Later this evening, I will be addressing 500 young farmers in Iowa. One unusual question I intend to pose to them is this: Why should farmers care about a new line of cocktails (and mocktails) now being served at the Ritz Hotel in London?*
The answer lies in the nature of the cocktails–all of the ingredients come from biodynamic farms.
Biodynamic farms are not new—the concept was introduced by Rudolph Steiner almost exactly 100 years ago—but the trend is steadly gaining steam. In the U.S. there are now an estimated 300 Demeter certified biodynamic farms. Worldwide the figure stands between 5500 and 6000. (Demeter is the primary biodynamic certification organization).
In this post, I will not seek to provide an in-depth exploration of Biodynamic farming (mainly because I am still learning about the field myself) but I think of biodynamic farming as being the next step beyond organic farming and regenerative agriculture.
At its heart, biodynamic farming views the farm as a living entity with the soil, plants, animals, and humans all being interconnected. At a deeper level, it also views Earth (and all of its creations) as being infused with cosmic and spiritual energy.
Now, I understand that this idea of “cosmic and spiritual energy” might seem “fringy” to many farmers but, as a Celtic Christian who sees Our Common Creator’s work throughout nature, the idea makes perfect sense to me. Also, as I wrote in Forbes, the idea of natural resources being recognized as living entities–and thus worthy of legal rights–is a separate but related trend).
As a futurist, it is my responsibility to look to “fringe” ideas in an attempt to discern which of those ideas or trends may move into the mainstream in the future. And, just as I identified regenerative farming as a trend 5 years ago, I now sense biodynamic farming will follow a similar trajectory.
I will continue to watch the biodynamic farming space because I believe a growing number of consumers will begin demanding food—and, yes, even cocktails and “mocktails”—from biodynamic farms for ecological, health and spiritual reasons.
For farmers–young and old–interested in learning more about biodynamic farming, I encourage you to visit the Biodynamic Association.
*I must credit my “reverse mentor” Meghan McGowan for both the news story about the Ritz Hotel as well as the idea that biodynamic farming is a trend worth monitoring.
Jack Uldrich is a leading agricultural futurist, best-selling author and keynote speaker. His latest book is “A Smarter Farm: How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Agriculture.” He can be reached at www.jackuldrich.com. Organizations wishing to have Jack speak at their conference or event are encouraged to contact Rich Tiller at the Agriculture Speakers Network.
