...a large body of research has revealed that honey is chock-full of plant chemicals that influence honey bee health. Components in honey can help bees live longer, boost their tolerance of harsh conditions such as intense cold and heighten their ability to fight off infections and heal wounds. The findings hint at ways to help bees, which have been hit hard in recent years by parasites, pesticide exposure and habitat loss. (Wednesday November 24th, 2021 — BBC online)

“In an organic system like ours, the under-vine area is the area which is most difficult to manage. With horses, we can get much better access to it, and can do a much better job than with a mechanical means using a tractor, without the compaction.” (Sunday November 7th, 2021 — Stuff.co.nz)

The findings, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, suggest that the so-called Camel Site actually dates to between 7,000 and 8,000 years ago. As Arab News reports, this timeline would likely make the sculptures the world’s oldest surviving large-scale, three-dimensional animal reliefs. (Saturday October 16th, 2021 — Smithsonian.com -)

In an era where early academic pressures are being put onto younger and younger learners, the Waldorf School of Baltimore is seeing the pendulum swing back towards a more developmentally appropriate entry into education. In fact, their Waldorf Kindergarten program has become so popular that this year, as the school celebrates its fiftieth birthday, they found need to open a second class and an opportunity was born: to create an outdoor classroom called Chestnut Woods to house their first ever Forest Kindergarten. (Tuesday October 5th, 2021 — Baltimore Fishbowl)

It started in Austria with the “first wave” changing to biodynamic. Styrian growers like Sepp Muster, Werlitsch, Tscheppe, etc. started natural winemaking and the biggest change, was fermentation of whites on the skins. This was in the early 2000s. We, at our estate, started in 2003 with skin fermentation, changed to biodynamic 2 years later and started getting our experience in natural winemaking in 2006 with the move to biodynamic. (Thursday September 30th, 2021 — Forbes)

Going beyond organic: Château Palmer has been a pioneer of biodynamics, alongside other top estates like Climens and Pontet-Canet. (Thursday September 30th, 2021 — decanter.com)

The Fish and Wildlife Service proposal Wednesday to take 23 animals and plants off the endangered species list — because none can be found in the wild — exposes what scientists say is an accelerating rate of extinction worldwide. A million plants and animals are in danger of disappearing, many within decades. The newly extinct species are the casualties of climate change and habitat destruction, dying out sooner than any new protections can save them. (Wednesday September 29th, 2021 — Washington Post - Washington DC USA)

There is a unique series of biodynamic protocols employed at Hawk and Horse, some requiring assistance from a herd of Scottish Highland cattle that roam the land. (Saturday September 25th, 2021 — The Bakersfield Californian)

Students have made cured olives, raisins by dehydrating grapes from the school garden, and apple cinnamon dried apples from the high school apple trees. (Thursday September 23rd, 2021 — Pasadena Now)

This week during Art Basel, those interested in an out-of-the-ordinary art experience might venture to the nearby city of Dornach where Swiss artist Heikedine Günther’s solo exhibition “Concentric Circles” is being presented at the famed Goetheanum, the global headquarters for the Anthroposophical Society. (Thursday September 23rd, 2021 — artnet News)

Over the past three years, Vino Farms, Inc. based in Lodi, California has been converting select vineyards to Biodynamic ™ (BD) farming practices. Pending approval of its certification application, expected to be submitted to Demeter USA before the end of 2021, Vino Farms will have nearly 40 vineyard acres certified to BD standards. (Monday September 20th, 2021 — winebusiness.com)

RSF recently launched the Racial Justice Collaborative — a philanthropic fund that provides diverse forms of capital to US-based social enterprises with BIPOC owners and leaders. External advisers with community wealth-building and racial-justice expertise play a central role in funding decisions, which helps ensure accountability to the communities we’re trying to serve. (Friday June 11th, 2021 — Sustainable Life Media, Inc)

An effort to bring wild bison to the Great Plains aims to restore one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems (Tuesday June 8th, 2021 — Smithsonian Magazine - Washington DC USA)

Wines that were certified as biodynamic by the third-party association performed even better, scoring 11.8% higher. Biodynamic wines take organic farming a step further, using methods that time planting, trimming and harvests to coincide with seasonal and lunar cycles, and integrating animals for a more complete ecosystem. (Thursday February 11th, 2021 — UCLA Newsroom - University of California, USA)

Many winemakers commit full-on to biodynamic winemaking—a classification that is clearly defined and hard to obtain. Gérard Bertrand, from the Languedoc and Roussillon regions of southern France, says his family has eschewed artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides for generations. “Biodynamic farming is holistic medicine on a plant,” he says. Although he does not classify himself as a natural winemaker, all 1,900 acres of his vineyards are certified organic and bee friendly. Bertrand’s wines are consistently recognized as among the best in the region. (Thursday February 11th, 2021 — Gulfshore Life - Bonita Springs, Florida USA)

Take Arianna Occhipinti, for example; the 37-year-old winemaker, based in Sicilia, has recently made a name for herself as a pioneer in natural winemaking. At the young age of 25, in a region known more for the mafia than natural wines, she began farming her entire property biodynamically. Today, she is one of the largest producers of biodynamic wines (over 120,000 bottles annually) and is at the forefront of the natural wine movement. (Thursday February 11th, 2021 — Worth )

In this three part series we present an analysis by Dr. Andrea Beste on the similarities, differences and synergies between the organic, agroecological and regenerative farming movements. Part one here outlines the history and current status of the organic movement. (Wednesday February 10th, 2021 — Resilience )

The future of farming has to change. As the planet groans, more and more people understand this. But some of the approaches we accept today as possible solutions were once seen as unorthodox, especially the idea of biodynamic farming. (Thursday February 4th, 2021 — Wine Enthusiast Magazine - Valhalla, New York USA)

Mungalli's philosophy is "looking after our land and our farmers", which Mr Watson believes is extremely important to Australia's food future. Having pioneered biodynamic regenerative dairying in the tropics for 30 years, Mungalli has developed a strong customer base. (Wednesday January 27th, 2021 — North Queensland Register )

For some species, offshore rigs are even better nurseries than natural reefs. The towering pylons are the perfect spawning grounds for tiny fish larvae (Monday January 25th, 2021 — BBC Online - UK)