posting at Midnight to Easter Sunday, 2012, from Hong Kong
AGRICULTURE and the EARTH
The Organic Farming Movement has a somewhat long history.
It began in the US before mid-20th century. How did it begin?
http://www.organic-nature-news.com/organic-farming.html
from this site we read of the run up to the organic movement with the following:
"The first half of the 20th century saw the introduction of the internal combustion engine, which led to tractors and other mechanized farm equipment. Research in plant breeding led to the production of hybrid seeds. Nitrogen fertilizer - first synthesized in the mid-1800s – became commonly available. There were over 3,000,000 tractors by 1950. As a result, fields grew bigger and farm crops became more specialized to make more efficient use of machinery. In England in the 1920s, a few individuals in agriculture began to speak out against these farming trends.
After World War II, large-scale irrigation, fertilization, and the use of pesticides became common practice. In particular, two chemicals that had been produced for use in warfare were put to use in farming. Ammonium nitrate, used in munitions, became an abundantly cheap source of nitrogen. Soon, new pesticides appeared: DDT, which had been used to control disease-carrying insects around troops, became a general insecticide, launching the era of widespread pesticide use.
In 1944, an international campaign called the [so called] Green Revolution was launched in Mexico with private funding from the US. It encouraged the development of hybrid plants, chemical controls, large-scale irrigation, and heavy mechanization in farms around the world. During the 1950s, sustainable agriculture was a topic of scientific interest, but research concentrated on developing new chemical approaches.
[Then] In the US, J.I. Rodale [founder of Organic farming] began to popularize the term ['organics'] and methods of organic farming, particularly to consumers through promotion of organic gardening.
In 1962, Rachel Carson published 'Silent Spring'.
(Read about Rachel Carson and her early 60's shocking reporting and warning about pesticides here)
http://classwebs.spea.indiana.edu/bakerr/v600/rachel_carson_and_silent_spring.htm
going on:
The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) began in France in 1972 for the purpose of sharing information on organic farming all over the world. IFOAM also hoped to counter the impact of "chemically-based" agriculture on the environment and peasant societies. A generous contribution of "seed" money from the Rodale Press helped to make these early developments possible. The Institute was dedicated to comparative trials of different methods of organic cultivation and to show the effects of each on food quality. The oldest of these, inspired by the insights of Rudolf Steiner, was the Bio Dynamic movement, which was [at first] mostly influential in German speaking countries. "
And today, interest and practice in Bio-Dynamics has spread worldwide.
This following is an excerpted statement from the home page of
http://www.happyheartfarmcsa.com/content/9762
"Although the Bio-Dynamic Movement originated slightly before the Organic Movement, it actually represents the next conscious step beyond what the Organic Movement brings to agriculture.
Fundamentally, it is inclusive of many of the methods familiar to "organic" and "perma-cultural" practitioners, but also takes into account the planetary influences and spiritual forces that affect plant growth.
The use of the "Bio Dynamic preparations" (specialized composts that are applied in homeopathic doses) also sets Bio Dynamics apart from other farming practices."
more details on Anthroposophical Agriculture or Bio-Dynamics
http://www.andrewlorand.com/biodynamicintroduction.html
Here it must be stated in this context that we are presently in the midst of a conscious destruction of our planet. One of the leading representatives of global destruction is Monsanto Corporation with head office in the US. There is on the internet ample evidence of what ruthlessness this elitist operation has in it's focus on total world-wide control of seeds and farmland, destroying life and livelihoods of countless dedicated farmers not to mention an entire industry.
This is what I call an anti-Grail impulse. It arises out of utter disregard for earthly life. Greedy control is the primary motivation. We are also talking here about the annihilation of life.
In utter contrast to this is Bio-Dynamics which holds total respect and responsibility for earth existence and it's inhabitants. BD practice works in harmony with the planetary movements in relation to the stars constellations, as well as the course of lunar rhythms in nature. The main 'heart' of BD agriculture is the compost heap with those homeopathic preparations. So we are not talking about an ordinary compost heap!
perhaps the following quote from the link just given above sums up BD agriculture most adequately:
"Although Bio-Dynamics can be understood in many ways, it is foremost an attempt to understand how nature as a whole really works, how the substances, forces and beings at work in nature interact and form a whole, living physiology - and how to work successfully, naturally and ethically within nature's system of substances, forces and beings."
Hmmm...this does sound familiar to me...yes, these are Tao principles in practice!
This initiative was started 1924 by R.Steiner to bring a healing to the earth and to humanity. One does not need to be a farmer or to even have the blessing of a small garden to understand and appreciate the significance of this effort to bring healing. One can grasp not only the concept but take it a courageous step forward...read Steiner's 1924 lectures (hint: amazon) or start a study group, or visit a BD garden or farm whether you may be in India, Philippines, Hawaii, Egypt, Sweden, Scotland...yes farms in all these countries...and more worldwide. Better yet, consider taking a training in the BD practice somewhere in the world....which may lead not only to fulfilling one's own personal destiny but at the same time the good destiny of humanity and the earth.
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