Ueli Hurter - Böcker

Biodynamic agriculture first originated in central Europe but is now practised in farms, vineyards and gardens all over the world. At the heart of the biodynamic approach are the eight preparations -- Horn manure, Horn silica, Yarrow, Chamomile, Nettle, Oak bark, Dandelion and Valerian -- which are often produced by local biodynamic practitioners using well-established recipes. But as the biodynamic approach expands beyond its European origins, its methods have been increasingly adapted to meet the needs and challenges -- climates, fauna, seasons and regulations -- of different regions around the globe. This fascinating book presents the results of a unique study, carried out by the Agricultural Section at the Goetheanum, Switzerland, into how the biodynamic preparations are used in fifteen countries worldwide, including Egypt, Brazil, New Zealand, India and across Europe. The detailed case studies explore how the preparations are modified to suit their locations, as well as offering an insight into the work of each practitioner and how their understanding has evolved over the years.Contributors include Ueli Hurter, Dr. R. Ingold, Dr. M. Kolar, J. Schönfelder, Dr. A. Sedlmayr and A. van Leewen.This book is a valuable reference into the production and application of the preparations around the world and an inspiring endorsement of how biodynamic principles hold true in such varied environments.

Today, biodynamic agriculture is practised in more than 50 countries worldwide and offers a way of growing high-quality produce through the sustainable cultivation of soil, plants and animals. But where did it begin and how did it come to have such an impact? In this fascinating book, Ueli Hurter and Rudi Bind trace the history and development of the biodynamic movement over a century. They examine the roots of the movement in the Agriculture Course given by Rudolf Steiner in 1924, providing a clear overview of the course's key themes and ideas; they also include reflections from the course participants. The authors describe initiatives that have arisen from biodynamics, such as community-supported agriculture and the creation of seed banks, as well as the influence it has had on the wider organic movement, regenerative farming and the campaign against chemical pesticides and fertilisers. They also include contemporary examples that demonstrate how biodynamics is helping individuals and communities around the world to thrive, including in Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Spain and India. This book will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the origins of biodynamic agriculture, its growth into a worldwide movement and its continuing impact on the world.

The School of Spiritual Science, with its headquarters at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland, has eleven sections that are active worldwide in research, development, teaching and the practical implementation of research results. During the early stages of the Corona pandemic of 2020, the sections of the School made individual contributions to the crisis in the form of sixteen essays that offer insights, perspectives and approaches to tackling the challenges of Coronavirus through spiritual-scientific knowledge and practice.The work of each of the School’s sections seeks to develop anthroposophy – as founded by Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) – in a contemporary context through the core disciplines of general anthroposophy, medicine, agriculture, pedagogy, natural science, mathematics and astronomy, literary and visual arts and humanities, performing arts and youth work. The featured essays include: Creating Spaces of Inner Freedom – Training Approaches in Times of Uncertainty and Fear; The Hidden Sun – Reality, Language and Art in Corona Times; Consequences of COVID-19 – Perspectives of Anthroposophic Medicine; Aspects of Epidemic Infectious Diseases in Rudolf Steiner’s Work­; Challenges and Perspectives of the Corona Crisis in the Agricultural and Food Industry; Corona and Biodynamic Agriculture; Our Relationship with Animals; The Part and the Whole – On the Cognitive Approach of Anthroposophical Natural Science; Comparing the Constellations of the Corona Pandemic and the Spanish Flu; Aspects of Dealing with the Corona Crisis for Youth; ‘Crisis Implies that it’s Unclear … as to What, How, Why and by Whom Things Need to be Done’; Education in Times of Corona; Understanding History from the Future – Crisis as Opportunity; Social Challenges and Impulses of the COVID-19 Pandemic; Consequences of COVID-19 – The Perspective of Anthroposophic Curative Education, Social Pedagogy, Social Therapy and Inclusive Social Development; A Medicalized Society?.