." -- Randy Buresh, founder, Oregon's Wild Harvest.

Randy speaks about Biodynamic® Farming, featured on KOIN News, Portland, Oregon:

For more information on becoming Certified Biodynamic®, please contact Demeter® USA.