JPI Biodynamic Winter Farm Update

Conferences, garden beds, cows, and a new hire!

This winter has been full of travels developing concepts and connections within biodynamics.

• We took part in the BDA conference as the official bookstore for the conference,

• Attended other regional gatherings (Chesapeake Bay Biodynamic Network and in Paonia, CO),

• Attended the 2024 Fellowship of Preparation Makers Conference (FOPM) in California

• We have revamped the office space for better feng shui

Before…

and after!

• We have been building compost with manure and hay from the cows and from debris from cleaning up the garden.
  

• Most importantly, we would like to welcome our new office manager, Ashleigh!

During 2023, I envisioned new garden spaces on the JPI landscape. Gardens for beauty, pollinators, and observation points to watch the surroundings. I marked some of those areas out in 2023 and some have come more organically.

While I have been cleaning up the existing garden beds, I have been separating clusters of perennial herbs and bulbs that have grown too large. These have been spread out into new beds. They may not look like much now besides a bunch of mulch on the ground, but hopefully, by June, we will have areas full of blooming flowers!

New garden areas ready to unfold with flowers

Highland Cattle

We introduced two bred highland cows to our herd this winter. I have been moving the herd around the pasture to graze and spread their manure. We have been feeding them the hay we made as well and scraping that feeding area to make compost!

Our new cows!

The highland cattle come from Against the Grain (ATG) where I used to work and with whom I maintain a good relationship. The original highland herd was introduced onto the farm with support from Lori Wilson, who is a huge supporter of biodynamics and long worked directly with Hugh Courtney in Woolwine, VA. 

At ATG, we had a steep hillside that we had been maintaining with goats, but we wanted the bovine presence on the land. Our Hereford cattle at the time were simply too big for the slope. The smaller frame of the highlands suited that terrain greatly, and they are so regal to see on the rolling green hillside.

The Personal Connection

The herd arrived at ATG as I started diving into biodynamics and developing the concept of what it means to have a whole farm organism. Reading Steiner's words on the bovine being the perfect digester for giving back to the earth more than it takes made me fall in love with bovines. The original herd was mama (Shirley), calf (Brutus), and mama's 3-year-old daughter ( Hugh).

We knew that the calf would be harvested to make the biodynamic preparations the following fall. That whole year I took care of them with my biodynamic mentor M Mueller watching them grow, connecting with the greater bovine spirit and talking to them of the sacrifice that we as the humans have chosen for them. Never once did I feel a sense of fright or unwillingness.

I would tell our Herefords leading up to their slaughter what would happen, and I felt more a sense of fright but still a willingness. My love for the calm demeanor of the Highlands grew from there. That following fall, when we harvested Brutus, I got my first experience taking the parts needed for the sheaths to make the biodynamic preparations. At that moment, I knew that I was on a path to make preparations for a lifetime. 

Highlands are a well-rounded breed. They can forage on a wide diet, they can be milked with one of the highest fat content in their milk, and have always been a friendlier breed of cattle. The Scots used to bring their Highlands into their home to provide extra warmth for the humans and cattle. While I won't be bringing these lovely animals into my living quarters, their lighter build and temperament fit the JPI landscape splendidly.

Andy of ATG reached out to me earlier this summer, telling me they needed to downsize the highland herd this fall, and asked if there was space for me to have them at JPI. It felt like it had all come full circle: some of the very same animals that made me fall in love with cows and biodynamics could come to live with me at my new home, spreading biodynamics to the cosmos with those magnificent horns. So now Shirley, the original momma from ATG, and her 18-month-old daughter live here and should calf early summer next year.

What if they calf during the 100-year anniversary of the Agriculture lectures?!

Stay tuned!

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