What is Substack?

and why you should subscribe

Applied Biodynamics was created as a humble newsletter that grew into something much more over the years. After some three decades of printed issues, particularly given the rising costs of printing, we made the difficult decision to migrate the work online. Over the past two years, as we have made this transition, what has astonished us is the overwhelming support that has flooded in from around the world. A publication that historically ran a significant deficit every year now brings in enough revenue to help facilitate infrastructure improvements, staffing costs, workshops — and more.

You are doing the work. The real work is spiritual, which means that it is about your own transformation. Whether or not you work in a garden or have a farm, you participate with the movement by changing yourself into something new. You, dear readers, are closer to us than many in the agricultural world because you work with us toward a life governed by spiritual ideals. In this sense, you fuel this movement and the driving force behind our impetus. Even if you are working alone, know that you are not alone in this work. Our task to regenerate soils (and souls) extends far beyond the confines of farming. You are already one of us.

Substack is an email newsletter. A subscription to our Substack arrives in your email inbox like a regular newsletter. But a smartphone app can also be downloaded to your phone (completely optional). Substack is a platform primarily for writers and readers. Substack is devoid of ads and does not sell your information, making it a user-friendly space. When you sign up for our email newsletter via Substack, you control your subscription and do not need to go beyond your initial signup. If you wish to install the app, you may do so. If you do not wish to sign up for a newsletter, you can visit our Substack account here. If you wish to support our work with a paid subscription, you may do so too — but the majority of our newsletters go out for free to our audience.

Our newsletters go out for free to 10,000+ subscribers worldwide. After a few weeks, they are archived behind a paywall. Paid subscribers can access all previous newsletters. In addition to this, paid subscribers can participate in conversations on all our newsletters. Some newsletters involve an exceptional amount of work and are special treats for paid subscribers, but the vast majority of our newsletters and articles go free to your inbox.

A paid subscription is $8/mo. which is less than 27 cents per day. Getting a paid subscription is a way to help support the work at JPI, our ongoing educational work, and the biodynamic movement in general. So far, thanks to your generous support, JPI brings in more than $23,000/yr from your subscriptions. It may seem small to subscribe to 27 cents per day, but together, all of our thousands of readers and hundreds of paid subscribers make an enormous difference.

If you upgrade from a free subscription, you are expressing your support for our work and your wish to participate in respectful conversations on this platform. Some opt for $8/mo. while others contribute far more, just out of the goodness of their hearts. We do not offer special benefits for those who pay more than the regular paid subscription rate, but please know that we take notice and are incredibly grateful for your extra support.

We do NOT keep your credit card information. If you have a problem with your subscription, please let us know. Anyone who cannot subscribe because of financial constraints is comped freely. No one should be deprived of access to what we share for economic reasons. But please know that the upkeep of this publication requires many hours per post each week with a range of staff involved, including Mary Maruca, Russell Blackstone, and Stewart Lundy — not to mention guest authors.

We are uploading historical articles from the last three decades of Applied Biodynamics in The Vault. One of the perks of a paid subscription is full access to The Vault, a treasure trove of biodynamic knowledge. Unpaid subscribers can see previews of these articles. By bringing to light information previously only seen by a few hundred readers to a global audience, the timeless insights of biodynamic elders extend worldwide and arrive in your own inbox.

We offer regular Cosmic Journal entries here. These explore the near future for ideal planting times according to the biodynamic planting almanac, offering astrological insights, poetry, and more every other Monday.

We are also in the process of translating articles into Spanish. This is thanks to the generous and hard work of some of our friends in Latin America who are helping pioneer regenerative and biodynamic practices to help heal our common earth together.

JPI has subscribers in all 50 states of the USA.

JPI has paid subscribers in most states of the USA.

JPI has subscribers in 99 countries around the world.

Some of our posts are more popular than others. You can navigate our landing page and see our top posts. Some of our most popular can be seen here:

Thanks so much for supporting our work. You help keep the work alive and growing.

We couldn’t do it without you.