We had a visit today from a biodynamic farmer. Its something ive always toyed with, and we've frequently planted with the Lunar Calendar (although the weather and other external contexts frequently override that one)
However, I've always struggled with preparations until today, possibly.... And the more I get to understand biological farming, and the more I question "products" (as surely they're all available naturally), the more I want to revisit Biodynamics....
S0... go with me on this... I'm a farmer, Not a chemist or Biologist.... But my wife is a herbalist, so I have to lend it some kudos... and this is me as a farmer that constantly asks why trying to rationalize things....
I've dug out the my book, "A biodynamic Manual"
One of the main preperations is calles a compost preperation, and this is basically used as we would use anyone of those many off the shelf expensive biological inputs.
To make it you mix cow dung, basalt rock dust, egg shells and the biodynamic preparations.
(Now having revisited my book, the preparations are effectively plant extracts which all interact with different periodic elements in differing ways)
Now we use a lime replacement on the farm called Vulkamin (an Aluminium Silicate rock formed in anaerobic conditions- so high in silicic acid- much like basalt) which may work instead of the basalt in the recipe above, and this got me thinking...
Are we basically inadvertently applying biodynamic principles... as applying these "biological additives" one is effectively applying all the raw materials for a cow pit preparation to the field already, minus the preparations/flower essences. (the eggshells effectively being Calcium Carbonate aka limestone, and the cow pats being your dung...)
so i took it one step further.... flower essences/preparations stimulate certain elements (I'm assuming here that its presumably via their differing charges, +/-Ions), and that in turn makes you wonder how those elements stimulate the body, and therefore the corresponding effect those flower essences/preperations would then have in herbalism/homeopathy.
Which brought me to this article:
https://www.thoughtco.com/elements-in-the-human-body-p2-602188
So going back to the idea of A biodynamic preperation....
I suppose what is maybe happening is that the egg shell/basalt are providing a huge amount of trace elements that are then being stimulated, or given energy, by the flower essences in a way which then in turn energizes the biogeochemical cycles of the microbiology from the cow pats, which in turn microbially transforms those elements and makes them more bioavailable.
And what we're ending up with is then a supercharged Pit, full of super energized microbes, and bioavailable elements ready to get to work....
So.... could we save our selves loads of money.... And what am I missing?!
Can any Biochemists demystify the wonderful world of Biodynamics for me, or do I want to keep the magic...
You should send this query to Graeme Sait. He often answers questions like this on his podcast.
Are you asking about ways to enhance the farmyard manure pit?