About the Farm

Biodynamic Agriculture

Here at Villa Vanilla we see our farm as an integrated whole and a living organism in its own right. Opposed to conventional forms of agriculture where outside chemicals and fertilizers are added to the soil to assist plant growth, biodynamic agriculture seeks to understand and work with the life processes already present, enriching the soil from within. Healthy soil is a prime basis for healthy plants, animals and people.

Biodynamic farming was born from a series of agricultural lectures in 1924 given by Austrian philosopher and social reformer, Rudolf Steiner (1861 – 1925). On Biodynamic farms, we seek instead to enhance the soil’s structure and nutrient cycles, as well as plant growth and development, with the use of specific Preparations which are made from farm-sourced materials. Preparations are not fertilizers themselves but greatly assist the natural digestive and enzymatic processes of the soil microorganisms. As such, they only need to be used in very small amounts. Biodynamic farming practices and farming methods include: avoiding chemical soil fertilizers to enhance soil fertility, consideration of biological organisms (from living organisms in the soil to animal health), diverse crop rotation, cover crops, green animal manures, as well as meeting certain guidelines for perennial and annual planting.