When we consciously experience our work with the soil, plants and animals, we can feel a deep sense of coherence. It is a sense of being embedded in the intelligent relationships of life. We can intuitively perceive the interplay of the cyclical, rhythmic, self-organising and healing forces of life that strive for balance and continual regeneration. What are these forces that we connect with in our agricultural work? How can we perceive, understand and work with this intelligence of life?
In recent years, advances in microbiome research have revolutionised the scientific understanding of life. The traditional concept of living organisms as separate entities is giving way to an integrative biology that understands life as networks of dynamic relationships connecting soil, plants, animals, humans and ecosystems. All parts of the agricultural organism, from the soil microbiome to the gut microbiomes in humans and animals, are interconnected, communicating and intelligently regulating one another through the microorganisms involved – bacteria, viruses and fungi. Microbiome research has thus brought forth a picture of living organisms that exist in rhythmic relationships with one another, both internally and externally, on a microcosmic and macrocosmic scale.
With this integrative perspective, the emerging science of the biome is developing a language that resonates with our own understanding of the living world. At the conference, we will explore this fascinating perspective together with leading scientists, biodynamic researchers and farmers from different countries.
When we look at life through the lens of the microbiome, we find answers on the physical level. Yet if we look only at the physical, we remain within the realm of earthly intelligence. We can, however, broaden our perspective and ask: Is it not the etheric that organises the earthly? And what intelligence works behind the etheric, shines through it and perhaps finds only its physical expression in the microbiome? From a spiritual-scientific perspective, on what level do the effects unfold when, for example, we apply the biodynamic preparations? We want to explore these questions in the evening lecture and a panel discussion on formative forces.
The Michael Letter we will study during the conference may offer us a further insight. It describes how humanity has gradually lost its connection with divine-spiritual wisdom, right up to our present age, in which we see only the physical creation while the workings of cosmic intelligence are no longer accessible to us. It is easy to recognise how deeply we are immersed in such an intellectualised and reductionist world, and in our morning sessions we will explore what this means in the context of artificial intelligence.
Yet our human intellectuality, detached from its original divine-spiritual source, also makes the development of human freedom possible. Today, this gives us the opportunity to rediscover our connection with the divine-spiritual origin out of that same freedom, through an inward, heartfelt experience of and engagement with the deeds of Michael.
The task of this "heartfelt experience and engagement" described in the Michael Letter brings us to the question of what the right way of perception is. Within biodynamics, different approaches come together: natural scientific research, spiritual-scientific inquiry, Goetheanistic and meditative training of perception, and practical action, from which intuition can arise. Together, these approaches can help us perceive life and its workings in a living way – in the spirit of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's words: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly."
Nutrition offers us a particular opportunity to explore how we can experience the intelligent activity of life. We can discover it in the interaction of the microbiome, from the soil through the plants to the gut, or in the wisdom-filled regulation of the organism as it responds to external influences. Can we come to recognise that what is essential in nutrition lies in the forces through which food stimulates and strengthens us? Through methods such as sensory food testing (Wirksensorik) and trained meditative perception, we can directly experience the effects of food on the human being. We want to explore these two aspects of nutrition – through life intelligence and substance, through "sun and earth" – in the closing session.
In fifty workshops, we will deepen our understanding, explore practical applications, exchange best practices and engage with the questions of our time: from the economic and climatic resilience of farms to practical experiences in agroforestry and plant breeding, and to eurythmy and painting as ways of developing our perception of and relationship with the etheric.
The richness of biodynamic methods enables us to consciously participate in shaping the intelligent processes of life: stimulating, regulating, bringing rhythm, healing and enlivening. In this way, agriculture becomes an art of co-creation with the intelligence of life.
If this theme speaks to you, we warmly invite you to the next Agriculture Conference. We look forward to your active participation in two workshops of your choice, nine plenary sessions, a eurythmy premiere and a festive evening together with people from the worldwide biodynamic movement.
