Dear Soil Hack Group,

Soils alive!  - Joel Williams
Our soils are the most precious asset we have. Explore the world beneath our feet and learn how to nurture soil vitality with our renowned international expert on soil health. Topics include soil life, compost, minerals, natural plant immunity, and what to do and what not to do to achieve a healthy soil whatever the size of your plot, be it small or large

We have this great workshop and a whole host of other interesting ones on offer at our forthcoming event
Biodynamics: Revitalising our Earth one Garden at a time 17th - 18th Sept 2016
At: Garden Organic, Ryton On Dunsmore, Kenilworth CV8 3LG

Anyone growing food or working with soil  are the natural stewards and protectors of our Earth, and how we carry out these tasks has never been so important. The biodynamic approach is unique; it’s aim is to maximize the inherent vitality of our soils and gardens through its use of herbal compost and spray preparations, by harnessing the subtle cosmic forces of nature, building natural resilience with open pollinated seed, and by creating a garden full of harmonious life, which becomes self-sustaining .

Full details about the workshops, key lectures, short talks and special evening on the importance of seeds and seed diversity can be found below
Cost £145 ( £120 BDA Members)
To book your ticket
FFI  see www.biodynamic.org.uk/conference/
Or Contact Jessica on 01453 759501  email office@biodynamic.org.uk

 

Biodynamics, Revitalising our Earth, one garden at a time
The UK’s first Biodynamic Gardening Conference 17th – 18th September 2016

Workshops

This year we have an exciting range of in depth workshops covering all aspects of biodynamic gardening, and beyond.  Participants get to choose one workshop topic and stay with that tutor for the 3 sessions over the weekend This offers plenty of time to really get your teeth into a subject and also for questions.

 
Biodynamic Gardening
 
1. Biodynamic gardening for everyone:  revitalising your garden from the ground up -
Rachael O’Kelly
Learn all the important principles of biodynamic gardening, how to get started, and how to apply them in practice in your own garden.  Weather permitting, the classroom will be our own Elysia biodynamic demonstration garden!  Practical sessions will include: compost making, how to make, stir and apply the all- important BD preparations, plus advice and tips on using the lunar calendar. Expect to be engaged, inspired and to have lots of gardening fun!


2. A guide to the biodynamic planting calendar – Ian Bailey
Ian will bring his wealth of theoretical and hands- on experience to bring you a fascinating exploration into the theory and the astronomy and the " celestial mechanics" behind the biodynamic planting calendar alongside: how to use and understand the calendar to help you determine the most auspicious time to sow, plant, and harvest your fruit, vegetables & flowers.

 
3. Soils alive!  - Joel Williams
Our soils are the most precious asset we have. Explore the world beneath our feet and learn how to nurture soil vitality with our renowned international expert on soil health. Topics include soil life, compost, minerals, natural plant immunity, and what to do and what not to do to achieve a healthy soil whatever the size of your plot, be it small or large.

 
4. Growing and saving biodynamic vegetable seed workshop - Ute Kirchgasser

This practical workshop is designed for everyone, whether you are a commercial grower interested in growing seed crops or a gardener looking to save your own seed.

Detailed information and tips will cover the practical know how for naturally producing seed, maintaining varieties and breeding new varieties, including:

 
The Wider Perspective

5. How the bees can help us - Heidi Herrmann & Rachel Hanney 
What bees need is well understood but hard to offer as habitat and natural forage sources disappear from our landscapes. We will explore what can be done to make space for bees - in the countryside, on farms and gardens and in our hearts.  As modern beekeeping methods prove unsuited to address declining bee health and vitality, ways must be found to enable bees to deploy their innate abilities for regeneration and healing.
We will explore sensitive methods of bee husbandry as advocated by the Natural Trust, with an emphasis on the manifold possibilities for “rewilding” the bees.    
The bees’ outstanding capacity for bringing grace and healing into our lives will be discussed by reference to our project  “Prison Bees”.



6.  Permaculture & biodynamics: a fortuitous union - Spencer Christy
Permaculture and biodynamic gardening are natural bedfellows and work together harmoniously. Explore the many ways they overlap and the extra dimension to gardening this can bring with a biodynamic farmer and gardener who holds a diploma in applied permaculture design. These workshops will include group work and practical exercises. No prior knowledge necessary.
 
7. Meadow gardening - Beatrice Krehl ( 2 x sessions) &
Practical session on No-dig gardening - Charles Dowding ( 1 x session)
Former head gardener of stunning Waltham Place biodynamic garden  introduces you  to the delightfully informal, and ultimate wildlife friendly approach to gardening , including  how to garden with dynamic plant communities rather than individual plants grouped together for their aesthetics.
In the third session of this workshop, popular no-dig guru  shares his extensive experience including  practical tips  on mulching to kill weeds and making compost, and vegetables sown in their best season for healthiest harvests.
 
8. Meetings with remarkable plants - Jonathon Code
Accomplished author, biodynamic gardener and alchemist reveals how to gain deeper understandings of plants and the plant world by drawing on ancient wisdoms and inspiration from phenomenology, plant alchemy, botany and creative writing.  Come with a notepad or sketch book and suitable clothing to work outside. No prior experience necessary.



More about our workshop leaders and speakers…

Ian Bailey
Ian is a long standing supporter and trustee of the Biodynamic Association and lives at The Grange Camphill Community.  In 1991, he began his biodynamic journey in the garden at The Grange and has become an enthusiastic expert in understanding the cosmos:  how the constellations, the Zodiac and the planets move in relation to the earth and its importance for biodynamics, especially the planting calendar.  As Ian says, there’s a tremendous journey from the thoughts of the cosmos to the row of beans one might be hoping to grow, and he looks forward to exploring it together.

Spencer Christy
Spencer is a biodynamic farmer from Essex, and set up Lauriston Farm – a 210 acre Demeter certified holding on the Blackwater Estuary.  He has extensive practical experience of rare breed cattle, sheep and chickens, as well as growing vegetables and fruits, natural beekeeping, and managing farmland for wildlife.  He has a degree in Environmental Science, a diploma in Applied Permaculture Design and is an active member of the Anthroposophical Society.

Jonathan Code BA, M.Ed
Jonathan is  a lecturer and co-lead on Crossfield Institute’s postgraduate course Researching Holistic Approaches to Agroecology, and has a deep interest in Consciousness Studies, Western Esotericism, the natural sciences and education.  Jonathan’s book Muck and Mind; Encountering Biodynamic Agriculture is published and distributed by Lindisfarne books (USA) and Floris books (UK).

Charles Dowding
Charles is a contemporary pioneer of no dig growing; he crops an intensive quarter acre in SW England for local sales of salad leaves (over 1 tonne last year) and vegetables. He has written seven books and teaches extensively at home and abroad.  After graduating from Cambridge, in 1982 he started an organic, no -dig market garden on two acres, rising to seven acres by 1987. He is self-taught and learns from observation, trialling and comparing different methods of growing. He teaches, writes and grows, runs day and weekend courses at home and abroad, has seven books published and several films on his You Tube channel such as http://youtu.be/HATC3rG6NbQ, see more at www.charlesdowding.co.uk

Rachel Hanney
Rachel is a master skep maker and leads the Natural Beekeeping Trust’s sunhive making workshops at Tablehurst Farm, where many bee colonies are housed in this innovative and iconic hive. She is a Trustee of the Natural Beekeeping Trust

Heidi Herrmann
Heidi has been a beekeeper for many years, teaching, lecturing and writing about bees, and is a trustee and spokesperson for the Natural Beekeeping Trust

Ute Kirchgasser
A renowned seed grower and plant breeder, Ute has been an active member of Kultursaat, a group of biodynamic plant breeders since 1989.  Based in Germany, Kulturesaat have developed over 70 new varieties of vegetable that are now used by commercial growers and gardeners across Europe.  Ute has been self-employed since 2012 and from her smallholding produces vegetable seed as part of the network of seed producers that supply Bingenheimer Saatgut, as well as undertaking work on the maintenance of existing varieties and breeding new varieties.  Her research work includes the influence that sound can have on plants, in the form of musical notes.

Beatrice Krehl
Beatrice is a Swiss landscape architect with a passion for nature. She has worked for over 20 years as a gardener in the Netherlands and the UK, including 9 years as head gardener of the inspirational biodynamic garden, Waltham Place in Berkshire.

 

Rachael O’Kelly 
Rachael is a biodynamic gardener, teacher and mother exploring the challenges and joys of fitting small scale biodynamic growing into a busy schedule.
Rachael describes her passion as “lighting the fire of biodynamics in people's hearts.”
She a trustee of the Biodynamic Association and previously ran a biodynamic teaching and market garden.  She currently runs practical biodynamic garden workshops for all those interested in learning how to revitalise their gardens and take them to a new level of holistic health.


Tyll van der Voort 
After training in Germany, Tyll has worked for over 30 years in biodynamic market gardening, predominantly in the UK and mostly in progressive social and educative contexts. He has a deep interest in apprentice training and was, for many years, instrumental in setting up and running biodynamic apprentice training schemes in the UK.  He holds an M.Sc. in Organisational Development from the University of Bristol.

Joel Williams 
Joel is a passionate educator and crop and soil health consultant. For the last 12 years he has worked between Australia and the UK, working with conventional and organic farms improving biological farming practices, as well as providing soil chemical and biological assessments to primary producers throughout Europe.
He is currently based back in the UK where he is a full time grower at a London University creating an edible campus and growing organic vegetables to inspire and educate students on food growing. He has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science specialising in crop and soil sciences, and a keen interest in managing soil microbial balance and plant and soil nutrition to optimise plant immunity, soil health and carbon sequestration. He has a passion for teaching and sharing both scientific and practical knowledge on sustainable growing practices.

 


Short Talks: for all conference participants 

Urban gardening: engaging audiences on food through urban gardening -  Joel Williams

My experiences with biodynamics -  Charles Dowding

Vital seeds, vital food, vital people - David Price

Lauriston farm’s celestial garden: merging people, planets and plants - Spencer Christy

Biodynamics: a question of research - Jonathon Code  

Bees in prison: the biodynamic sun hive goes to Rye Hill – Robin Baxter 

 


Key Lectures: 



Tyll van de Voort  “  Planting a world –a personal approach to biodynamic Gardening'” 



Ute Kirchgasser  “ “Open pollination - its importance in the origin, evolution and future of our vegetable plants 



Charles Dowding  “ “ No-dig gardening – healthy abundance and less time needed” 
 


“Seeds for Life” 8pm - Sat 17th September

Our future depends on seeds; we cannot grow food, or farm, or grow our own food in our gardens without them.  To celebrate the launch of our Seed Co-operative share initiative, this very special evening event explores why open pollinated seeds are vital for all our futures. 



Programme
HEAR: Guest speakers, Neil Munro of the Heritage Seed Library, Garden Organic; 

Ute Kirschgasser, Biodynamic plant breeder, specialising in open-pollinated seeds and, Liz Hosken, Gaia Foundation. Together they provide an invaluable UK, european and global perspective of the importance of seed diversity, and discuss how the Seed Co-operative’s role is crucial to sustainable farming in the UK.
 
JOIN: The Seed Co-operative Community Share Offer – the first of its kind in the UK, your chance to be involved in this exciting new venture. Meet the directors and discover how you can help safeguard the future of our organic and biodynamic seeds.
 
WATCH: Not to be missed! An exclusive pre-release screening of SEED: the untold story. This multi-award winning new feature-length documentary follows dedicated seed keepers working to protect our 12,000-year old food legacy. The film features world experts including Vandana Shiva, and examines issues surrounding the loss of seed diversity, climate change, pesticides, GMO labelling, and the patenting and corporate takeover of seeds and food. 
 

With special thanks to Jon Taggart at Collective Eye Films for making this screening happen.
 
FINALE: Organic bar, music, and fun!