The Earth Lives
A biodynamically managed farm is seen as an organism, a living being. At the annual conference “The Earth as a Living Being” from February 5 to 8, 2025, farmers, gardeners, producers, and distributors will consider whether this concept of organism applies on a larger scale, beyond the farm boundaries, and whether the individual farm is therefore part of a greater, more comprehensive organism. It is the third step in a process of reflecting on and defining biodynamic work over several years. We speak with the two section leaders.
What does it mean to expand the idea of the agricultural organism?
Ueli Hurter If we understand every farm to be an organism, a living identity, it means understanding this place as a representative of the whole earth. The farm as an individuality reflects the great individuality, the Earth. This also applies to us human beings: the more I carry the wider world within me, the more I see myself as an individuality. The more I am a representative of all individualities, of being human, the more I am able to understand myself as myself. If we apply this to the farms, then the farm is the place where what the earth is, is realized: a living being.
At the annual conference, you will do this on three levels. What does that mean?
Eduardo Rincón Rudolf Steiner’s understanding of the Earth as a living being was groundbreaking, because it happened half a century before this idea emerged in science with James Lovelock in the 1960s. It is now important to learn to perceive the Earth in its vitality. In agriculture, we work with the living all the time and thus have the opportunity to actually experience the Earth as a living being through our daily work. We can achieve this if we also bring our thinking to life through anthroposophy.
What does it mean that space travel allowed us to see the Earth from the outside?
Rincón The sight of the blue marble in space was a turning point—the Earth was revealed in indescribable beauty. But let’s not forget: this was a view from the outside and, therefore, a reductionist view of material agriculture. We are talking about experiencing the Earth from within and learning from its life. In agriculture, everything is interrelated. Relationship is everything! As a farmer, as a gardener, you help the Earth to bring forth life. This involves all the influences that take effect from the periphery and in which a whole community of people is involved. James Lovelock talks about a web of life. This is how our own life increases, because by producing food that food that promotes living thinking, promotes communities, and promotes diversity on the farm, life is manifested on different levels.
This text is an excerpt from an article published in the (online exclusive) Goetheanum Weekly. You can read the full article on the website. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can get to know the Goetheanum Weekly for 1 CHF./€.
Photo Ueli Hurter and Eduardo Rincon