Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Folks -

I undoubtedly have added to the confusion by my choice of a subject, 
so I wanted to make a couple of comment before sitting back and 
letting this conversation run its course.

This is not a freedom of speech issue. This is working consciously 
towards a 'freedom from Johnsons.' If I remember right, Wm S. 
Burroughs describes a Johnson as a common American lifeform, one that 
can never mind it's own business. With this goes judgement and fear 
that arises when realizing that someone else thinks differently than 
your Johnson self.

The fact that I meet actual people who tell me that they are 
uncomfortable posting to BD Now! because they do not want a permanent 
record of their honest thoughts to be available to persons unknown 
for reasons unknown tells me that the life of the group may be 
enhanced if people felt more protected Sophia of LILIPOH told me at 
one time that by their very nature of openess to the universe, 
biodynamic farmers need protection. Those of us who operate without 
it soon come to realize the need for it. I think the list suffers 
very much if sensitive people do not feel comfortable speaking to 
this group for reasons that are outside of this group.

Next, I will not labor nor will I sacrifice for the right or ability 
of non contributors to this list to draw from the information created 
by this list.  This list is open to EVERYONE who has a name and a 
location. Anyone who wants to share with the list, interrogate this 
group of farmers and eaters, or who wants to plow the archives or our 
cumulative sharings is welcome to do that. Someone who wants to take 
without being part of the group is, well, counter-evolutionary in my 
book and not deserving of our support.

Furthermore, it is my current sense that BD knowledge without 
mentoring is potentially worthless. To make the transferance from 
head work to heart work requires working with someone who actually 
knows what heart and intuition feel like. To encourage cookbook 
biodynamics is to encourage the degradation of biodynamics in both 
the short and the long hauls. For you physical growers out there, it 
can also be said that it's impossible to work towards good soil 
structure if noone has shown you what good soil structure is, 
Otherwise, you are working with your own concept, which has arisen 
from your own inexperience, etc.

My interest in promoting the security of the discussion here is an 
interest in overcoming the sort of self-censorship that is obviously 
chilling the sharing on this list.

Come on folks, if someone with as much to share as glen atkinson says 
that the archives have a chilling affect on his openess, how can we 
afford to not move immediately to create the sort of atmosphere that 
makes sharing comfortable again?

The dangers of the archives were demonstrated recently when some 
directions for a bd spray were drawn from the archives and reprinted 
without contacting me or the original author. When I saw the 
publication, I knew that the practitioner who had created the spray 
had since moved past that process and would not recommend it to 
farmers at this time. Just the same, it not only was reprinted out of 
the context of reality and, if I read correctly, someone is marketing 
a product based on these 'withdrawn' directions.

NEVER NEVER NEVER has BD Now! been a classic LOOK IN THE ARCHIVES, 
STUPID! list Instead, in it's own cornstamping way, BD Now! has been 
a list of real time BD practitioners sharing what they know through 
ever evolving insights.

As I said: Archives without participation can be counter-productive.

Again - I do not feel that we can protect ourselves from the US 
Government, nor do I feel that we are saying anything on this list 
that is or is likely to be illegal in the United States of America. I 
do believe, however, that things are said on this list that can make 
a person 'weird behind their back' in the neighborhood, or could, for 
example, interfere with gaining a Grant or a scholarship, if the 
right small mind was making the deisions about 'how well you fit in.' 
Know what I mean?

Did I ever tell you the story about how the elementary school 
principal's office was telling all the mothers at the school that 
they should avoid the Ballietts because they are satanists? A true 
story, one that was resolved by drawing everyone's attention to what 
I wanted my educational tax dollars spent for but an occurence that I 
do not think we've ever recovered from and we certainly have never 
recovered from thinking that we've never recovered from.

None of us need to waste our precious energies in this fashion.

OK.  I've said to much.

Back to listening to your ideas.

-Allan

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Hi Allan
 Have you noticed how the lurkers seem to be against your idea
and most of the active posters in favour ? ('cept Frank of course)
Lloyd Charles


Sorry, Lloyd, Frank is definitely in the lurker column. -Allan

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

www.rain.org/~jjgelles/economic-rights.htm


This url is not coming up for me, Barbara. -Allan

Fwd:GREG WILLIS: Fixing Steiner Agriculture - Step One

[Allan Balliett]

Dear Allan,

As I have discussed in some detail, the facts show that Rudolf Steiner's
ideas have really not permeated agriculture.  I have discussed the
reasons that this has happened, or more precisely, failed to happen.

I have pointed out that biodynamics is an invention of the organizations
and individuals who took it upon themselves to bring what they
understood as Steiner's ideas into society but have failed because they
don't understand it.  We do, by the way, see this failure in their
rudimentary descriptive terms such as "Steiner indicated", "biodynamic
preparations", "ethericity", "astrality" and "egoity" just to name a
few.  Terms that are completely out of date and misleading in today's
world.

(A real important footnote: their definitions of "ether" and "astral"
are opposite the ancient yoga sutras.  There, astral is between ether
and physical matter in order of vibrational fineness or grossness.  This
leads me to conclude that either Steiner got it wrong or his minions got
it wrong.  Since nearly 100% of his talks were transcribed, I tend to
think the latter.)

Another major problem with biodynamics is that it has become encumbered
by one "official" way of doing it.  That is, Demeter certification.  I
prefer to call it Demeter Calcification.  Ossified.  The Demeter
regulations are little more than "organic" standards plus the use of "BD
Preps Horn Manure and Horn Silica" once a year plus some compost.  The
don't have the slightest understanding of Steiner's understanding of the
Universal Laws and Principles underpinning his conceptions.

If we understand these laws and principles, working as RS did, from both
a spiritual science point of view and a physical science point of view,
we can begin the process of fixing what is a disaster for humanity
created by the Anthros and the BDidiots.

Saints, Avatars and the great Wise Men and Women of the Ages don't visit
Earth randomly.  They come for a purpose at a time when they are
needed.  In a phrase, God sent them.  ("God sent His only begotten
son.")  The message that they bring is important, even vital, to all the
Earth as a schoolhouse for souls to develop Unconditional Love.  This
little corner of the Universe is unique.  It is a place for souls to
advance quickly in their quest to return to their Creator, from whence
they commeth.

The idea is to keep this place going.  The Forces if Evil, ignorant of
God, finite in their lives and perspective, would seek to take the Earth
and its surrounds away from souls seeking this return to the Heavenly
Father - Divine Mother, thus hindering their quest for perfection and
restoral just as they have chosen for themselves.  Steiner, a great
saint in his own right, described this in great detail.

But, as said Shakespeare, here's the rub.  All souls live in the Thought
of God.  Everyone plays by the same rules.  Let's look at these rules.

First, there is the Law of Unity.  All exists in the One.  It is God's
thought that holds all of Creation together.  God is in all things and
all things are in God.  So, when you see a flower, you are seeing an
Individualized Expression of Spirit, or God.

Second is the Law of Duality.  This might be called the Law of Opposites
or the Law of Contrasts.  In action it is light-dark, up-down, in-out,
good-bad, life-death.  Life is a search for Truth.  It is God's way of
teaching His children the difference between truth and lies.  On the
Earthly plane, if we did not have these contrasting forces at work, we
would have no understanding of the relative differences between, for
example, doing good or evil.  Duality exists in Unity.  Everything is a
reflection of God.  It is no other option.

Which leads us to the third most important Universal Law, the Law of
Free Will.  This too is described in great detail by RS in his lectures,
The Hierarchy of Angels.  On this plane, human souls are, in a sense,
furthest away from God, the Divine Creator of All Things.  He/She has
granted souls an opportunity to do just about anything they want to do.
This great Double Edged Sword can lead to great good or great evil.  But
most importantly, it leads to great advancement for the soul.  The Laws
that define the Universe are not so forgiving on other planes of
existence.  In those Realms, there is no pure Free Will, thus the
advancement of souls is slower but there is less pain and suffering.
God's Children come here to advance quickly.  It's a very tough school.
It wasn't meant to be easy.  But greater strides can be made here in a
shorter period of time.  It is possible, through Kriya Yoga, to pay off
the Karmic debt of thousands of lifetimes in one short life.  A million
years of Karma in only 20 years of intense and sincere practice.  "Seek
and ye shall find, ask and you shall be given."  God is not so
unforgiving that He does not give each of us a quick way back to Him.

Having Free Will has its attendant consequences.  The Law of Cause and
Effect, or Karma, the Law of Consequences, or, s

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

David - What is your real name? -Allan

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

I'd like to see these recorded there is a lot of good stuff on those early
archives!!


All dangerously outdated, Lloyd.

Ok, I'm kidding. The plan is to incorporate all the archives on the first CD.
This will work best if someone in OZ volunteers to work from disk 
images and will burn and distribute down there. (OK, that includes 
NZ, too)

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Please tell us more about the circumstances where it took place! Michael


Michael!

Please, can I have some sensitivity?

Thanks

Allan

Re: where in Texas?

[Allan Balliett]

Dear Martha,

It's a big state. I must have a dozen field broadcaster users in Texas--at
least. It's big with grassmen and longhorn raisers. You probably don't run
across these folks. I'm going to have to put up a field broadcaster's list
I guess.

Hugh



I'm drawing a blank here, but Old What's His name, the former head of 
the American Anthroposophical Society and, I believe, a Chadwick 
student, was farming in Dripping Springs a few years back. 
Unfortunately, I spoke at one time with the person who leased his 
land after he moved on. That fellow, a conventional organic grower, 
was totally unimpressed with the quality of the garden soil.

I would think that there was some permanent touch of BD in that area.

-Allan

RE: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Dear Zoran -

I'm not trying to solve the larger issues, just trying to create
privacy from unintentional eavesdropping so that members of the list
feel more comfortable sharing.

The archives, incidentally, did not appear accidentally. They were
requested back in the early days, back when some people couldn't
spare the disk space to spool a group as active as BD Now! on a
regular basis.

-Allan



I think it will be too naïve to think that something on internet could
be private. By making it private - for members eyes only, You do not
solve the real problem and that is that someone has right to prevent
Your free access to public property.

Regards

Zoran

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Apart from public exposure, what difference would it make?   Any costs
involved?   What changes in mode, etc?   And is it feasible, or would it
involve too much work organising the change?I guess not, or you
wouldn't be suggesting it.
Helen


I'm very not comfortable with YahooGroups, for reasons mentioned and others.

What I would like to do is keep the archives here and physically 
dispense them on a quarterly basis. The archives would not be 
available to lurkers, only to posters. CD-Rom is the appropriate way 
to go. These could be sent out at cost, etc. Each CD could be 
cumultive, and so on.

I'll also move to have the earlier archives expunged.

What say?

-Allan

Re: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

By all means take the archives out of the public arena, Allan, even 
though it is quite likely some 'friendly' agency already has  a 
copy. The action will at least protect future posts.

Yes, the issue is not the government and its many shadows. It's our 
neighbors who concern me. -Allan

RE: Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

A case in point: You apply for a job with  fairly conventional 
non-profit that does good work but doesn't think outside of the box. 
They are very impressed with your accomplishments, so, since they are 
office workers and have nothing else to do, they pound your name into 
google to see if they can see picture of you doing the stuff you do 
so well. Completely unexpectedly, they discover that you stuff poop 
into cow horns, believe in astrology, hate Monsanto and question the 
policies of the elected government. (And, in my case, forward 
pornography and use Anglo-Saxon phrases quite often)

Being a farmer is questionable enough these days. (Please note the 
FBI post I put up here a couple of days ago.) MANY people I talk to 
at conferences have told me that they do not want to associate their 
names with their ideas in such a public place.

This is a different form of self-protection than what you fear is 
undoable. We can buffer ourselves in this fashion.

My primary goal is to make people comfortable to share their 
experiences and feelings with each other.

-Allan


I'm not sure of the difference between "member oriented" and 
"public" archive. Would this require registration/password or a 
membership fee?

How do we protect ourselves from all this anyways, unless you're 
going to totally subvert your personality i.e. never say what you 
think, don't buy any books or magazines or use websites that aren't 
govt. approved and for heaven's sake, don't go to a peace rally, 
they're filming you. (I actually got videotaped at a pitiful little 
fishermen's rights "protest" - they were ten of us, including my 
dog.)

Some posting reticence may come from lack of BD experience. And I 
guess some of us are questioners and some are sponges.

Nancy G.


__
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BD NOW! Archives was Re: tree topic

[Allan Balliett]

Could some one be kind enough to give step by step instruction for
accessing the archive? I have never made it.

Gil



Gil -

We have two archives.

This first one is the most complete:


http://csf.colorado.edu/archive/


The second is by far the easiest to use:

http://www.mail-archive.com

In either case, go to these urls and then look for the BD Now! archives.

Let me know if this doesn't work.

Thanks -Allan

Personal Security vs National Security

[Allan Balliett]

Given that domestic espionage is in the vogue,

Given that everywhere I go I run into avid readers of BD Now! who 
never post to BD Now! because they do not want a permanent GOOGLE 
searchable record of their spiritual and agricultural insights

Given that yours truly was recently refused entrance into a public 
building because a web search revealed that my 'world view does not 
coincide with ours.'

And given that so very many people read the archives but never 
contribute to the list. (Last time I logged it, the colo archive was 
getting 2000+ hits per week)

It seems to me that it would be best to move into a more 'member 
oriented' archive instead of a public archive.

The major purpose of this list is to speak openly and to share our 
experiences  in some fairly unusual realms.

I think everyone is feeling this shyness.  I think this holding back 
is hurting the list.

What say, folks?

-Allan Balliett
moderator, BD Now!

From Greg Willis: Fwd: Re: Executive Position

[Allan Balliett]

Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 10:55:16 -0800
From: Greg Willis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>


I was amused to read Mr. Palmer's email.  My, what an extraordinary
command of the English language!  Personal attacks don't replace a
reasoned arguments or refutation of my facts and statements.  He makes
no attempt to
argue his side.  I'm sorry I upset Mr. Palmer so much.  Nevertheless,
the facts are still the facts: nothing
the Anthros have done has moved Steiner's agricultural forward into the
21st Century and nothing they have done has advanced Steiner's remedies
beyond what they were 79 years ago.   Everyone else in the farming world
knows this.  Why don't they?

Steiner envisioned farmers, gardeners and just regular folks using his
remedies over the world.  Has this happened?  No.  Who's to blame?  The
very people who took the responsibility for this to themselves, to the
exclusion of all others in the world - the Anthros and the BDidiots.

Can this be fixed?  Yes.  See my next email.

Greg Willis
Agri-Synthesis®

Fwd: [compost_tea] Alternative Viticulture Meeting

[Allan Balliett]

Don't forget, we'll be doing a similar thing here in Loudoun CO, VA
the weekend of Nov 14 this year. Steve Storch, Alan York, Bob
Shaffer, a couple of French BD viticulturists, and Soils Wizard Jerry
Brunetti will be bringing information to Mid-Atlantic Viticulturists
and horticulturists on how to bring maximum health to plants and
maximum quality to produce by working with the soil and the
atmosphere. More information soon. -Allan




Folks,



I just wanted to pass this invitation along to the group in case
anyone wants to attend.  Don Lotter and I will be presenting
information about compost tea in organic agriculture on the first
day.  We will also be discussing our proposed SARE project which
will investigate the efficacy of compost tea for disease prevention
in Mid-Atlantic vineyards and in other horticultural crops such as
pumpkins and potatoes at The Rodale Institute.  Below I have
included the brochure and registration information.



Matthew Ryan
Research Technician
The Rodale Institute
611 Siegfriedale Road
Kutztown, PA 19530
(610) 683-1405



Alternative Viticulture - A Closer Look at Sustainable, Organic and
Biodynamic Grape Growing



Penn State Day

January 28 and 29, 2003

Spring Garden Conference Center

Middletown, Pennsylvania

Registration Fee - $80   Pre-registration deadline is January 17.



The goal of the meeting is to bring perspective and information to
the often fuzzy realm of non-conventional commercial viticulture.
This would include sustainable, organic and biodynamic methods.
Recently, there has been a tremendous growth in interest in these
new techniques of farming wine grapes.  Because much of the
practices and technologies exist outside of our customary
agricultural experience, it is the objective of this meeting to give
sound and practical information on subjects that are too often
tainted with hyperbole and unrealistic expectations. A group of
serious consultants, researchers, growers, vendors and extension
agents will present their views and experience of this new frontier
in grape growing.  These are truly some of the best minds in the
business and many of their names will be familiar to you.  It is
hoped that, armed with this information, new and experienced growers
alike will be able to decide for themselves if they want to employ
these practices on their own farms.  We are seeking to encourage
creative, innovative, disciplined and intelligent wine grape growing
that will produce high quality wines with a minimum impact on the
environment and continued profitability to the farmer.  There are
great challenges to successful alternative practices under Eastern
growing conditions, hopefully this meeting will put these challenges
and the risks into proper perspective.  Please plan to attend and
pass the word about this meeting to all your wine growing friends.
The Wine Appreciation Guild will have a variety of publications on
these special topics available for sale and equipment/supply vendors
will be present.



Program



Tuesday, January 28



7:00 Registration and Coffee



7:50 Mark Chien, Penn State
Cooperative Extension - Welcome and Introduction



8:00 Alice Wise, Cornell
Cooperative Extension, Riverhead, LINY.

Alternative
Viticultural Practices on Long Island



8:45 Al MacDonald, Chemeketa
Community College, Salem, OR.

Oregon Low Input
Viticulture and Enology (LIVE)



9:45 Break



10:00   Vicki Bess, BBC Labs,
Tempe, AZ.  Soil Microbiology and

Microbial Diversity - Tools for Vineyard Management"



11:00   William Brinton, Woods
End Research Lab, Mt. Vernon, Maine

Overview of Organic
Agricultural Practices



Noon  Lunch



1:00 Nancy Wenner/Elwin
Stewart, Dept of Plant Pathology, Penn State University - Vine
Decline Research in Pennsylvania and New York

Jim Travis et. al., Dept of Plant Pathology, Penn State University -
Use of Compost in Commercial in Pennsylvania



2:00 Richard Fiegel, Silver
Thread Vineyard, Finger Lakes, NY. Rob Russell - Westport River
Vineyard and Winery, Westport,  MA - Grower Experiences with Organic
Viticulture in the East



3:15 Break



3:30 Vicki Bess - Strategies
for Making Compost Tea



4:15 Don Lotter, Rodale
Institute, Kutztown, PA- Experience with Compost Tea and Organic
Agriculture



5:00 Q&A - All Speakers



5:30

Re: BDAAA Statistics

[Allan Balliett]

Lloyd -

Podolinsky's 1999 publication "Introctory Lectures Vol 3" reverences 
the Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australian , the BDAAA. 
The Podolinsky organization that you mention is, I believe a separate 
food quality certification group.

The figures I'm trying to substantiate are probably from an article 
on the ABC rural pages and from an interview with an Australian model 
who has taken up biodynamics.

These may be figures from Tompkins. I've heard rumours that AP's 
group is in decline. I think it is important to not propagate bad 
figures, but 'getting the facts' is very difficult, eh?

Thanks, Lloyd

-Allan

BDAAA Statistics

[Allan Balliett]

The BDGFAA (Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association of Australia)
arose in response to the need for more openness than Podolinsky allowed,
and it wouldn't do to give Podolinsky full credit for their efforts. They
have really done a lot--perhaps more than Alex--to spread BD in Australia.


This isn't to raise a snit, folks. This is just fact checking for an 
article I'm working on.

Dear Australian BD people, is it accurate to say, as the media often 
says, that there are 2,000,000 acres and 700 farms under the BDAAA?

This is simply a statistical inquirey.

Thanks k-Allan

RKM: ACTIVE PERCEPTION: Learning to see through Media Reality

[Allan Balliett]

We might perhaps learn something from history by
comparing Bush & his Homeland Security with Adolph and
his Gestapo, "Enemy Combatant" with "Enemy of the
Reich", Desert Storm with Blitzkrieg... and we might
recognize that Bush's legislation enables - is indeed
designed to enable - domestic concentration camps.  We
might recall that the German people did not see
themselves as aggressors, they were not ogres --
Goebbels convinced them at each stage that they were on
the noble defensive.

Goebbels was considered a propaganda genius in his
time, but by current standards he was but a primitive
pioneer.  Consider the twisted mind state that has been
somehow sold and become the U.S. mainstream... "We are
prepared to unleash the most diabolical weapons of mass
destruction ever known on a helpless population.  And
we have a good reason.  The leader of those people
might someday gather weapons of mass destruction and
might then choose to use them on someone."

One doesn't argue with such a position, one listens in
awe.  It's like listening to a cult member.  Everything
fits together in their mind, especially defenses to all
the reasonable arguments.  If some one is not in the
cult, then they just don't "get it", and their words
come from a place of no understanding.

Rather than a fixed dogma or a charismatic leader, the
"public cult" is guided dynamically by hypnotic
television.  The posture and the look of concern on the
news reader's faces are choreographed with as much
precision as are the phony "news" stories themselves.
And then there's Oprah & Springer and the whole nine
yards of fantasy television worlds.  Virtual Reality is
here and it doesn't even require special gloves or
goggles.  Why visit real people, and deal with traffic,
when you can sit back with a G&T and indulge in
vicarious socialization with people much more
interesting than yourself and your friends?... "We are
interrupting this broadcast to announce incoming
nuclear missiles... press the blue button if you prefer
to watch the rest of ER until they hit."

Addiction.  Television.  The Drug of the Nation.  The
Cult Siren.  The All Explaining Oracle.  The Collective
Consciousness.  The Single Source of all important
information.  Centrally generated Theater which
pretends to take the place of a non-existent "public
discussion".  A more subtle & sophisticated propaganda
mind-control machine than any sci-fi writer has been
able to imagine.  Not the medium so much, but how it is
used, the precision with which its potential for
enslavement is being exploited.

Walter Cronkite perhaps said it best, when asked what
characterizes a first-rate newscaster.  His answer:
"The ability to lie convincingly."  The same of course
is true for Presidents.  Ronald Reagan, contrary to
liberal opinion, was excellently qualified for the job
of President.  As an actor and long-time advertising
image, he was perfect for the job of telling
interminable lies day after day and getting majorities
to swallow it.  Bush has that same quality.  The Big
Lie Gene.

The modern President is a personality, not a person of
power.  He plays no role whatever in policy making.  He
is briefed after plans have been adopted by what are
euphemistically called his "senior advisors".  Mr.
Prez's concern is more to learn the script, to be in
character for his part, to convincingly present a
bizarre mythology.  Somehow the aggressor must be seen
as the defender, the thief as the helper, the exploiter
as the humanitarian, the mass murderer as the saviour.
With all due credit to the script writers, one must
respect the performer who actually expresses the words
that convince the multitudes that the Emperor is
Clothed.

There is one Great Conspiracy, and that is the
promulgation of Media Reality.  A world of Lies is
being sold.  There are people in positions of power who
know full well it is all lies, and there are people who
plot out how events are going to be spun on TV.  And
there are people who plan out actual strategies, with
real goals, and those plans are carried out
successfully with real missiles and F-16s.  All with no
one noticing who really did what to whom, who stole
what from whom, nor what economic empires have been
established behind the scenes.  I don't care who those
people are who do these things, but they obviously
exist.  The point is to understand how the system
works.

I believe you need to grok this Great Conspiracy before
you can begin to see the Real World.  "Grok" in the
sense of realizing there CANNOT BE a Santa Claus.  In
the same sense as Believing Your Own Eyes - FINALLY -
about the Naked Emperor.  If you can see that Media
Reality is a form of Theater, that it is a Fable, a
Myth, a Distraction, a Matrix, a Virtual Reality, the
White Gloves of a magician, a Smoke Screen -- if you
can grok this then you can begin to ask the question:
"What is the Real World like?"  Paying attention to
Media Theater is like sitting in the woods with your
car radio on loud.  Not until 

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

At 5:55 AM -0500 1/6/03, Laurel Hopwood wrote:

The ecological implications of hacked genetic code slipping into our food
and forests and multiplying is worse than a bad computer virus!



Perhaps Laurel has said it best.

Besides, I saw a lot more energy being put into fear of Y2K than we 
see in being put into fear of the loss of our co-ev DNA.  -Allan

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

Merla -

Have you listened to the lecture by Vandana Shiva at 
http://www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics?

It's a good introduction about how multi-nationals bring pressure to 
bear on a traditional food system. It also makes it clear that the 
multinationals exploit the gift that we the people should have never 
given them: immortality.

This immortality allows them to lay business plans across 
generations. It allow them to erode local infrasystems at such a slow 
pace that it is never noticed by ordinary people. It also allows them 
to change laws that seem so insignificant or so unrelated that their 
goals are never apparent until they gain their last trivial piece and 
BAM!, the trap is sprung and the people will need years and piles of 
lawyers to retrieve their inalienable rights from the maws of the 
corporation.

To create a market for soy oils, the corporations contrived to use 
economic pressure and legal pressure to make the small edible oil 
mills/presses that were once in every community in India all but 
impossible to keep open. Once they could not have their own seed 
pressed, people turned to store-bought oils. Once there was no 
recourse, the sesame and mustard oils disappeared and soy oil - - 
which is not truly edible - - replaced them. Listen to the tape, if 
you can find the time.

In out own country, we've seen similar tactics used to make small 
slaughterhouses non-viable. I have to drive my beef for an hour in 
any direction, and yet I can show you the husks of several small 
slaughter houses that are very close to us. Extensions plan in this 
area is that all cattle should be sold IN KANSAS. This means that the 
livestock auctions will also soon disappear.

Infrastructure stuff is good. You've laid out some good ideas, Merla. 
My major concern right now, however, is the contamination of 
traditional seed by GMOs and the possibility that plantings from seed 
banks, etc will also be contaminate by 'weed' GMOs. This 
contamination has not only happened in Canada, it has also tainte the 
germplasm of traditional corns in Mexico.

Hugh has mentioned letting it get worse so it can get better. 
Socially, this is undeniably true. But some things can be rebuilt 
through will and insight. Socially, that's pretty much possible. But 
other things, like traditional DNA, may be lost forever, if allowed 
to be contaminated with junk DNA.

I guess it's obvious to everyone, isn't it, that a GMO has to have 
dominant genes to be economically viable. that's what they are "bred" 
for -- dominant traits. It's not like they can easily be bred out of 
contaminated seed stocks.



What you say is necessary, but it is not suffecient.

BD in the Santa Fe Area

[Allan Balliett]

Can anyone help Pat find BD farmers in the Santa Fe area? Beneficial 
Farms comes to mind (arent they going to be at your conference?) 
There's another initiative there, the one that's working with a local 
grain cooperative. I can't remember the name of it. Tom Schley is out 
there.

Can someone be of more help?

-Allan


So let me ask one thing, if you know people here in NM who farm using BD,
let them know about me and my project. Personally, I need a mentor for BD. My
efforts to find someone to teach me via an apprenticeship have gone 
unanswered.
No matter the long hours I can put in the farm/field, doing the 
books or selling
at markets, none has gotten me the one thing that would make me 
happy, hands on
BD experience. Learning out of book is one thing, doing it is another. Nuances
are everything.

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

Isn't that interesting, actually? I wonder why we can forgive greed and not
sin?

JS

 > It's amazing how much immorality we can
 > tolerate if we believe it is simply motivated by greed -AB



Michael Moore points out the amount of violence the authorities will 
bring down on an individual who steals a purse with $60 dollars in it 
and how polite and slow the same authorities are about arresting 
someone who has stolen $60 million.

Re: BD Farming in America

[Allan Balliett]

What I'm getting at is that felt a lot of remorse brought on by the 
fact that we have no similar organization in the US. Many of the 
questions that are brought up by new people on the list would be 
dealt with so much better through a farm visit rather than a reading 
list or a wisdom thrown into the dark.

Barring the development of an  organization of cooperative farmers, 
even simply returning to the 'professional BD farm advisor' system 
that existed when I got started in biodynamics would be a wonderful 
thing.

-Allan

It seems that folks feel I was bashing the BDA in my post earlier today.
I have not expetations of the BDA. I realize that if 'we' want a 
program like I'm lamenting that we don't have, than we'll have to 
make it ourselves. I'm a pretty self-actualized person. I'm not 
expecting someone else to do it, although I am expecting that we can 
(and should!) do it together.

-Allan

Re: BD Farming in America

[Allan Balliett]

Dear Allan,
We have certainly made ourselves available regionally, and offer advice and
suggestions for numerous growers each year, plus orgainzing educational
events. Jeff Poppen is always also taking in visitors, and holding
educational events, writing and doing the TV shows. Allan, you do a huge
amount of educational work yourself. JPI has its new farmer advisory
program.


So much of this is headwork. Talking about how to do it is far 
removed from digging soil profiles or tasting food on each other's 
farms. The scariest thing  about BD, the thing that keeps a lot of 
purchased preps in the kitchen drawer is the fear of doing it wrong 
or the fear that things are not working. How does a person know if 
they don't have access to someone who really does know?

I'm really excited about the JPI farmer advisory program. I guess I 
haven't paid attention to it. can you tell us more about it?

Thanks -Allan

Re: CSA names

[Allan Balliett]

Martha - The USDA operates a CSA database that can be accessed at 
their page, at the BDA's page and at the Robyn Van En pages, to name 
just a few of the portals. that's the place to look for CSAs. I don't 
know if it would make me happier if they added a 'subscription 
farming' section.  -Allan

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

I don't mean to discourage anyone. Let's keep building awareness, and
rejection of the vogue agendas such as Monsanto's. But quite frankly I see
little salvation in this alone. What will help us most is if things get a
LOT worse. SNIP Like I said, things may have to get a LOT worse 
before they will get significantly better.

I totally agree with your, Hugh, with the exception that in this 
particular case they are playing with the very basis of our 
civalization: our basic cultivars and in such a way that there may be 
no returning to the plants we have now. Seeing the SUPER WEED Canola 
in Schmeiser's slides makes it pretty clear to me that even if things 
get bad enough to stop Monsanto, there may never be an opportunity to 
grow food plants en masse that contain the same DNA that our 
ancestors co-evolved with. Sally Fallon has commented extensively on 
how difficult it is for our bodies to actually thrive when estranged 
from our traditional food.

I realize how futile the effort is at this point, Hugh.

Thank for your good post. -Allan

Fwd: Re: FW: CSA's

[Allan Balliett]

From: Jean Paul Courtens

I missed this one and I should have read this one-first before I 
responded.  It think it is important to understand that farming is 
all three; Free spiritual life is represented by the wisdom of the 
farmer.
The right sphere in the issues of who owns what right to what. 
Land, buildings, equipment, the right to farm the land, to develop 
it, to mine it, etc., etc.  And lastly farming is very much part of 
the economic realm since the production of food is ultimately done 
for no other reason that to nourish people.  The economic realm is 
there to create an environment where exchange can take place, and 
Steiner compares it to the heart and lungs and bloodsystem.  In the 
end we are whole but if there wasn't a proper distribution system 
and the brain and senses would be deprived of nourishment and oxygen 
the organism would die.  It is in every organ's interest to 
cooperate toward the well-being of the whole.  But they have 
different tasks laid out for them just as the artist or monk is not 
providing the world with a direct economic value, it is as important 
as the brain is there to help us in guiding where we are going.  I 
hope this helps. And please Allan don't despair, all we need to do 
is live these principles and then the rest will follow.
Jean-Paul

Fwd: Re: FW: CSA's

[Allan Balliett]

from Jean paul courtens





Hi Jane and Allan:
I think it is also important for the subscribers at "BD Now" to know 
that Jan vanderTuin (whom I had forgotten to mention), had brought 
the idea with him from Dornach, Switzerland. There Jan had either 
worked, or just met with a farmer that had a CSA relationship with 
the people in the community of Dornach.  (I assume everyone knows 
that Dornach is where the headquarters of the anthroposophical 
society is centered.)  I mention this since we need to understand 
what the core values behind the CSA concept are if you want to 
understand where to move from here.  You can find similar 
core-values in the community land trust movement, within Native 
American wisdom, etc.  The main idea behind CSA is an associative 
relationship in which a true partnership develops between the farmer 
and the consumer.  It arises out of the understanding that economic 
arrangements are a balance between altruistic and egotistic 
interests. The consumer has an interest in good food and understands 
in order to sustain his physical body he needs to find an excellent 
farmer that understands how to nourish the earth.  The consumer is 
egotistic and altruistic at the same time since his/her concern for 
the earth and the well-being of the farmer go hand in hand with 
his/her own health.  The farmer needs to provide for him/herself and 
it is in his/her interest to provide a good value to the consumer. 
As far as ownership is concerned and the importance of it, I find 
that people generally think too simplistic in the terms of 
ownership.  It is not that you either own a farm or you don't.  The 
ownership has many aspects and you can refer to ownership as nothing 
more that a bundle of rights.  For example it is quite appropriate 
for the farmer to "own" the farm business but can be very 
comfortable in leasing the land from the consumers providing the 
consumer is willing to write a long-term lease, and is willing to 
protect the investment the farmer makes each year in the land and/or 
other improvements.  The community land trust movement has a lot of 
experience as far as looking at the question of ownership and we can 
learn from them.  The anthroposophists, like the people in the 
community land trust movement have looked at issues like the place 
of the economy in context of our social life.  How we derive value, 
and come up with a price in the contex t of a just economy are very 
important questions and lie at the heart of the CSA movement.  To 
counter Leigh in his bitter experience, I have to endure the 
pressure of my members to get more serious about my own financial 
future, get an IRA, increase my profit etc.  I appreciate their 
concern, and it is a proof that what we do works and has a profound 
impact on others.  Where do you find that outside the CSA movement?
Jean-Paul

ps, Allan, I had a little chuckle when I saw your subject line above 
the response to Steve in the SANET which read: "BD  BS". A Freudian 
e-slip maybe? 

Re: FW: CSA's

[Allan Balliett]

I do like the one aspect of the 'old time' CSA theory in that the 
subscribers share in the success and failure of the program. This 
means, no outside sales.  What you grow goes to your subscribers. 
This works to make the subscribers feel more part of the farm, and 
it does work to educate the people who eat the food about what 
farming is (though I just got an e-mail from a last year subscriber 
who was looking over this year's seed list and said 'Oh, I'm glad 
you are growing corn this year.'  Where last year I said over and 
over and over that 'the corn is planted on unirrigated land and we 
are having a major drought.  This means, the corn isn't growing.'
Oh well.

Leigh- A lot of my concerns fall back to my belief in the inspired 
validity of 3-Fold Economics. I believe that farming has no place in 
the economic realm and has suffered tremendously because of efforts 
of both governments and farmers to put it in the economic realm. 
Intuitively, for me, farming is NOT a business and should have a 
different relationship with the community. This belief, of course, 
has caused me a lot of disappointment, heartache and plain out knots 
on the head.

I look toward fCSA arms that have core groups that realize that 
farmers should be paid as well as other professionals. Roxbury and 
others have lived up to that.

For the evolution of grower/consumer relations that you crave, Leigh, 
all I ask is that we call it whatever it is and do not call it CSA. 
Calling subscription farming CSA just further dilutes the meaning of 
CSA. I'm find with subscription framing. In truth, that's what my 
operation last season should have been called and that was not lost 
on me at the time.

For me, it is a miracle that a concept and progressive as CSA 
actually had a life in America during my life time. It remains and 
inspiration. Seeing, however, how rapidly the enlightened aspects of 
CSA were pulled down by the expectations of this culture remains on 
of the reasons I"m so easy to bolt when I see dilution occuring in 
other areas.

Thanks for your post, Leigh.

-Allan

Re: FW: CSA's

[Allan Balliett]

This is powerful stuff, Jane. I was not aware of this at all. This is 
like finding out that the Finhorn Garden was started on biodynamic 
preps (it was)!

I was working with the Biodynamic Journal when Robyn died. At the 
time I was taken back by how many prominent NE CSA farmers could not 
'make the time' to write a rememberance of her. I had no idea at all 
about the pre-history.

There was choked energy coming from the BD side also. I remember that 
the year that Steve Moore et al got the big grant to nationalize CSAs 
(which led to the Van En center and to an (almost!) effective 
national database) they held a national CSA conference. The BDA held 
their own national conference on that date, at a differnt location. I 
spoke with the national CSA people about this and they all said that 
they could not get calls returned from the BDA. I think the 
discussion of this took up much time in the early days of BD Now!

It still makes no sense to me. Nor does what's going on with CSA.

The 'ad' for the CSA at Blue Ridge Center next year says 'This year 
we are offering no only CSA but also a farm stand, pick your own 
vegetables and fruit and flowers, flower sales and sales to 
restaurants. We're finally becoming a true community farm!' This will 
always remind me of the first CSA here in Shepherstown, which sold 
itself on the fame of its organic strawberries. They had a roadside 
stand also. When strawberries were at their peak, the CSA wasn't 
getting any strawberries. They'd hear from the CSA manager 'Oh, there 
just wasn't enough strawberries this week for everyone to have a lot 
so we decided to just sell them at the stand.'

What I'm trying to say is that if a CSA is not really a CSA, the 
shareholders are not being treated fairly.

Thanks again for this information, Jane -Allan

Hi Allan et al,
I forwarded your post about csa's referencing Robyn's website to JP 
because he had just given me a little synopsis of how csa's actually 
started. He should know, since he was one of the first few csa's  to 
start in the northeast. He was trained as a biodynamic farmer, which 
included an anthroposophy education in the Netherlands. He gave me 
permission to forward his response to the list which follows:

JS
---

Hi Jane
An Important thing that most people either don't know or 
conveniently have forgotten is that Robyn was a trained Waldorf 
teacher and I assume well versed in the Threefold social order. 
They (Robyn, John Root, Andrew Lorand, and other anthroposophist) 
employed two biodynamic trained farmers named Hugh Radcliffe and 
John Donovan, which ended in a falling out between Robyn and the 
farmers.  After all Robyn owned the farm and was able to terminate 
the relationship.  (so much for the community impulse people want to 
give her credit for).  John Donovan and Hugh Radcliffe started 
"Sunways" a few miles down the road and took a lot of the members 
with them.  It was pretty ugly and I assume this is why Robyn 
decided to rewrite the history on CSA given the roots of it to 
Japan.  
Jean-Paul

-- End of Forwarded Message

Re: BD Farming in America

[Allan Balliett]

As usual, Pat, you are both right on! and an inspiration. I wish you 
could afford the time to mentor us all on community organization. 
-Allan

Hi all,
 Couldn't help but comment on this topic. With my conference only a few
weeks to go, I've been busy setting up classes (8 from Feb.to May), 
5 farm trips
this year, mentoring programs for newbies,and so on. Living at 6200+ feet with
extremely alkaline soils(9+) and strong west winds continually; the surest way
to discouragement is get a newbie excited and then let them figure it out for
them selves. Grant some have done it,but most fail.
 What I'm doing is making it clear right from the git go that if 
people want
to farm, wether it be bd, organic,permaculture or something else
sustainable-they will have a mentor. Success is essential due to our goal of
providing our local schools with 75% of their food needs within 5 
years, thereby
keeping millions of dollars in our local economy. When you have got 
that kind of
incentive, mentoring is more than a whim, it is a must.
Pat

BD Farming in America

[Allan Balliett]

There's no one there to teach them.  No leader.  No wise man.  No wise
woman.  No body.  Vacuous.  A vacuum at the top, middle and bottom.
Good people leave organizations like these - one way or the other.  More
often than not, if they try to enlighten them, they are kicked out.
Which is good for all humanity because this moves things along the Path
of Truth.


Greg brought up the above.

I've been re-reading A.P. recently. Here is an effective transmitter 
of Steiner's vision. What is it nowadays? 700 farmers working under 
A.P. and 2,000,000 acres in EFFECTIVE biodynamic management. There 
are many BD farmers in Australia and one of the major reasons is that 
BD WORKS under AP's administration. For me, aside from A.P's obvious 
insights and gifts, one of the major reasons that BD works in 
Australia is that AP has set up a program of farm visits and of 
experienced BD farmers working with inexperienced farmers. He doesn't 
make the service available, he actually demands that anyone starting 
in biodynamics work with someone A.P. approves of, someone already 
getting results with biodynamics. Remember, A.P. first demonstrated 
that BD WORKS in Australia, and then developed his organization 
afterwards.  We've yet to have anyone really do that here in the US, 
with the exception of Hugh Lovel (who I'd have to say is probably in 
the best position to explain why we have no equivalent to AP's 
success in the US)

What I'm getting at is that felt a lot of remorse brought on by the 
fact that we have no similar organization in the US. Many of the 
questions that are brought up by new people on the list would be 
dealt with so much better through a farm visit rather than a reading 
list or a wisdom thrown into the dark.

Barring the development of an  organization of cooperative farmers, 
even simply returning to the 'professional BD farm advisor' system 
that existed when I got started in biodynamics would be a wonderful 
thing.

-Allan

A few comments from Greg on the Opening at Demeter

[Allan Balliett]

 If you want to chat this up on BD Now!, let me know. I think Michael
 Roboz has also put your name forward.


Dear Allan,

You can put this up on your list if you like. In any event, please thank
Michael.

Methinks that until there is a real splinter group out there that
numbers not in the scores but in the thousands or tens of thousands, no
change is going to happen.  You know, I don't even care if they get to
keep their trademark anymore.  It's a heavy millstone that they carry.
Very heavy, very negative Karma.  Everyone I talk to about biodynamics
has absolutely nothing good to say about it.  And well they shouldn't.
The troika has done nothing to legitimize themselves or Steiner's
ideas.  Greed, ignorance, sloth - every imaginable Deadly Sin have they
brought to themselves. The numerology on the word "biodynamic" is
terrible, guaranteeing failure - and strife too.

There is far too much evil around them to give themselves even a ghost
of a chance to succeed at any task they set for themselves (as Steiner
predicted).  Slowly but surely, I and my gang are building a business, a
reputation for excellence and miracles, although not in agriculture, a
consensus that we have figured out how to make Steiner stuff work, a
consensus that we need to look beyond the BDidiots and the Anthros to
something more in keeping with what people can do, can accept and can
understand, and, more in keeping with what Steiner envisioned.

Our philosophy is KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid.  Work with, and
concentrate on, the basics - that's what I do best anyway.  I've
developed a multi-million dollar product.  With that kind of money, we
can accomplish anything.  Face it, "biodynamic" is not even on the radar
of consumers and, as I said, has a well deserved terrible reputation
with farmers.  It never will, in their hands.

The best way to understand the unfathomable, i.e. Steiner, is to relate
it to something you DO understand as I have done with my metaphysical
and scientific training, and as Glen has done with his knowledge of
astrology.  Steiner was uniquely Steiner and no amount of study of what
he said will grant anyone any greater wisdom than what they already
know.  It is only the facts that remain.  (All these Anthros and
Bdidiots go around quoting Steiner as if they understood what he meant.
They don't.  "Steiner said this. Steiner indicated that.")

In us all is the intuitive insight to understand and internalize the
basic Truths that all the great saints and avatars pass on to us, and
remind us, exist.  God speaks the Truth to anyone willing to listen with
humility, grace and silence.  The truths spoken of by the Rishis in the
ancient yoga texts deal not so much with  right living as they do with
right thinking and right feeling.  This leads to right living, right
wisdom and a return to Spirit.  All things exist as Individualized
Expressions Of Spirit.  All of us serve a higher purpose.  Some serve as
good examples, some as bad examples.  The Anthro organizations, the BDA,
Demeter and JPI serve as good examples of failures.  The proof is in the
results.  In almost 80 years, worldwide, the number of people using
Steiner's remedies and suggestions in agriculture is not measurable when
compared to those not using his ideas.  In nearly 80 years since his
famous lectures, almost nothing has happened.

Recently, someone told me that Hugh Courtney said that the "preps" being
made in Europe are no longer working.  As you know, I predicted that
would happen.  Without the wisdom, knowledge and intuitive insight, and
without Horn Clay to mediate between the forces in calcium and silica,
the preps can't work in today's world.  The matrix that overlays the
Earth has changed since 1924.  In fact, it has changed so much that
without clay to mediate, potentized calcium and silica have no real
effect on the land, plants, animals or people.  Yet despite that fact
that how to successfully make Horn Clay was explained (by me) on BDNOW
over five years ago, they don't make it or use it, and neither does JPI.

The answer to the riddle as to why they don't use it is simple.  They
haven't evolved enough to understand what it is, what it does and why
they should use it.

But there's much more to be criticized about "biodynamics", a word I
rarely use anymore.  Most notably, major weaknesses exist.  I've never
publicly stated this but I will now.  First (or second after Horn Clay™)
is that they have no scientific evidence that their version of Steiner
Agriculture works.  (They keep it in the realm of metaphysical magic
essentially saying that Steiner can't be understood except by the
"priests" of Anthro and BD.)  This, of course, is the antithesis of what
Steiner himself espoused.  The reason that they have no science is that
(a) the remedies (also called "preps" by some) applied in their raw
state are generalized in nature and cannot be isolated in a specific
area.  It took Glen and Peter to overcome this obstacle.  Now, we have
developed a gre

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

"how much longer are we going to take this"thats the statement 
of the new year.

Perys situation is the (but one of many) story of 2003 and how do we 
stand with him/them?

Bob -

I'm at a loss. The response must be both powerful and persistent.

I really believe that if the man or woman on the street really 
understood that Monsanto was methodically contaminating the food 
supply with their patented genes in what, according to the Schmeiser 
experience, is a calculated attempt to legally control all seed 
stock, there would be a great out cry that would affect the polls and 
the ballot boxes in short order.

Of course, I also believe that if a company like Enron was shown to 
be manipulating energy prices at the expense of the many, that there 
will be a similar quest for justice and security, but, if such a 
thing is occurring, I haven't seen any sign of it in either my 
neighborhood nor my newspaper. The recent US elections prove either 
that American's are not uncomfortable with corporate corruption or 
that the Democratic party is completely devoid of character, backbone 
and ideas -  -or both - - which makes it clear that the  ballot box 
is probably not the route to change.

We get  a lot of equivocation in our discussions on BD Now! The 
situation with Monsanto's approach to GMOs is equivalent to our land 
being on fire. The losses can be horrific and they can be final. When 
you'r in a position to put a fire out before it has damaged 
everything, that's the action to take. Knowing where to buy 
fire-proof materials etc is good to have, but it's not the response 
to take when the fire is still spreading. The approach to take is to 
sound the alarm in a credible fashion to attract as many hands as 
possible to stop the destruction.

The thoughts above are drawn from assumptions that Monsanto is simply 
acting in a business like fashion with a simple goal of owning the 
sales of seed stocks of all the major cultivars around the world. 
What if their goal were actual control of the food supply and, 
conceivably, nature itself? It's amazing how much immorality we can 
tolerate if we believe it is simply motivated by greed. What if gene 
splicers who promote contamination of traditional stocks really do 
have a more nefarious goal?

Re: FW: [SANET-MG] FW: job in biodynamic,organic -- Exec Director

[Allan Balliett]

Maybe Greg would like to take over Demeter Assoc. !! Michael


Michael  If I understand correctly, Greg has already applied for the position.

-Allan

Re: Monsanto submitted its petition for comm. of GE Wheat

[Allan Balliett]

Monsanto has submitted its petition for deregulated status on GE wheat.


Folks, if you don't get the inplications of this, listen to the Percy 
Schmeiser talk at http://www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics  He pretty much 
lays out their tactics and warns that they are coming to the U.S. 
with the GMO wheat this spring.

How much more will we lay back and take?

-Allan

Re: Whole Foods, you are what you buy

[Allan Balliett]

So, though I like WF and admire how far they've come in the health
food industry, they DID treat it as an industry. To them, that
organically grown sticker is nothing more than a commodity.


Industry vs movement. We're not doing ourselves any favor if we 
celebrate the successes of the industry which, on the whole, have 
been at the expense of the movement.

I hate to join the  BDNOW! corporate potshot movement, but it's my 
understanding that whole foods is also heavily invested in military 
stocks, etc. This may have changed. The whistle I heard blew years 
ago (maybe in the Austin days!). The point: they happily made profits 
from areas that the organic movement would never 'loan' money to, 
even if there was a promise of a good return.

-Allan

Re: FW: [SANET-MG] FW: job in biodynamic,organic -- Exec Director

[Allan Balliett]

Jane - Did you forward a copy to Greg Willis? -Allan

Re: Chef's A Field

[Allan Balliett]

G'day:
Good for Whole Foods. They arrived here in Seattle about 2 years 
ago. Portland Oregon, this year and a second in Seattle in 1-2 
years. Great addition to the neighborhood.  Cheers
Penelope

Dear Penelope - How are your traditional food coops holding up under 
the competition?  Does Whole Foods have a local growers program?

They do here: anything I can provide them two pallet's worth of AND 
THEY CAN'T GET IT FROM THEIR REGULAR COMMERCIAL ORGANIC SOURCES, they 
will buy from me. I think the first order I got from them was for TWO 
PALLETS OF PURPLE SWEET PEPPERS. There was nothing else they wanted 
and they don't want to put out anything that they don't have two 
pallets worht of. It isn't the way that we grow here, so we never 
filled the order.

Do they handle support of local organic growers  better up there in Ecotopia?

-Allan

FBI ASKS FARMERS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR NEIGHBORS

[Allan Balliett]

From Blue Ridge Leader and Loudoun Today, Loudoun County Virginia, 
Vol 18 #48, DECEMBER 20, 2002

FBI Warns Area Farmers

If your neighbor hates genetically modified corn, and he experiments 
with explosives in the backyard, you probably should report him to 
local police, an FBI agent told farmers.

Reporting unusual activities is a key to fighting agroterrorism, 
said Jerry Lyons, an FBI special agent who serves in the weapons of 
mass destruction countermeasures unit. "You might have one piece of 
the puzzle that could solve the case."

When asked for clues that someone might be interested in engaging in 
terrorism, Lyons said a potential bioterrorist might strongly oppose 
the consumption of milk or the use of genetically modified crops. 
However, it's difficult to put together a profile of a domestic or 
international terrorist, he noted.

In assessing potential threat, it's appropriate to look at the 
resolve of the person or group, Lyons said. "Do they have the means" 
to carry out a terrorist act? "Is it practical or worth their time" 
to carry it out?   Lyons noted that an extreme environmental group 
said on its website, "Fire is a tool. Arson works." However, its a 
federal crime for anyone to engage in teaching methods of terrorism, 
the agent added.

Tip sheets produced by the Virginia Cooperative Extension suggest 
that farmers have only one entry or exit point per farm and consider 
using security lights and controlled gate access. Extension also 
recommends the use of electronic security devices such as motion 
detectors, door alarms, video cameras and alarms linked to an 
off-site security system.

An Impassioned but Anonymous Reader writes Re: 3-Kings & Merla

[Allan Balliett]

IMHO Merla should get out there and put down the kings prep. Even if she
HADN'T PREVIOUSLY used the traditional preps. However, she should make the
commitment to use them from now on.

To know about the 3Kings prep and NOT use it is, IMO, a BIGGER betrayal
than using it with insufficient levels of the traditional preps. The
elementals know we're flawed... They will work with whoever gives them a
chance. Her "light" use of the preps is still 99% heavier than the rest of
the planet. The fact that she's used them at all is an indication of her
willingness to work with the non-material world and indicates her impulse
toward growth. This is recognized by the elementals and they'll be glad to
help her continue that growth.

Still need 3Kings Prep? Not too late!!!

[Allan Balliett]

Hi Allan

Please let the list know, that the Viroqua, WI Biodynamic group has 6, 1
mile doses and 1,  2 mile dose of the 2 Kings prep. For those interested
call Brian at 608-637-8890. It will have to be mailed tomorrow in order to
get it to you on time.
A 2 mile dose will enclose a 160 acre farm.
A $10.00 donation made to the Viroqua Biodynamic Group to cover
materials and postage, will be welcomed.

Thanks!

Lily Kolisko: Workings Of The Stars In Earthly Substances

[Allan Balliett]

Entire article with plates at 
http://www.anth.org.uk/Science/kolisko/Kolisko_211126.htm


WORKINGS OF THE STARS IN EARTHLY SUBSTANCES

It is here to deal with the Mystery of Matter and to open up a path 
into a vast domain, where wonderful things will be revealed to us, if 
we will but observe impartially the results of our experiments and 
acknowledge the pictures which Nature herself has painted. It is a 
treatise on science appealing to the Artistic Sense in man, which 
will enable him to approach with a feeling of reverence and awe a 
work of art depicting the influence of the stars in earthly 
substances.

It was Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy who gave us a new 
insight into the world of minerals, of plants and of animals. It was 
he who showed humanity the way back again from Matter to Spirit. The 
following essay is inspired by the teaching that Anthroposophy has to 
give.

All the substances around us are subject to the laws of gravity. Are 
all solid bodies however subject only to the earth-forces, or are 
they acted upon by other outside forces? Is it possible in fact for 
the stars themselves to influence and to work upon earthly matter?

It is difficult for a modern man to believe that a star, millions of 
mile distant from the earth, should be able to exercise an influence 
on it and yet it is so, the stars do influence earthly events.

In a lecture given by Rudolf Steiner to a body of natural scientists, 
one finds the following important statement: "So long as Substances 
are in a solid state, they are subject to the forces of the Earth, 
but as soon as they enter the liquid state, the planetary forces come 
into play". This means, that the solid, unalloyed iron, or any iron 
salt is subject only to earth forces, but dissolve it in water and in 
solution it is subject not only to the forces of earth but also to 
the planetary forces of Mars to whom we owe the origin of iron on our 
earth.

Unalloyed silver or any silver salt in its solid state is subject to 
earth forces, but when dissolved in water it is the Moon, that is 
working in the solution, for it is to the influence of the Moon in a 
remote past, that we owe the origin of silver.*

Unalloyed lead or any lead salt in its solid state is subject to 
earth forces only, but when dissolved in water, it comes under the 
influence of Saturn according to the statements of Dr. Steiner.

We shall now proceed to describe a series of experiments which, up to 
a point, anyone can verify for himself. Why I am compelled to say "up 
to a point" will become apparent in the course of the essay. The 
preparations for the experiment are exceedingly simple. Except for 
the substances, only filter paper and a certain kind of glass cup are 
necessary.

We have been occupied with these experiments for a number of years. 
They were undertaken for other purposes, and are referred to in other 
publications.**

http://www.anth.org.uk/Science/kolisko/Kolisko_211126.htm

You know, the "Heart is not a Pump" thing...

[Allan Balliett]

The Dynamic Heart and Circulation
Craig Holdrege

http://www.praxagora.com/stevet/netfuture/ni/ic/ic7/heart.html

This essay is a substantially shortened version of Craig's 
introduction to a book called "The Dynamic Heart and Circulation", of 
which he is the editor. Many of the supporting references have been 
removed from the text. The book will be published later this year and 
is aimed at teachers, health professionals, and anyone interested in 
learning about a Goethean approach to the human being. To order the 
book, contact AWSNA Publications (916-961-0927 or www.awsna.org).

The liver is a chemical factory. The kidney is a waste treatment 
plant. The heart is a pump. The brain is a computer.

If we lived in a more poetic age, we might say, "the heart is a 
rose." But a mind at home in the mechanical world of cause and effect 
can hardly avoid seeing the heart as a pump circulating the blood 
through the body.

The damaging thing about mechanical models is that they tend to be 
exclusive. High school or college students don't usually learn "the 
heart has some functions that we can interpret in terms of a pressure 
pump." Rather, they learn "the heart is a pump." Mechanical metaphors 
in science all too often become fixed and literal, losing their 
vibrancy and openness. This makes them easier and clearer to apply -- 
and also less faithful to life.

The Fluid Heart

The circulatory system is dynamic. While the brain rests firmly and 
still in its protective casings, the circulatory system lives in 
rhythmic movement, mediating extremes. Most of the heart, as an organ 
of movement, consists of muscle fibers (myocardium). These fibers are 
joined in bands that "present an exceedingly intricate interlacement" 
(Gray's Anatomy).

The outer muscle fibers begin at the upper part of the heart and 
sweep down in counterclockwise curves to the tip (apex) of the heart 
(see figures 1 and 2). There they loop around and form the so-called 
heart vortex (vortex cordis, see figure 1, middle drawing). Those 
fibers that begin at the front (ventral side) of the heart enter the 
heart vortex at the back (dorsal side) of the heart while those that 
begin at the back sweep around to the front. These outer fibers loop 
around each other, creating the vortex pattern, and then continue 
into the inside of the muscular wall and spiral back upward. Some of 
these fibers radiate into the papillary muscles that move the 
atrio-ventricular valves.

Fibers that lie deeper at the top of the ventricles spiral down -- in 
contrast to the superficial fibers -- clockwise. These fibers coil in 
more tightly and form nearly horizontal loops around the body of the 
ventricles before they sweep upward again to the top of the heart.

The best way to form a picture of this complex fiber arrangement is 
to study figure 2 and then try to recreate the spiraling with your 
hands. With repeated effort you begin to get a sense of the heart's 
dynamic structure, which the English anatomist J. Bell Pettrigrew 
described as "exceedingly simple in principle but wonderfully 
complicated in detail."









Muscle consists of about 75% water. The spiraling and looping pattern 
of the heart fibers, including the beautiful heart vortex, is an 
image of fluid movement. The blood streaming through the heart also 
creates loops and vortices. Like the fibers of the heart, this 
movement is very complex and intricate. In a sense, what the blood 
does as a fluid has become formed in the muscular structure of the 
heart (see figure 3).



Figure 3. A cast of the left ventricle of a deer.



The direction of blood flow is radically altered by the heart. Venous 
blood enters the right side of the heart through the superior and 
inferior caval veins, which are vertically oriented (see Figures 4 
and 5). From the right atrium the blood streams down into the right 
ventricle and then back upward into the pulmonary artery, which 
immediately branches horizontally to the right and left to enter the 
lungs.







Figure 5. Crossing of the caval and pulmonary veins. [after 1]



In contrast, the blood that enters the left side of the heart comes 
horizontally from the pulmonary veins. From the left atrium it flows 
downward into the left ventricle and loops upward into the ascending 
aorta. At the aortic arch three arteries ascend into the head and 
arms, while the vertically descending aorta serves the rest of the 
body.

So the right side of the heart brings vertically flowing blood into 
the horizontal and the left side of the heart brings horizontally 
flowing blood into the vertical. This change in orient

Re: Insurance query for herbalists

[Allan Balliett]

In my experience, If you sell the herbs and preparations as food, you 
can get a rider on your home insurance policy, even if you are 
growing the herbs on land separate from your residence. If you 
current carrier can't handle this, check the yellow pages for a FARM 
BUREAU releated insurance agent.  -Allan

Hello all & Happy New year,

I was wondering if there are herbalists or others on list who 
manufacture & sell herbal products from their gardens or farms and 
if so, what kind of insurance coverage they have in the way of 
liability insurance?

Thanks for any help with this.

Blessings,
Jane

Re: source of nettle seeds

[Allan Balliett]

Folks -

One year I cut my seeding nettle back and put the cuttings in the 
compost pile. I thought my chopping preceded the maturity of the 
seed, but apparently not. I applied that compost in the fall and in 
the spring I had, well, a cover crop of nettle plants everywhere I 
had put down the compost. My experience was different than Hugh's: my 
nettle from seed grew to nice 4 ft plants in very short order. More 
seedling emerged throughout the season, however. Weeding was so much 
more invigorating that season!! You just never knew when a handful of 
what you grabbed was going to have bite to it!

Last year I transplanted a bunch of these plants to a raised bed at 
Blue Ridge. I did this in June. by October the patch had been 
harvested for tea three times and still was looking very robust, with 
many new plants coming up, I believe, from the roots of the 
established plants. I've always been told that nettle needs some 
shade and lots of moisture. In this bed, they received neither.

Just my two cents

-Allan

Re: Three Kings Prep

[Allan Balliett]

Hi Allan:
Barbara writing here. No it is not appropriate to use the Three Kings at any
other time of the year. Allan could you possibly post the portion of the JPI
newsletter  (Fall 2001) that talks about what is necessary to have sprayed
biodynamically before applying the Three Kings Spray. It is very important
that one has brought the land to a certain place before applying the Three
Kings "lest we betray the nature spirits again." This is the part of the
newsletter re the Three Kings that would be good to see in print on the
list. Thanks.
Barbara
Aurora Farm. th


Barbara - I posted that information here on the 22nd. Here it is 
again (If you literally mean an article from Applied Biodynamics, 
that's something that, thanks to our recent move, I do not have 
access to right now.):

From JPI:



The Three Kings Preparation

Please be aware - In light of the events in the world today, it is 
increasingly important that more and more people must consciously 
take up the use of the Three Kings Preparation and thereby express a 
willingness to work with the elemental kingdom, whether we have a 
direct awareness of them or not. Humanity has so frequently ignored 
and betrayed the elemental beings by our desecration of nature. The 
mere fact that these beings are invisible to the majority of human 
beings does not mean they do not exist, and the sooner we take some 
sort of positive action that provides a message to them that we wish 
to work with them, the sooner we can counter much of the chaos so 
apparent in the world. No other action on our part can send this 
message to the elemental kingdom quite as well as our use of the 
Three Kings Preparation. There is one quite fundamental warning that 
must be issued to, those who would take up the use of this 
preparation: under no circumstances should one use the Three Kings 
Preparation unless one has first used all nine of the biodynamic 
preparations on the area to -be treated. This is a necessity because 
' the nine biodynamic preparations serve to balance as well as to 
ground and enhance the existing forces, thereby establishing a 
foundation for the elemental kingdom to build upon. Bear in mind that 
the biodynamic preparations need to be regarded as forces, not 
substances. To apply only the Three Kings Preparation is the 
equivalent of placing a fence around livestock, thereby, securing 
them from predators, but failing to ensure that the pasture or hay 
supply is adequate in the area where they are enclosed. That is why 
it is of utmost importance that one should make an additional 
commitment to continue to use, in a diligent manner, Steiner's nine 
basic biodynamic preparations on the area treated with the Three 
Kings Preparation. When using the Three Kings Preparation, you are in 
essence sending a message to the elemental kingdom that here within a 
"'magic circle", they will be provided a safe haven as well as the 
profound spiritual nourishment of the biodynamic preparations. 
However, failure to provide that nourishment both before and after 
using the Three King's Preparation is tantamount to another betrayal 
of the elemental world by humanity. We need not betray them again.


How It is Made and Applied

December 31st - At New Year's Eve beginning at 11:30 p.m., using a 
porcelain mortar and pestle, grind together 0.175 ozs./5 gms. of 
Aurum metallicum D2, 0.175 ozs./5 gms. of Frankincense and 0.175 
ozs./5 gms. of Myrrh gum resin for one hour. To this powder add 0.29 
ozs./5 gms of rainwater and 0.29 ozs./5 gms. of vegetable glycerin 
and thoroughly mix for an additional five minutes. This emulsion can 
be used immediately after preparation, but it also remains effective 
for years if stored in an airtight, non-metallic container in a cool, 
dry and dark area.

January 6th Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany - Add 
approximately I teaspoon of the Three Kings Preparation (dissolve 
this in a small portion of 140' F water before adding to the larger 
quantity of water, otherwise it will remain a stiff paste) to 
approximately 2 gallons plus 2 cups of warm rainwater, or sun soaked 
pond water. Stir for one hour starting at 1:30 p.m. using a 
non-metallic container, with a wooden keg or bucket being the first 
choice as a stirring vessel. The method of stirring is the same as is 
used for the horn manure or horn silica preparations, that is, stir 
in the usual biodynamic fashion. It is particularly important in the 
case of the Three Kings Preparation that the person stirring be fully 
conscious of and focused on the purpose to be accomplished through 
use of this preparation.

After stirring, it is to be sprayed out in the etheric-cosmic 
inbreathing phase of the late afternoon around 4:00 p.m. The person 
spraying walks around the perimeter of the area to be protected and 
stops about every 55 yards (+/-) to spray once in the direction of 
the neighboring fields, that is, aim the spray away from the center 
of the property to be protected. 

Re: Three Kings Prep

[Allan Balliett]

Merla:

One way to get all the preps on the land is the way you've planned:
make your own BD 500 and BC, make your own BD prepped compost, wait until
it's all ready, then spray.  THEN your intentions are manifested, the ground
is enlivened, the Nature Spirits are happily fed, and you can apply the
icing to the cake with Three Kings.  Not, by all accounts, before that.
Woody


Thanks for this info, Woody.

I don't know much about this prep, other than the write-ups that have 
been posted to here in the past few weeks.

Is it appropriate to use this prep at times other than Epiphany?

=Allan

Re: Three Kings Prep

[Allan Balliett]

I have sprayed 501 once and used 508 a couple of times in the past year,
but never done sequential spraying of all the preps.  Should I wait
until next year to do the Three Kings spraying?

Best,

Merla


Wow! Thanks for your note earlier, Merla! I was all geared up to 
spray 3 Kings today, hence my remarks to you earlier about the preps. 
Spraying is done on Epiphany (Jan 6) You should have plenty of time 
to get down some 'food for the elementals' as Courtney suggests in 
the piece I forwarded to the list earlier.

Courtney calls for all 9 of the BD preps to be used on the enclosed 
area. IMHO, that means BD compost or barrel compost + BD500 and 
BD501. I think you want to follow Courtney's admonitions or not use 
the spray at all. To do otherwise, of course, he calls 'tatamount to 
another betrayal,' which is the last thing you want to achieve.

-Allan

Re: Three Kings Prep

[Allan Balliett]

I have sprayed 501 once and used 508 a couple of times in the past year,
but never done sequential spraying of all the preps.  Should I wait
until next year to do the Three Kings spraying?

Best,

Merla


Merla - No barrel compost? No BD compost? No 500?

I'm not expert on Three Kings Prep, but I would think if you've done 
any of the above in the past year, you've got a good base coat. 
Otherwise, I would think that you could grab the opportunity today, 
let the elementals feast on your good vibes for the next couple of 
days until you can get some BD and get it down.

I'm just guessing, of course. Courtney would be my recommended source 
for the real poop, but Woody may be helpful, also.

thanks -Allan

Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle: Causes andConsequences

[Allan Balliett]

(I received the report summarized below as a sort of New Year's gift 
from Jerry Brunetti who was forwarding it from  Gary Wegner of 
Natural Aeration Inc. Nutrient   Cycling Advisory Team 
www.CIRCUL8.com. The original source  appears 
to be  The Ecological Society of America. Contact me through personal 
mail if you'd like the entire 60k report emailed to you. Happy New 
Year! -Allan)

Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle   
Causes and Consequences

By Peter M. Vitousek, Chair, John Aber, Robert W. Howarth, Gene 
E. Likens, Pamela A. Matson,
David W. Schindler, William H. Schlesinger, and G. David Tilman

SUMMARY
Human activities are greatly increasing the amount of nitrogen 
cycling between the living world and the soil, water, and atmosphere. 
In fact, humans have already doubled the rate of nitrogen entering 
the land-based nitrogen cycle, and that rate is continuing to climb. 
This human-driven global change is having serious impacts on 
ecosystems around the world because nitrogen is essential to living 
organisms and its availability plays a crucial role in the 
organization and functioning of the world's ecosystems. In many 
ecosystems on land and sea, the supply of nitrogen is a key factor 
controlling the nature and diversity of plant life, the population 
dynamics of both grazing animals and their predators, and vital 
ecological processes such as plant productivity and the cycling of 
carbon and soil minerals. This is true not only in wild or unmanaged 
systems but in most croplands and forestry plantations as well. 
Excessive nitrogen additions can pollute ecosystems and alter both 
their ecological functioning and the living communities they support.

Most of the human activities responsible for the increase in global 
nitrogen are local in scale, from the production and use of nitrogen 
fertilizers to the burning of fossil fuels in automobiles, power 
generation plants, and industries. However, human activities have not 
only increased the supply but enhanced the global movement of various 
forms of nitrogen through air and water. Because of this increased 
mobility, excess nitrogen from human activities has serious and 
long-term environmental consequences for large regions of the Earth.

The impacts of human domination of the nitrogen cycle that we have 
identified with certainty include:

*	Increased global concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O), a 
potent greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere as well as increased 
regional concentrations of other oxides of nitrogen (including nitric 
oxide, NO) that drive the formation of photochemical smog;
*	Losses of soil nutrients such as calcium and potassium that 
are essential for long-term soil fertility;
*	Substantial acidification of soils and of the waters of 
streams and lakes in several regions;
*	Greatly increased transport of nitrogen by rivers into 
estuaries and coastal waters where it is a major pollutant.

We are also confident that human alterations of the nitrogen cycle have:

*	Accelerated losses of biological diversity, especially among 
plants adapted to low-nitrogen soils, and subsequently, the animals 
and microbes that depend on these plants;
*	Caused changes in the plant and animal life and ecological 
processes of estuarine and nearshore ecosystems, and contributed to 
long-term declines in coastal marine fisheries.

National and international policies should attempt to reduce these 
impacts through the development and widespread dissemination of more 
efficient fossil fuel combustion technologies and farm management 
practices that reduce the burgeoning demand for and release of 
nitrogenous fertilizers.

FURTHER "SUMMATION" by  Gary Wegner

Summary of
Human Alteration of the Global Nitrogen Cycle Causes and Consequences 

Page 1 paragraph 3

The impacts of human domination of the nitrogen cycle that we have 
identified with certainty include:
Increased global concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent 
greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere
Greatly increased transport of nitrogen by rivers into estuaries and 
coastal waters where it is a major pollutant.

Page 2 paragraph 6

Quantifying the rate of natural nitrogen fixation prior to human 
alterations of the cycle is difficult but necessary for evaluating 
the impacts of human-driven changes to the global cycling of 
nitrogen. The standard unit of measurement for analyzing the global 
nitrogen cycle is the teragram (abbreviated Tg), which is equal to a 
million metric tons of nitrogen.

Page 2 paragraph 9

The process of manufacturing fertilizer by industrial nitrogen 
fixation was first developed in Germany during World War I, and 
fertilizer production has grown exponentially since the 1940s. In 
recent years, the increasing pace of production and use has been 
truly phenomenal. The amount of industrially fixed nitrogen applied 
to crops during the decade from 1980 to 1990 more than equaled all 
industrial fertilizer applied previously in 

Re: sorry, I was unclear

[Allan Balliett]

She's been a CSA for 6 years and has a waiting list. So she's
obviously doing things right, I just wondered about the amounts
offered.


Martha - Do you know how many shares this person does? Another 
strange thing that's come up in recent years is farmers who say they 
are 'doing a CSA' and then when you check it out, they are serving a 
dozen or fewer people.

As far as share-size and content, that's up to what an individual CSA 
has worked out. Ideally, before the season starts, farmer and 
shareholders decide what will be grown in the CSA and what the yield 
goals are. Ideally, the shareholders will share both the bounty and 
the shortfalls. (Ideally...)

My joke about holding back produce was probably misleading. What it 
comes down to is that people get tired of the same things week after 
week. Believe it or not, they get tired of edamame three weeks in a 
row!! We always alternate the color beans we plan bi-weekly, etc. 
Anyway, there will always be some of something that's not enough or 
not popular enough to go out in a share in a given week.

The area north of NYC seems to be CSA country. I do imagine that this 
MASS CSA has no problem selling shares.

Re: CSA's

[Allan Balliett]

Another group's discussion turned to CSA last couple of days. Now
I'm intrigued, I know biodynamic farming was where the concept
probably began so I was wondering how many list members either
operate a CSA or belong to one?


Martha - I've operated CSA's for the past 4 years and plan to again this year.
CSA came to this country through the enlightened  3-Fold economic 
concepts of Steiner. Almost immediately, Robyn Van En started an 
American CSA movement, which was much more communal than today's 
typical CSA, but not as value-oriented as the Steiner CSA's. 
Unfortunatelly, the US Biodynamic Association was very ambivalent in 
their support for a national CSA program and we've seen CSA's move 
from a community movement that supports farmers to 'just another tool 
in the market farmers bag of marketing tools.'

The common enlightened definition of CSA is this one found at the 
Robyn Van En center page: http://www.csacenter.org

CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local 
farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual 
membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, 
members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local 
growing season. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial 
support and enables many small- to moderate-scale organic family 
farms to remain in business. Ultimately, CSA creates 
"agriculture-supported communities" where members receive a wide 
variety of foods harvested at their peak of ripeness, flavor and 
vitamin and mineral content. 

In reality, in America today, there are cooperatives posing as CSAs, 
and many farms advertise their CSA as the Blue Ridge Center is 
advertising next year's CSA: ' This season we will offer a farm 
market, pick your own flowers and fruit, sales to restaurants, and a 
CSA!"

The availability of more 'organic' produce in local grocery stores 
will undoubtedly bring more stress to CSA's farmers in the near 
future.

To learn more about 'real CSA,' read Trauger Groh and Steve 
McFadden's swell 'Farms of the Future Revisted.' The vision in this 
book is truly inspiring and is a sad testament to what the world lost 
when this the CSA concept became dissipated.

Thankfully, some of the NE CSA members on this list can say that CSA 
life is still pristine for them and that does make me happy.



I have a table of what one farm offers and it's really not much food
for what they ask for subscriptions. 5 winter squash, 3 eggplants, 1
melon, etc.
Does this sound like reasonable harvests or rather skimpy ones?



Our goal has always been 1 bushel of seasonal produce per week per 
share. We have a 20week season. If I could harvest winter squash, 
eggplants and melon in the same week (and I guess I could if the 
weather stayed warm through September or I planted my winter squash 
earlier), I'd probably would throw in  a couple of heads of heirloom 
lettuce, a bunch of chard and a bunch of kale and call that a share. 
(And keep all the beans and raab and beets and carrots and herbs and 
so on for myself...and the soup kitchens!!)

Our share will be around $400 this season. We've done price-outs on 
share boxes before and our produce is always cheaper than the market, 
PLUS the shareholder gains a dividend of freshness, wholesomeness and 
the common sense bonus of letting their money support someone who is 
tending the local viewshed rather than fatcats in broker offices in 
California.

-Allan

Re: more buggy questions

[Allan Balliett]

But why now? there isn't anything for them to eat, and it's too cold
for them to be very active, yet year after year, they always do it.


Martha - I don't know texas, but our piles of winter lady bugs only 
started a couple of years ago. Have they been happening there for 
longer? I actually saw piles of Boxelder bugs on a the side of the 
barn last week...

Re: Best Chance to Help Cuban Elementals

[Allan Balliett]

Wouldn't the BDA offer subscriptions to those who can't afford it? Christy


I should have brought the group up to date on this: the BDA has 
offered a subscription to the requesters and, as I understand it, 
backissues to a Cuban university.

Good work on the part of the BDA, eh?

-Allan

Phil Forbes

[Allan Balliett]

Does anyone have contact info for former Forntie Herb Farm Farm 
Manager, Phil Forbes. If you do, please pass it on to me off-line at 
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

Thanks -Allan Balliett

Observed today, Dec 30 at 10 am

[Allan Balliett]

Out feeding the chickens a little late today, ice still in the 
buckets, but the promise of 60+ days between now and the end of the 
week in the air, I saw a brown spider the size of a quarter walking 
slowly, but with intention, across the crusted snow.

Maybe I'm learning the hard way: last February I transplanted tatsoi 
from the greenhouse to beds and lost a great many of them within a 
couple of nights to CUTWORMS. I eventually gave up all of my mystic 
theories on why the plants were whithering or disappearing and took a 
walk in the cold one night. With a flashlight, I saw that almost 
every plant had a large worm working on it. I harvest a handful in a 
30ft row. All of this, at the time, was well outside of my belief 
system, since I thought that the cold blooded had no choice but to 
slow down when the temperatures were below 40.

RKM: New Pearl Harbor

[Allan Balliett]

Subject: Re John Pilger reveals the American plan
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 21:16:38 -0500

www.newstatesman.co.uk

http://pilger.carlton.com/print/124759

New Statesman (London) 16 December 2002

John Pilger reveals the American plan

Two years ago a project set up by the men who now surround George
W Bush said what America needed was "a new Pearl Harbor". Its
published aims have come alarmingly true, writes John Pilger

The threat posed by US terrorism to the security of nations and
individuals was outlined in prophetic detail in a document
written more than two years ago and disclosed only recently. What
was needed for America to dominate much of humanity and the
world's resources, it said, was "some catastrophic and catalysing
event - like a new Pearl Harbor".

The attacks of 11 September 2001 provided the "new Pearl Harbor",
described as "the opportunity of ages". The extremists who have
since exploited 11 September come from the era of Ronald Reagan,
when far-right groups and "think-tanks"  were established to
avenge the American "defeat" in Vietnam. In the 1990s, there was
an added agenda: to justify the denial of a "peace dividend"
following the cold war. The Project for the New American Century
was formed, along with the American Enterprise Institute, the
Hudson Institute and others that have since merged the ambitions
of the Reagan administration with those of the current Bush
regime.

One of George W Bush's "thinkers" is Richard Perle. I interviewed
Perle when he was advising Reagan; and when he spoke about "total
war", I mistakenly dismissed him as mad. He recently used the
term again in describing America's "war on terror". "No stages,"
he said. "This is total war. We are fighting a variety of
enemies. There are lots of them out there. All this talk about
first we are going to do Afghanistan, then we will do Iraq . . .
this is entirely the wrong way to go about it. If we just let our
vision of the world go forth, and we embrace it entirely and we
don't try to piece together clever diplomacy, but just wage a
total war . . . our children will sing great songs about us years
from now."

Perle is one of the founders of the Project for the New American
Century, the PNAC.  Other founders include Dick Cheney, now
vice-president, Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, Paul
Wolfowitz, deputy defence secretary, I Lewis Libby, Cheney's
chief of staff, William J Bennett, Reagan's education secretary,
and Zalmay Khalilzad, Bush's ambassador to Afghanistan. These are
the modern chartists of American terrorism.

The PNAC's seminal report, Rebuilding America's Defences:
strategy, forces and resources for a new century, was a blueprint
of American aims in all but name.  Two years ago it recommended
an increase in arms-spending by $48bn so that Washington could
"fight and win multiple, simultaneous major theatre wars". This
has happened. It said the United States should develop
"bunker-buster" nuclear weapons and make "star wars" a national
priority. This is happening. It said that, in the event of Bush
taking power, Iraq should be a target. And so it is.

As for Iraq's alleged "weapons of mass destruction", these were
dismissed, in so many words, as a convenient excuse, which it is.
"While the unresolved conflict with Iraq provides the immediate
justification,"  it says, "the need for a substantial American
force presence in the Gulf transcends the issue of the regime of
Saddam Hussein."

How has this grand strategy been implemented?

A series of articles in the Washington Post, co-authored by Bob
Woodward of Watergate fame and based on long interviews with
senior members of the Bush administration, reveals how 11
September was manipulated.

On the morning of 12 September 2001, without any evidence of who
the hijackers were, Rumsfeld demanded that the US attack Iraq.
According to Woodward, Rumsfeld told a cabinet meeting that Iraq
should be "a principal target of the first round in the war
against terrorism". Iraq was temporarily spared only because
Colin Powell, the secretary of state, persuaded Bush that "public
opinion has to be prepared before a move against Iraq is
possible". Afghanistan was chosen as the softer option.

If Jonathan Steele's estimate in the Guardian is correct, some
20,000 people in Afghanistan paid the price of this debate with
their lives.

Time and again, 11 September is described as an "opportunity". In
last April's New Yorker, the investigative reporter Nicholas
Lemann wrote that Bush's most senior adviser, Condoleezza Rice,
told him she had called together senior members of the National
Security Council and asked them "to think about 'how do you
capitalise on these opportunities'", which she compared with
those of "1945 to 1947": the start of the cold war.

Since 11 September, America has established bases at the gateways
to all the major sources of fossil fuels, especially central
Asia. The Unocal oil company is to build a pipeline across
Afghanistan. Bush has scrapped the Kyoto Protoco

BIOPHARMING QUESTIONED AS GM PIG VACCINE TAINTS CROPS

[Allan Balliett]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,865030,00.html
Alarm as GM pig vaccine taints US crops

Strict new guidelines planned after contamination

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday December 24, 2002
The Guardian

US authorities, shaken by a case in which food crops were
contaminated with an experimental pig vaccine, are preparing to
impose stringent guidelines on a new generation of experimental GM
crops.

The department of agriculture and the environmental protection agency
are encountering growing disquiet from a coalition of farmers and
food manufacturers about the potential dangers of the next phase of
GM products - "biopharming", or the implanting of genes in food crops
to grow drugs and industrial chemicals.

The idea of tightening regulations on GM products represents
something of a revolution in thinking in the US, where about 70% of
the processed food on supermarket shelves contains genetically
engineered ingredients.

But concerns have arisen after a small biotech firm in Texas was
fined $3m (£2m) for tainting half a million bushels of soya bean with
a trial vaccine used to prevent stomach upsets in piglets.

Under a settlement reached this month, the first of its kind against
any biotech company in the US, a firm called Prodigene agreed to pay
a fine of $250,000 and to repay the government for the cost of
incinerating the soya bean that had been contaminated with
genetically altered corn.

US authorities said the corn did not reach food crops or animal feed.
But the episode has drawn unwelcome attention to an as yet
experimental area of GM farming.

The premise behind biopharming, or "pharming" for short, is that
genetic tinkering can turn an ordinary-looking corn or barley field
into a potential drug factory, producing insulin, chemotherapy drugs,
and other products for much less than it would cost to set up an
industrial plant.

At present, two dozen trials of the experimental GM drugs are under
way across the US.

The biotech firms argue that the new technique can revolutionise
health care, especially in the developing world where hospitals short
on syringes can dispense edible drugs. But in the wake of the Texas
case, questions are being asked.

The latest incident was the worst violation so far of regulations
intended to keep biopharming out of the food supply. It was also seen
as the most serious setback to date to the next generation of GM
farming.

Until now, genetic engineering has been used mainly to make crops
such as corn and soya bean resistant to insects and disease, and the
US food industry has been solidly on side.

The Texas alarm has begun to change that. "The incident overall just
reaffirms our concerns that something could go wrong," Stephanie
Childs of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, which represents food
companies such as Kellogg and General Mills, told the Los Angeles
Times.

Analysts in Washington said yesterday that they expected the
department of agriculture to impose more stringent guidelines next
year. Published reports said yesterday that guidelines under
consideration by the authorities include moving experimental farms
away from America's grain belt in the mid-west, or requiring growers
to dye the leaves of the altered crops.

The agriculture department's disciplinary measures against the small
Texas firm have crystallised concerns among farmers,
environmentalists and industry about the risks of experimental
vaccine crops getting into the food supply.

"The department of agriculture wanted to send a signal that the
companies need to take the obligation to protect the food supply very
seriously," Michael Rodemeyer, the director of Washington's Pew
Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, said yesterday.

"The whole issue of growing pharmaceuticals in food crops has
certainly raised concern within the food industry, as well as among
environmentalists and others, about genes from these crops getting
into the food supply."

Re: perfect orchard -The soil

[Allan Balliett]

Dorothy -

Help me here.

Do you mean compost tea made with fish and yucca used as microbial foods?
It's my understanding that compost teas like this can be applied 
weekly through the winter season, as long as the ground is NOT 
frozen. As I understand it, it is kosher to deep mulch the soil you 
are remdiating, so, regardless of the ambient temperatures, the 
microbes can work through the winter.

I like to use barrel compost in my compost teas, also, so the effect 
of the compost preps is also felt in the soil.

Please advise -Allan

Per--

Elaine I. contends that compost tea, liquid fish and
yucca extract will break up a hardpan in less than 6
months.  So spraying that mixture on the soil or into
the trough should help alot. 

I know next to nothing about the BD preps, just
following along and learning from this list. 

Dorothy 



__
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CORRECTION: Re: Mark Purdey Vindicated: (mal-)Nutritional Rootsof Mad Cow Disease

[Allan Balliett]

URL for soundfile has been corrected. -Allan


Thanks to Bob Avery on the Forum list for this link:

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/features/2002_july24.html

Don't miss the _Purdey presentation at http://www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics

=Allan

Mark Purdey Vindicated: (mal-)Nutritional Roots of Mad Cow Disease

[Allan Balliett]

Thanks to Bob Avery on the Forum list for this link:

http://www.redflagsweekly.com/features/2002_july24.html

Don't miss the _Purdey presentation at http://www.ibibilio.org/biodynamics

=Allan

Re: ADMIN: Science article on BD

[Allan Balliett]

Please allow me to generalize that statment toward its pragmatic 
intent: many viruses are carried by attachments. For the reason, 
among others, attachments are not allowed on responsible mailing 
lists.

If you do have something to share with the group thats can only be 
handled as an attachment, I remain happy to publish for you on the 
web.

Merry Christmas, Roger.

-Allan


llan wrote:


. . . .  and, graphics can carry VIRUS.


Proof of this statement please

roger

Re: Perfect Orchard -soil test

[Allan Balliett]

Perfect Orchard -soil test

What do you need to look for in a soil test, and why ?

"looking for an ag interpretation "

Per Garp/NH


Per - For a literal answer to your question, Go to the EarthWorks 
site I gave you the url for earlier. There you can find both a blank 
soil test form (results ie what's quantified) and, I believe, the 
interpretive commentary.

ADMIN: Re: Science article on BD

[Allan Balliett]

Good job.

Broke both of the golden rules with one click of the mouse.

Folks: TRIM YOUR RESPONSES. We're not Morons, everyone knows how to 
read a thead, it doesn't need to be forwarded each time.

Also, never post graphics or other attachments to this list.

Thanks

-Allan

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Is it only oil that the US is after or  is it power over all decisions made
by anyone in all facets of life? It will be really amazing to see what
happens world wide when the bombs start dropping. To me the only honourable
outcome for this war is George. W. Bush and Saddam Hussein to have a pistol
duel in prime news time, with the winner to have a regime change in the
others country. It would make a great New Years Day spectacular on CNN.
Have a great Christmas and dont let the great American spin doctors stuff up
your Christmas.


Look up your own pipe, James. Without enthusiastic allies like 
Australia and the UK, even Geo W. would be a little more cautious 
about making the world safe for multi-nationals, eh? -Allan

THREE KINGS UPDATE

[Allan Balliett]

I spoke to Hugh Courtney this a.m.

He has 3 Kings kits on hand. I pass this info to you as a service. 
There is no mercantile intent.

Shipping, due to the holidays and the weekends, is problematic, 
however, since this prep must be initiated on Dec 31.

If you are interested in applying three kings this season, you need 
to place your order today or no later than mid-day Dec 26. (I believe 
JPI is closed on the 24th and, definitely, on the 25th) You will also 
have to pay FED EX shipping, as Hugh does not believe the Post Office 
can get the prep to you timely.

Don't forget: the use of the 3 Kings Prep assumes that you have the 
other BD preps in your soils. If you do not, be sure to discuss this 
with Hugh. He undoubtedly has ways of making your soil appropriate 
for the use of this prep.

Also, do not rely on email to place an order with JPI on this short notice

JPI: (276) 930-2463

THE THREE KINGS PREPARATION INFO

[Allan Balliett]

The Three Kings Preparation

Please be aware - In light of the events in the world today, it is 
increasingly important that more and more people must consciously 
take up the use of the Three Kings Preparation and thereby express a 
willingness to work with the elemental kingdom, whether we have a 
direct awareness of them or not. Humanity has so frequently ignored 
and betrayed the elemental beings by our desecration of nature. The 
mere fact that these beings are invisible to the majority of human 
beings does not mean they do not exist, and the sooner we take some 
sort of positive action that provides a message to them that we wish 
to work with them, the sooner we can counter much of the chaos so 
apparent in the world. No other action on our part can send this 
message to the elemental kingdom quite as well as our use of the 
Three Kings Preparation. There is one quite fundamental warning that 
must be issued to, those who would take up the use of this 
preparation: under no circumstances should one use the Three Kings 
Preparation unless one has first used all nine of the biodynamic 
preparations on the area to -be treated. This is a necessity because 
' the nine biodynamic preparations serve to balance as well as to 
ground and enhance the existing forces, thereby establishing a 
foundation for the elemental kingdom to build upon. Bear in mind that 
the biodynamic preparations need to be regarded as forces, not 
substances. To apply only the Three Kings Preparation is the 
equivalent of placing a fence around livestock, thereby, securing 
them from predators, but failing to ensure that the pasture or hay 
supply is adequate in the area where they are enclosed. That is why 
it is of utmost importance that one should make an additional 
commitment to continue to use, in a diligent manner, Steiner's nine 
basic biodynamic preparations on the area treated with the Three 
Kings Preparation. When using the Three Kings Preparation, you are in 
essence sending a message to the elemental kingdom that here within a 
"'magic circle", they will be provided a safe haven as well as the 
profound spiritual nourishment of the biodynamic preparations. 
However, failure to provide that nourishment both before and after 
using the Three King's Preparation is tantamount to another betrayal 
of the elemental world by humanity. We need not betray them again.


How It is Made and Applied

December 31st - At New Year's Eve beginning at 11:30 p.m., using a 
porcelain mortar and pestle, grind together 0.175 ozs./5 gms. of 
Aurum metallicum D2, 0.175 ozs./5 gms. of Frankincense and 0.175 
ozs./5 gms. of Myrrh gum resin for one hour. To this powder add 0.29 
ozs./5 gms of rainwater and 0.29 ozs./5 gms. of vegetable glycerin 
and thoroughly mix for an additional five minutes. This emulsion can 
be used immediately after preparation, but it also remains effective 
for years if stored in an airtight, non-metallic container in a cool, 
dry and dark area.

January 6th Three Kings Day also known as Epiphany - Add 
approximately I teaspoon of the Three Kings Preparation (dissolve 
this in a small portion of 140' F water before adding to the larger 
quantity of water, otherwise it will remain a stiff paste) to 
approximately 2 gallons plus 2 cups of warm rainwater, or sun soaked 
pond water. Stir for one hour starting at 1:30 p.m. using a 
non-metallic container, with a wooden keg or bucket being the first 
choice as a stirring vessel. The method of stirring is the same as is 
used for the horn manure or horn silica preparations, that is, stir 
in the usual biodynamic fashion. It is particularly important in the 
case of the Three Kings Preparation that the person stirring be fully 
conscious of and focused on the purpose to be accomplished through 
use of this preparation.

After stirring, it is to be sprayed out in the etheric-cosmic 
inbreathing phase of the late afternoon around 4:00 p.m. The person 
spraying walks around the perimeter of the area to be protected and 
stops about every 55 yards (+/-) to spray once in the direction of 
the neighboring fields, that is, aim the spray away from the center 
of the property to be protected. It takes about 1/2 gallon (+/-) to 
cover 3,280 feet of boundary or the perimeter of 16 acres. (Please 
note: the perimeter of one acre is 835 feet +/-). In a certain sense, 
one is forming a magic circle of protection around a particular area.

Supply Information

The ingredients to make the Three Kings Preparation are available 
through JPI. The quantity supplied by JPI covers a large area! 
upwards of 90 contiguous acres of boundary. The cost is $20.00 plus 
shipping and handling. To order, call (276) 930-2463, fax: (276) 
930-2475 or write: JPI, P. 0. Box 133, Woolwine, VA 24185. While four 
of the ingredients can be found from sources other than JPI, aurum D2 
cannot generally be dispensed without a prescription, and is 
available only in small quantities through jPI. Please note that 
while

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Lloyd said:


Roger, dont you think you have got a bit carried away with this?



Lloyd , I assume that Roger was responding to my more generalized 
statement about the use of artificial fertilizers to jump start a 
depleted piece of ground.

Roger, I appreciate that you spoke up for the finer sensibilities. I 
ask that you understand that Pfeiffer was advocating the use of 
commercial fertilizer as a TOOL in a biodynamic farming practice and 
not as an end in and of itself. Quantities of synthetics used would 
be small, and, as I understand it, applied one season,only. The 
suggetion, of course, is for situations of extreme depletion, just to 
get green covers growing that inturn would perk up the biology. All 
this is assuming that the grower couldn't access tons of high quality 
compost for this start-up season.

Hear! Hear! for remembering the higher principles!

Vandana Shiva: STOLEN HARVEST

[Allan Balliett]

Another Audio file at the BD Now! Sound Archives Page: 
http://www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics

Vandana Shiva discusses the machinations of multi-nationals in rural 
India. Saving the world for the children.

Let's discuss it here in BD Now! when you get a chance.

All bug reports or requests for support should go directly to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Thanks

-Allan

"Mad Cow" Mark Purdey On-line

[Allan Balliett]

I've installed a Real Player lecture at the Sound Archive Page 
(http;//www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics) by Mark Purdey at Sally Fallon's 
"Wise Traditions" Conference this past Spring.

In case you've missed it: Mark Purdey is the leading independent 
researcher into the cause of Mad Cow and related "wasting diseases."

Comments on the lectures are welcome here on the list.
Bug reports or requests for support should come directly to me at [EMAIL PROTECTED]

-Allan

Re: Monsanto in financial trouble

[Allan Balliett]

Monsanto have gone too far and now they are in financial trouble.

Have a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2589789.stm



Thinking so much about Percy Schmeiser recently (has anyone other 
than Kara tested the site?), I seemed to recall that we were hearing 
that Monsanto was going under after the terminator failure, also. Is 
this a false memory? Or were they rope-a-doping us?

-Allan

Re: It's a Big Country: but where's AP?

[Allan Balliett]

Have heard that AP will be giving a lecture some time next year at the
Orange campus, uni of Sydney.  Will post details when I get them.

L&L
Liz


Thanks, Liz. Let's get a tape, too, ok? -Allan

It's a Big Country: but where's AP?

[Allan Balliett]

Friends -

I'm still trying to find information on what Alex Podolinsky is up to 
nowadays. If you've heard or if you work with him, please let me know 
what you know, ok?

Thanks

-Allan

Percy Schmeiser Lecture On-line

[Allan Balliett]

Dear Friends -

Thanks to support from Nancy, Jane and Curtis that was both necessary 
and sufficient, I've installed the first of many streaming audio 
lectures at the BD Now! home page.

Do yourself a favor and listen to what Percy has to say. If you are 
not in a motiating rage right now about what's happening to this good 
man, you probably simply do not know the extent of the injustice and 
outright harrassment this good soul is suffering. Please pass this 
link on to many because an informed population is the best defense 
against tyranny. At this point, this sort of stuff can still be 
stopped by the courts if the will of citizens is known.

To hear this presentation you will need a computer that can support 
REAL AUDIO. This is streaming audio, so you don't need a lot of disk 
space or a high speed connection. I'm very happy that this technology 
is available to we grassroots workers.

I have a number of other tapes waiting to be digitized and installed. 
This will only happen if there clearly is an interest in this sort of 
resource.

Feel free to pass on this link. Please credit BIODYNAMICS NOW! for 
making it available on-line. What you'll hear here is an audience 
recording. If you'd like a copy of the professional tape, please 
contact ACRES USA at http://www.acresusa.com

Here's the link:

http://www.ibiblio.org/biodynamics

check it out and give me feedback. If you want to talk technical 
problems after you listen, contact me off-line at [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you 
want to wax philosophical about the theft of foundation seedstocks, 
please write to BD Now!

Thanks (and thanks again to Nancy, Jane and Curtis)

-Allan

Re: Calcium chloride

[Allan Balliett]

Don't mean this to be an endorsement.. sorry Allan if listing a 
company is inappropriate... just thought someone might have time to 
check it out further oh.. and he's practically a neighbor of 
yours...

Perry - There's no harm at all listing sources on BD Now!  You 
handled this exactly as you should have. Posted the information and 
stated your relationship to the cash flow.

Perry - I'm in west virginia now. West Virginians don't have ANY 
neighbors in Virginia!!

Later -Allan

Re: Soy (PLEASE, don't think that that is all you can do)

[Allan Balliett]

Allan, of interest: my naturapath recently told me that she no longer eats
much miso because it can bring on infections stored in the body.


I beg your pardon? Do you have more details on what is meant by this? 
If you are saying that infections are stored in the body, why 
wouldn't you want them brought out?

As everyone probably knows, miso is not only a source of readily 
accessible nutrition, but it is also a source of beneficial 
microorganisms for the human gut. For what it's worth, It is said 
that people who survived Hiroshima and took miso soup regularly in 
their diet before and after the blast, did not suffer radiation 
illness.

Re: PLEASE, don't think that that is all you can do

[Allan Balliett]

Sorry Allan, but if you do your research


Gil - I do do my research, thanks. Even Sally Fallon supports 
traditional cultured soy products as foods for humans. Not just as 
acceptable foods for humans, but foods that have long histories of 
being nourishing, healthful foods. These foods include tempeh, tofu, 
natto, miso, soy sauces, and many more. To my recollection, even Bill 
Mollison tolerates the use of the earth to grow soy beans to make 
these cultured or traditional products because they do provide 
useable protein (and more!).

As an EI person myself, I am well aware of the dangers of processed 
soy. It's not good for man or breast, or is that 'beast'? Feeding soy 
to ruminates  has resulted in health problems in the humans that 
consume their flesh, and so on.

Canola. I don't think I've ever said anything good about canola. The 
press sure has, though, haven't they? And canola is recommended by 
many health food books (none of which I believe).

Is this clear, or do I need to rant further? ;-)

-Allan

Re: PLEASE, don't think that that is all you can do

[Allan Balliett]

Sorry Allan, but if you do your research

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Lloyd -

Remind me: how do you get the calcium nitrate down? What are your rates?

How would you modify this if you were working in a garden?

Thanks

-Allan

Re: PLEASE, don't think that that is all you can do

[Allan Balliett]

I'll point out that the is mounting evidence (that should have been 
collected in the first place) that both Canola and soy are 
detrimental to human & animal heath.

Sorry, M, I was too busy looking at the forest to see the trees.

Even if you don't give a hoot for canola or soy as foods - - and, 
properly handled, soy is an excellent food for humans - - please open 
your heart to the harm that organic farmers are experiencing through 
Monsanto's carelessness and their power.

It is my understanding that Monsanto is rolling out (no pun) GM wheat 
this coming seaon in Canada and the  Mid-West.

I guess it comes as no surprise to anyone but me, but GM genes are 
dominant genes (it wouldn't make sense otherwise, would it?) so 
anything that get GM genes gets the intended GM effect.

BD Olive and Beef Operation in OZ

[Allan Balliett]

A transcript of a tv interview with the celebrity owners of a 
Podolinsky advised BD Olive and Beef operation can be found at:

http://www.abc.net.au/austory/transcripts/s377105.htm

Re: PLEASE, don't think that that is all you can do

[Allan Balliett]

Folks -

Yes, we do need to save our seeds. I cannot say enough in praise of 
that. It is a noble sacred act,the groundfloor of quality ecological 
farming.

However, it should be pointed out that the Schmiesers were saving 
their seed for over 40 years. Now, thanks to Monsanto, the breeding 
that they have accomplished has been contaminated by GMOs. They have 
lost their seed stock, they have lost their crop, and they will lose 
their farm if the court decides against them in this final decision. 
Moreover, the roadsides, lawns, parks, and graveyards in Percy 
Schmieser's town are being overrun by a new weed - SUPER CANOLA - 
which, as if it matters, can withstand RoundUp.

It is often said on BD Now! that if we take care of our own patch, 
everything else will take care of itself. All will be well if we 
emphasize the positive, et c, etc, etc.

Unfortunately, this GMO situation, especially supported by the law of 
the land, as it has been, has the potential to be the end of Nature. 
As Schmeiser says, in canada, organic growers have lost their freedom 
of choice. They can no longer chose canola or soy beans for crops 
because all the seed stocks are so contaminated that none are 
suitable for an organic planting. (And plants from imported seeds 
would soon be contaminated in the field) Soon, there will be no 
choice at all, if we remain as quite as we have been.

Saving your seed is not enough. Saving the world and nothing less is 
what is necessary right now. Let's not sit in our comfort zones any 
longer. It's time to let everyone know that NONE OF US can afford to 
tolerate the contamination of the Natural World any longer.

-Allan

PS Schmeiser says that 50percent of the native maize seed stocks of 
mexico are now contaminated with GMOs. Think about that.


Absolutely Woody!!!


WE NEED
TO SAVE OUR OWN SEEDS, in the backyard garden, at the CSA, on the righteous
homestead.  If hundreds of thousands of gardeners and farmers keep their own

foundation seedstocks, cherish and share them,


We also need to reclaim eating more then 5 families of plants.
Further more we must Keep our domesticated land race farm animal at our side!

Yours in the work and
In Love & Light
Markess

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Roger -

Thanks for this good note.

It is appropriate that I mention to all BD Now! readers - - 
especially the many newbies - - that the biodynamic approach 
emphasizes the realm of the LIVING. It is not considered to be 
appropriate for a biodynamic farmer to apply minerals directly on the 
land but, instead, these non-living substances should first be 
'enlivened' by passing through the compost pile.

The above is what Steiner said. Pfeiffer, in practice, however, was 
open to the use of chemical fertilizers to get the soil productive 
enough to produce cover crops that could have benefit if once turned 
into the soil. (A person starting a bd project on an abused piece of 
ground - - as almost every square foot of american ground is EVEN 
much of what is covered by forest today - - may need to go to 
extremes to create those first few crops that the well established 
german farmers steiner was speaking to during the lectures did not 
have to)

Any way, caveat emptor, right now I am working with broadening my 
farming practice.  I am very interested in promoting the MEASUREABLE 
QUALITY of the food I produce. I am currently investigating the work 
of Carey Reams and those consultants who draw their insights from his 
work (Skow, Anderson, Wheeler). For this reason, I expect that the 
next few seasons will not see me as holistic as I've been prior years.

I just want to make that clear. Applying liquid calcium is NOT a bd 
practice BUT my produce last season may well have been more 
nutritious, more free of diseases and more pest free if I had.

Having said that, I should also say that I am a perfectionist. I 
received manly compliments on the flavor and texture of our produce 
this past season. At ACRES several farmers came to me to say that 
they had attended the BIODYNAMIC CONFERENCE in Lovettsville and that 
the quality of my produce transcended the quality of my soils (which 
had been worked for about 6 months after 20 years of no-til full 
chemical abuse) Still, I feel that without adequate accessible 
calcium, even BC could not bring forth its full response with the 
plants. CT applications were not nearly as effective 'as advertised,' 
and foliar sprays did not appear to boost the brix.

I hope you find this helpful

-Allan

Soya beans, dandelion, horsetail (equisetum arvense), horseradish, 
kelp, valerian root are all high in calcium and other growth 
essentials. A suggestion is that you make up a BD compost 
incorporating two or more of these plants, take it right through the 
worm stage, separate the worms out leaving the castings in, liquefy 
the compost with fresh water (rainwater or water which has been 
exposed to the elements is preferable but not mandatory) so there 
are no large solid particles, dilute by 50 to 1 and spray a test 
area at a rate of 103 litres per hectare in early spring or after 
frosts have well and truly gone off. Repeat spray halfway through 
the growth stage and after harvest.

roger

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Phil Wheeler in Michigan sells it.  He's a brixer.


Thanks for the good local news, Rex. Do you have contact info this 
"Phil Wheeler"?

-Allan

PS Let me know if you want to borrow any tapes from ACRES this year

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Dear friends -

Does anyone know of anyone who has 'applied lime' using the Kolisko approach?

If so, can you comment on the effect(s)?

Thanks

_Allan

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Pardon my ignorance, Lloyd: do you have any idea of why calcium 
nitrate is not acceptable for organically certified crops?

Graham is very health conscious and he was very accepting of calcium 
nitrate as a first season or emergency input. How do you feel about 
it? (And, why?)

Thanks!

-Allan

Re: Percy Schmeiser and the beast known as "Monsanto"

[Allan Balliett]

Schmeiser's appeal will come to the Canadian Supreme Court in the 
near future. The issue there will be the protection of a patent 
already extended to a lifeform, will it not? It will be interesting 
to see how it comes out at that level. -Allan

.

One faint glimmer of hope:  the Supreme Court of Canada last week 
refused to allow the patenting of the Harvard mouse - no patents on 
life forms. I haven't read the decision, but it may help to restrain 
some of this biotech in years to come.

Nancy G

Re: Want video of Percy Schmeiser and the beast known as"Monsanto"

[Allan Balliett]

I tried to find a video of Percy Schmeiser giving a talk about this.
There must be a video. You don't really get the urgency of it all until
you hear his story from his own heart.  The Environmental Committee of
the Northern Panhandle Green Party in Sandpoint is going to put on a
program about genetic engineering and we would love to have a video of
Percy speaking. Maybe Steve D. knows.

Merla


In the very  near future I'll be posting a presentation by Percy in 
streaming audio on the Gardening for the Future website. You're 
right, Merla, hearing Percy speak makes unperceived scales fall from 
one's heart. There were no dry eyes at the ACRES presentation, that's 
for certain. -Allan

Re: Percy Schmeiser and the beast known as "Monsanto"

[Allan Balliett]

Among the many insanties of this is that Monsanto can 'own' canola if 
it simply contains one of their genes. It doesn't matter how many 
years canola has been part of the commons, now, with one little 
change, Monsanto can claim the entire plant as its own. The value to 
them of contaminating ALL canola shoud be obviius to everyone.

The trajedy is that not only have we been unable to stop the progress 
of the biotech companies, few Americans really understand how much 
they are stealing from both the past and the future.

The regular American non-ag people I've told Schmeiser's story to are 
at first incredulous and then outraged.

We, as sutainable ag workers, need to becoming knowledgeale about 
thse issues and we need to talk to everyone we can.

Blesssings to Percy Schmeiser: 72 years old and globetrotting to get 
the word out!

-Allan

Re: Perfect Orchard-Calcium

[Allan Balliett]

Dorothy, et al -

If you get a good soil test, like one from Jerry Brunetti 
http://www.agri-dynamics.com or Joel at Logan Labs, the 
recommendations for lime will be layed right for you: you'll know if 
you need dolomite or if you need high-calcium lime. A good soil test 
interpreter will also look at your overall test and decide if you can 
get jumpstarted by using some (or a lot of!) gypsum.

The issue for me is being able to trust the source of my lime. 
Southern States here in the South East US just doesn't think tere is 
any reason that I need to know that the lime is anything but lime. We 
bought our high calcium lime in 50 lb bags from Doug Brit  of 
Ag-Life. It's expensive that way, but at least we knew what we were 
getting. I've also been advised to ask anyone selling lime where 
their quarry is and could I get a state analysis of their lime. 
Apparently, a lot of lime is contaminated by heavy metals and that 
will show up in one of these reports.

As everyone knows, I worked in a hellish situation last summer. (I 
growing food for 160 families on soil that had been supporting 
no-till conventional ag for the previous 30 years) We needed a lot of 
lime to reach our Albrecht goals. I bought the finest talc-like lime 
I could buy. I still had lots of weird plant problems and never ever 
felt that foliars for CT applications were effective.  Graham of 
Nutri-Tech at ACRES pointed out that I couldn't possibly have 
adequate accessible lime in one season and that I should have moved 
to liquid calcium in my situation. I realize that this is not a 
certificable organic substance, but I also understand that it is 
considered to be a safe amendment by many responsible sustainable 
growers, particularly those who push for hi-BRIX plant quality. I'd 
like to experiment with liquid Calcium in my 2003 gardens. Does 
anyone know where or how to buy it in the US?

I'm looking for more advice on buying field lime, also.

-Allan

Re: Other than Jeavons?

[Allan Balliett]

Thanks, Patti. You seem to be one of the blessed, already realizing 
that the cup must be emptied before it can be filled!

I appreciate the feedback.

-Allan

Saving foundation seedstocks from GMO contamination

[Allan Balliett]

Never have corporations been so obvious in their attempt to remove us 
from Nature.  The contamination of our seedstock is simply a 
corporate business plan. Worse, it currently appears that governments 
will support the rights of corporations to the owner ship of our 
native food plants.

This is a very important topic. The future of the human race is 
literally in our hands, or should I say, it's currently "up in the 
air"?

Learn more about the preservation of our foundation seedstocks at 
http://www.npsas.org/GMOFactSheet.html

Sign the petition there, but, PLEASE, don't think that that is all 
you can or must do. -Allan

from the Northern Plains Sustainable Ag Society (url above)

Q. What is Transgenic Contamination?
A. Transgenic contamination (TC) occurs when a plant that contains 
transgenic/genetically modified organisms (GMO) [such as a gene 
inserted into plants to make them resistant to Roundup] 
cross-pollinates with a plant that is not genetically modified. Some 
of the seeds of the nontransgenic plant will then be transgenic. TC 
can also occur through kernel flow or commingling of transgenic and 
nontransgenic varieties.

Q. What are Foundation Seedstocks?
A. Foundation seedstocks (FS) are the seeds for varieties that are 
grown directly from breeder's seed, registered seed or foundation 
seed. They are produced under the control of the originator or 
sponsoring institution or licensee. Breeder's seed is seed in its 
purest form. Foundation seed is seed that has gone through increase 
to make the variety available for certified seed production. If FS 
were to be contaminated, the seed would have to be destroyed at the 
expense of the program in order to contain the contamination. The FS 
program would then have to go back to the breeder's seed and go 
through the process of increasing that seed to rebuild the foundation 
seedstocks, setting the program back and restricting supplies. Seed 
would then go through the certified seed program to again make the 
variety available to farmers.

Q. Why is a zero tolerance of seed contamination important?
A. Foundation seed is the genetic basis for the certified seed 
program, giving producers access to seed certified to be what the 
producer intends to purchase. A substantial number of our export 
markets as well as Identity Preserved (IP) markets do not want 
transgenic products due to food safety concerns on the part of their 
consumers, and the lack of long-term testing and environmental impact 
studies. Most organic standards do not have a tolerance level for 
transgenic contamination. Access to genetically pure seeds safeguards 
farmers' rights to self determination and their ability to produce to 
the demands of their markets.

Q. Why focus only on the seed issue
and not on contamination in crop production?
A. TC during crop production is also a huge issue for agriculture. 
However, if we lose the genetic purity of our seed sources, we will 
have contamination regardless of what we do in the crop production 
phase. It all begins with and depends on seed. It is a critical issue 
and warrants our immediate attention.

Q. Where are Foundation Seedstocks kept?
Who is responsible for maintaining their purity?
A. Nearly every state maintains a Foundation Seedstocks program or is 
affiliated with an agency that performs these functions. Many FS 
programs are within the land grant university structure but may be a 
separate legal entity. The purpose of these programs is to increase, 
maintain and distribute genetically pure seed of new and established 
crop cultivars.

Q. Why all the concern?
A. In March 2001 NPSAS discovered that a Round-up Ready wheat 
research plot was located in proximity to the FS plot for Coteau 
wheat at one of NDSU's Research Extension Centers during the 2000 
growing season. Top of page


In April 2001 NPSAS received an email stating that "NDSU's position 
regarding [wheat] varieties grown at NDSU Research Extension Centers 
is such that there can be no guarantee that GMO DNA has not been 
introduced."

Q. What isolation distances are required to keep
outcrossing by pollination from occurring?
A. In February 2001 when asked if there has been research on the 
distances required to prevent gene flow through cross pollination in 
wheat, NPSAS was told that the research has not been done. (Cole 
Gustafson, personal communication, 2/26/01) To date the research and 
understanding of crop pollination and the exact distances needed to 
prevent pollen flow in various crops is incomplete and therefore 
inadequate to provide any assurances.

Q. Is the same equipment used for Foundation
Seedstocks and transgenic research?
A. In some cases, yes, and in some cases, no.

Q. Can shared harvest, handling and cleaning equipment be cleaned 
100% so that zero contamination is possible?
A. According to agricultural engineers, it is impossible to remove 
every seed from combines, trucks and cleaning/conditioning equipment 
even when it is completel

Percy Schmeiser and the beast known as "Monsanto"

[Allan Balliett]

Percy Schmieser is the Canadian seed-saving Canola grower who was 
accused by Monsanto of stealing their patented Round-up Ready canola 
seed from them. Instead of bowing down before Monsanto, Percy, whose 
family has worked over 40 years to develop the strain of Canola that 
he grows, chose to fight Monsanto in court. His story is still open 
ended. The government has most definitely NOT supported rights that 
we all, perhaps erroneously, take for granted.

Percy Schmeiser spoke at Acres this past Saturday evening. His 
honesty and humilty are undeniable. The horror of the situation he 
has been thrust into is unimaginable, as is the greed of Monsanto. 
After Percy's presentation, I don't think there was a dry eye in the 
house, nor anyone who wouldn't do all they could to make sure that 
everyone knows how underhandedly Monsanto deals with farmers and how 
the courts of Canada are under the influence of Monsanto.

You can get a lot of information about Schmeiser at 
http://www.percyschmeiser.com

Please tell everyone you meet about his plight and how Monsanto is 
working with world governments to contaminate the natural world so 
that everyone in the future will have to pay them huge sums for the 
use of their copywriten biology.

-Allan

Re: Ferdinand's clay coating

[Allan Balliett]

Here's an early BD Tree Paste recipe (preceded by a recipe for a tree 
wash spray) From: The Biodynamic Treatment of Fruit Trees, Berries, 
and Shrubs by Ehrenfried E. Pfeiffer (Available from JPI)

Ad. 4. Tree Washing with No. 500 and equisetum tea,

One portion, or unit, of No. 500 is suspended in 2 to 4 gallons of 
plain water or rain water. If chlorinated city water has to be used, 
let it stand for a few hours in a pan or bucket exposed to the 
daylight, if possible to sunlight. To this add a tea made from 
horsetail-equisetum arvense. Theoretically a total solution 
consisting of 2% of the tea would be best. There is, however, not 
enough equisetum arvense available. We have, therefore, made a 
compromise and suggest the use of an 0.5% solution. This means that 
the final wash or spray solution should have a (tea) strength of 0.5%.

For each gallon of spray solution, 2/3 of one ounce of the dry herb 
has first to be measured out. Thus we would have:

for 1 gallon, 2/3 of one ounce; for 2 gallons 1 and 1/3 ounce; for 3 
gallons, 2 ounces ; for 4 gallons, 2 and 2/1 ounces.

The required amount of the tea is just covered with water and brought 
to a boil, then allowed to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes (finely 
powdered or shredded equisetum arvense for a shorter time, coarse 
material for a longer time) to make a tea concentrate. The 
concentrate is then mixed with the suspension of the Preparation No. 
500 in water, and well stirred for about 10 minutes. Then it is so 
sprayed into the tree that the solution covers the entire trunk and 
branches. This very same spray is used as a foliage spray to reduce 
fungus development, especially during a wet season (damping off, or 
mildew, for instance). Equisetum arvense contains a protective factor 
against fungus infection. The Preparation No. 500 stimulates the 
growth and renewal of the cambium - as well as doing this for the 
root when sprayed on the soil.

This washing of the tree is recommended in all cases where the tree 
has a lot of loose, peeling bark, split bark, bleeding, lesions from 
pruning or breaking off branches, and especially recommended if the 
tree is covered with mold, mildew, lichen, MOSS. In the latter case 
it is a preparatory step to the application of the tree paste.

Ad. 5. The B. D. Tree Paste Application.

This has been, in our experience a most effective means of getting 
healthy trees with a smooth bark, healing lesions, and protecting the 
tree as much as possible against pests, especially those which 
hibernate underneath the bark, or in crevices - sucking insects, 
scale, aphis, wooly aphis, etc. That is, provided that the job is 
done right. The principle is that the entire tree, trunk, branches, 
twigs, buds, is thoroughly covered with the paste. Many of our 
biodynamic orchardists have covered only the trunk. This restores a 
healthy trunk. Yet many pests hibernate and lay their eggs on the 
outer twigs and near the buds - for instance bud borer, aphis, scale 
- and are in this case not counteracted by the paste. It is 
especially important that not only the under side of the branches is 
covered, but the entire branch, including the dead corners where the 
branching off takes place, and that no loose bark remains to give 
hiding places.

Any lesion of the timber can be painted with the paste, which is a 
much better procedure than covering with tar, oil, asphalt, or paint, 
as is usually done. Holes in the trunk should be well cleaned out and 
then filled with the paste. If eggs, larvae, scale, are covered with 
the paste, it will exclude the air from them and they will perish. 
Since this paste is entirely harmless, and in no way toxic, it is an 
ideal means of protecting the tree and avoiding poisoning sprays. We 
have even sprayed it on the green foliage, when this was attacked by 
pests and fungi (rust for instance, or mildew), so that the leaves 
were entirely "painted yellow". The rain washes it off eventually, 
and leaves recover with a healthy green.

The original recipe for the tree paste was: 1/3 sticky clay, 1/3 cow 
manure, 1/3 fine sand. This mixture is approximate, for the sticking 
quality varies and the proportions have to be somewhat altered 
accordingly. As much water is added as is needed so that the paste 
can be easily applied and still will stick to the tree. To the 
solution can be added the Preparation No. 500, the equisetum
 tea (if needed), an extract of nasturtium plants against aphis, or 
other ingredients that one wants to apply. For many years it was the 
biodynamic practice to apply the paste, in solution form, with a 
whitewash brush, by hand, to the trunk and larger branches. Nowadays 
one finds few orchardists who want to paint a tree by hand with a 
whitewash brush, and we admit it is a rather messy procedure. But 
everybody is eager to use a pressure sprayer or spray rig. For a few 
individual trees, the hand application may still be the easiest. For 
a large orchard spraying is the only

Re: Perfect Orchard

[Allan Balliett]

Lloyd - I take it that this is the 'dolomite' that Pat Colbey 
recommends as a free choice mineral supplement for livestock.

Everyone - Is LIME what we would ask for to get 'dolomitic lime'? Is 
this something that one can buy with confidence at the coop or is it 
best purchased from an organic amendment salesman?

Thanks -Allan

# Dolomite (often called LIME in your country) is a combination of magnesium
carbonate and calcium carbonate - again a finely ground rock - only use this
where there is a tested need for magnesium in the soil CEC. Thats only
likely to be sandy and sandy loam soils. Excess dolomite will tighten up
soils and burn out nitrogen so the fertiliser men love to see farmers using
dolomite to neutralise acid soils, cause they will soon be back in the store
to order heaps of bagged nitrogen.

Re: Ferdinand's clay coating

[Allan Balliett]

OK, Woody - Let's hope you are really there...or here! -Allan


Wasn't it Ferdinand who was coating his tree trunks in the
wintertime with a mixture of cow manure and clay? Is anyone else
doing this and if so, what are the benefits / results?

Re: sealant for cut tree limb?

[Allan Balliett]

Lily - Hopefully Jim Marquardt will verify this, but it is my 
understanding that sealers are out of vogue and that properly done 
pruning cuts should be left un-dressed. -Allan

REPOST: Radionics and Field Broadcasting was Re: Perfect Orchard

[Allan Balliett]

Status:  U
From: "James Hedley" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Perfect Orchard
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 22:36:29 +1100
X-Priority: 3
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sender: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Dear Hugh, Lloyd, Gil, Per Garp and others,
Just to start the discussion rolling I agree that a field broadcaster is not
Radionics. It is just one of the many tools available to try to influence
subtle energy or force fields.
To what degree one is able to do this is still subject to experimentation.
One such case occurred with an experiment that I was conducting last Sunday.
It occurred to me that radionic broadcasting of the rate for moisture (2290)
could be interesting to see what happens. The day chosen was because there
was no sign of moisture from the weather charts  Temperature was about 95o
F.

The rate was broadcast from a modified 9 dial radionic instrument, connected
to a pyramid broadcaster with two medium strength ceramic magnets set up at
the height of the kings chamber North pole to North pole to utilise the
electromagnetic force deriving from this set up. A Polaroid photo of an area
of about 1000 ha was used as the witness.

Broadcast was set up at mid day. Immediately you could feel something
happening.  Within 2 hours a black cloud had developed over the area.  It
was most frightening. The wind started to swirl around and was shrieking
like a banshee, branches were being blown off the trees. It was obvious that
in some way the Radionic broadcast had altered the balance between the
astral and the etheric fields over the mountain as it was clear everywhere
else. I then broadcast the complimentary rate of 2290 which is 881. Cloud
and wind immediately disappeared. Don't ever doubt the power that is in an
understanding of the mathematics of creation and how to use them.

I was not prepared to go on with the experiment at that time as I felt
totally uncomfortable about the power that had been developed from what
would seem to most people a most innocuous arrangement
ofwires,potentiometers
pieces of copper and zinc plate to create a difference in potential current,
with the resultant energy and force field broadcast through the pyramid.
Just another day in the working  life of one of the Wizards of Oz.
I am not going to get into a debate of how radionics works as whenever it
seems that the answer can be fitted into a simple box, that theory is blown
out of the water. It may very well be that radionics operates at the
interface of physics and magic.

There is enough experimental work to prove conclusively that radionics can
influence matter. However that is for another post.

Regards and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all at BDnow.
James Hedley.