Laura Riccardi and Biodynamics

Every now and then someone comes into your life through your work and it feels like they are supposed to be your friend forever. I can't quite place whether this is something unique to me with Laura Riccardi or if she is just so damn magical, positive and full of light and life that everyone gets a sense of being blessed by her presence. 

Laura started off years ago after some interest in biodynamics by working at the Josephine Porter Institute of Applied Biodynamics and it turned into her life passion. After working with them for 4 years, she was hired to be the biodynamic prep creator at Foxhollow Farm. She has also started her own company where she provides biodynamic preps to farmers and gardeners and educates them on their use. Developed by Rudolf Steiner (Father of Waldorf education as well) biodynamics are an am amazing addition to the sustainable agricultural system. I am hesitant to explain exactly how it works for fear I do it a disgrace. 

But as Laura describes, it adds natural ingredients (such as chamomile, yarrow, stinging nettle, etc) that plants and animals can use to become more open to accept all the things in the cosmos and thus become as productive as possible. She explains that by cosmos, we needn't think of mysticism, but rather all things related to the earth, the sun and the moon that we are currently comfortable talking about plants and animals needing for growth. She also adds that we must realize that a being (plant or animal) that receives just tap water to grow and thrive does so in a much less greater manner than one that receives rain water. The reason for this is that as the rain falls from the sky, it gathers all the elements of the cosmos to infuse itself greater into the life it is nourishing. 

There are many elements that exist in the air and in our atmosphere that the rain collects and biodynamic preparations, when put on the land, allow the information of the world that is collected in the rain to be soaked up by the treated plants at a much greater rate. This creates tastier produce that grows much faster and heartily. One look at the garden behind Laura in this picture will give your the proof you need as this was definitely a drought year for Kentucky. The soil is still moist, rich and retains water and the needed nutrients so much better. Just for proof that she hasn't been watering, the garden is over a mile away from the closest hose and after toting water back there when the veggies were just planted and having a horrible time doing so you can trust her that she isn't dragging the water all the way back there any more. As Laura puts it, "that just wouldn't be very sustainable." 

Even hunters that migrate back by the remote garden have said that, though they wondered what kind of strange stuff Laura had been putting on the ground, they couldn't believe how green the garden was as asked if maybe they could try some biodynamic preps. If you can get a country hunter wondering about what organics and biodynamics are all about, you must be on the right track! As for the grass-fed cows raised on the biodynamically treated grass, their meat is very tender and nutrient rich. They also love eating it and do so in massive quantities - always good for when you want big, yummy cows! Just being around her makes you wonder if everything is growing so brilliantly because of the biodynamics or if it's actually her beautiful spirit just energizing everything around her. I, like the hunters, have seen the wonder of biodynamics first hand, but must insist that Laura's ebullient and warm personality must factor in there somehow.

(The picture with the horns is Laura, Holly, Samantha and baby Sophie burying the biodynamic preps to be dug up in spring.)