Anna Helmer
We’ve had some cow horns stuffed with manure buried at the foot of the garden since Christmas. We dug them up in May to check, but the manure was still pretty sloppy. I expect they are now ready and I intend to dig them up and prepare some BD-500. I am doing that and writing this article at the very same time.
Live-action article writing is admittedly niche. However, I think the exercise will help me to get my act together Biodynamically. Full disclosure, our Biodynamic farming practices have been shuffled so far to the back burner, they might have fallen off the stove.
So, these manure-stuffed horns. They are the basis of a Biodynamic preparation called BD-500. I may have mentioned it in previous articles. I consider it to be the gateway Biodynamic preparation, because the method and ingredients are straightforward and it’s likely to be effective. It’s basic Biodynamics: stuff cow horns with fresh manure, bury for six months or so, capture and concentrate energy from the universe, dig up, stir with water for an hour, apply to ground.
It can get a lot more complicated. Technically, the cow horns should be from cows that have calved, and the stirring should be done for one hour—alternating clock-wise and anti-clockwise directions. And of course, it should be spread in concert with BD-501, which is a little more difficult not only to make, but source ingredients. Oh, and it should be done at certain times of the month, depending on the position of the sun and moon in the constellations.
One must do one’s best to accommodate the complications. However, the main thing is to get it on the ground. Let that be the mission. Rudolph Steiner, who 100 years ago predicted that soil would require healing, indicated that as much land as possible all over the world should be covered with BD-500 as soon as possible. For now, it’s going on field 2b, at Helmers’ Organic Farm.
I myself have had many farm-related, non-Biodynamic complications impeding my progress in the endeavour. Everything has been more important than BD-500, but as the potatoes are pretty much in, and I am not ready to start carrots just yet, I can now consider accommodating other activities.
So, I am digging up a horn right this moment. There is dirt on my keyboard. We buried many horns. My high-quality manure provider gave me an entire five-gallon bucket, which filled a lot of horns. I am just prying a single one out right now. This one is special: some biodynamic people gave it to dad.
There is a dirt plug at the end, and I’ll just pry that out and tap the horn on my knee to dislodge that which lies within. When we dug it up in May, the manure was still quite moist and definitely lacked the Biodynamic vibe that is emanating from the substance that just plopped into my hand.
It came out of the horn in one complete piece. It’s darker than the manure it was made from, drier, and porous. Fine lines of white fungus wrap around the mass. I feel compelled to lift it to my nose and inhale deeply. A rich, earthy bouquet moves into my body. I sprout wings and take to the skies. Kidding.
I crumble it into a pail of water and decide to use the horn itself to stir the mixture, wanting to both clean the horn and capture any residual material within. I note the time and start to stir. First in one direction until a vortex forms, then in the other, forming a new vortex. Create order, introduce chaos, re-create order. Repeat.
At some point, I recognize that the water has changed. There is a sheen to it, a smoothness: it’s a new substance. I try to keep mindful of my activity, but to no avail. There are people all around me and the conversation cannot be ignored. We are celebrating mom’s birthday with a glass of champagne. A very small amount of champagne. There’s cake too, and some of the icing drops into my pail. I wonder how that will affect things. Could only be good, I decide. I am not so sure about the crumbs and drops of liquid that have joined the dirt on the keyboard.
Before I know it, the hour is up. I had already decided that this was just going to be a manual application. Had I taken the time to get the tractor sprayer up and running, I might have failed to get to this stage. Mechanical difficulties seem inevitable, and I’ll cross that bridge later when I dig up the remaining horns and make a proper big batch of the preparation.
For now, I am going to stagger out to next year’s potato field with my pail of potion and computer. This is awkward with a rotator cuff injury. Eventually I get out there however and look around for spots requiring healing. There are plenty. I just dip my hands into the liquid and fling it about, dragging the pail another few steps and doing it again. I sprinkle a few drops on my injured shoulder. I believe I am going to need a new computer. The pail is finally empty.
I return to my desk to proofread and make a note on the almost empty Biodynamic page of my farm binder that I did something Biodynamic. A rosy sense of accomplishment burbles into my consciousness.
helmersorganic.com
Anna Helmer farms in Pemberton BC and represents the more minimalist approach today.
Featured image: Cow horns stuffed with manure. Credit: stock.adobe.com.
