The BIODYNAMIC® Vineyard Part 2

As mentioned in the first part of this article series, the basic idea of BIODYNAMIC® farming is to see the soil and the vineyard as living organisms. Maintenance of the soil is the primary means by which the vineyard will progress and evolve. Demeter BIODYNAMIC® Certification is given only to those wineries that follow the strict principles of biodynamic farming called for in the Demeter Farm Standard. Demeter, the very first ecological label for organically produced foods, remains the only internationally recognized Biodynamic certifier and consists of a network of individual certification organizations in 45 countries around the world.

Biodynamic agriculture goes beyond certified organic, envisioning the farm/vineyard as a self-contained and self-sustaining organism. In an effort to keep the farm, the farmer, the consumer, and the earth healthy, farmers avoid chemical pesticides and fertilizers, utilize compost and cover crops, and set aside a minimum of 10% of their total acreage for biodiversity. The entire farm, versus a particular crop, must be certified, and farms are inspected annually. In order for a product to bear the Demeter logo, it must be made with certified Biodynamic® ingredients and meet strict processing standards to ensure the purest possible product.

The goal of a vineyard that is biodynamically farmed is to create a farm system on that vineyard that is minimally dependant on imported materials, and instead meets its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself. It is the biodiversity of the farm, organized so that the waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy for another, that results in an increase in the farm’s capacity for self-­renewal and ultimately makes the farm sustainable. This requires that, as much as possible, a farm be regenerative rather than degenerative. One of the most important social values of Biodynamic farming is that the farm/vineyard does not depend on the mining of the earth’s natural resource base but instead emphasizes contributing to it.

Biodynamic farming is free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in the same manner as certified organic farming. In order to qualify for Demeter Biodynamic status a farm must first meet the requirements of NOP organic as a base. Demeter also requires a careful examination and eventual reduction of the volume of imported materials necessary to sustain the life of the farm.

In the Demeter Farm Standard, it is believed that in order to achieve weed control the farmer should be educated about and demonstrate an understanding of the following principles and ideas:

• Timing of planting
• Understanding of weed species life cycle
• Adjusting fertility conditions that promote certain weed species
• Shade/ crop canopy
• Mulching
• Crop rotation

The same idea is used in the area of disease and insect control with the farmer needing to understand and utilize:

• Botanical species diversity
• Predator habitat• Biological antagonism
• Balanced crop nutrition• Attention to light penetration and airflow
• Conscious use of the Biodynamic preparations (nine preparations made from herbs, mineral substances and animal manures that are utilized in field sprays and compost inoculants applied in minute doses, much like homeopathic remedies are for humans)
• Crop rotation

All of these methods are put in practice and utilized before any additional treatments can be used.

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**In my previous article about sustainable, organic and biodynamic practices, someone left the comment that "biodynamics is just plain flaky". Rudy Marchesi, of Montinore Estates--a well-established biodynamic winery in Oregon--had this response: "We farm 230 acres of wine grapes, we are Demeter Certified Biodynamic, we harvest full crops of high quality fruit every year and our farming costs per acre are some of the lowest in the valley. If that's "flaky" then I'll be happily flaky all the way to the bank." I have to admit, that response made me giggle.