Barefoot Biodynamics: How Cows, Compost, and Community Help
Us Understand Rudolf Steiners Agriculture Course, by Jeff Poppen.
With decades of knowledge and proven, common-sense methods
from “The Barefoot Farmer,” this practical guide to biodynamic principles and
practices will appeal to growers of every scale and experience level.
"An excellent read for all who want to understand the
keys to growing nutrient-dense food."—Gabe Brown, author of Dirt to Soil;
co-founder, Understanding Ag
In Barefoot Biodynamics, organic grower Jeff Poppen—“The
Barefoot Farmer”—combines tales from his personal history in rural Tennessee
with the practical applications of biodynamic principles and the deep aspects
of the biodynamic methods that continue to make his farm a success today.
Jeff’s friendly, direct, and humorous writing will appeal
not only to the biodynamic-curious, but also to farmers and gardeners who have
experimented with the biodynamic approach and are looking for a deeper
understanding of the practice.
Rooted in the teachings of biodynamic pioneer Rudolf
Steiner, Jeff’s unique insights and deep reflections on “guiding lines” of
biodynamic growing are an invaluable resource. Those “guiding lines” include:
producing a farm’s fertility using cover
crops, compost, and other on-farm inputs
enjoying the
renewing power of farm festivals
augmenting
scientific knowledge with the power of observation and intuition
avoiding chemical
fertilizers
understanding that
carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen make up 95 percent of the physical
structure of plants and are freely available in the air around us
enhancing the
availability of critical minerals such as silica and lime through good farming
practices
building
humus-rich soil teeming with microbial life
using homeopathic
preparations to heal and enrich the soil
“What a refreshing delight it is to read Jeff Poppen’s
Barefoot Biodynamics. It is a heartfelt and matter-of-fact account of the
journey of a human being, a farm, and a community during times of dramatic
change in agriculture and the world at large. Especially impressive is the
final chapter, in which Rudolf Steiner’s complex, and sometimes puzzling,
Agriculture Course lectures and discussions are put into plain language
alongside personal reflections by the author. This chapter alone is worth the
purchase of the book. Simultaneously brilliant and humble: Well done, Jeff
Poppen!”—Mark Shepard, author of Restoration Agriculture
“As I read Jeff Poppen’s Barefoot Biodynamics, I could hear
his laugh and picture his grin as he talked about the changes in language that
have occurred in the past hundred years since Rudolf Steiner gave his lectures
on agriculture. Jeff is the perfect person to make this ‘translation’ of Steiner’s
concepts easy to understand. —Elaine Ingham, founder, Soil Foodweb
