Nirvana Biodynamics

When I meet someone new and they find I’m a biodynamic gardener the first question I get is “Well how do you get rid of………? The average gardeners go into the garden not with the concept of LIFE but the concept of DEATH. They go out to get rid of things. In order to grow a crop everything else is removed. You only have to listen to the gardening programs to confirm this. WEEDS - THE USEFUL PLANTS . The importance of weeds to the gardener is that: • They tend to be stronger growing plants with more extensive root runs enabling them to gather nutrients at deeper levels of the soil. • Weeds can provide some protection for your desired plants from wind and rain. • They can provide alternative food source for problem pests. • They provide food and habitat for useful predators. • They can protect land not being currently used from erosion. WEEDS ASSIST SOIL BUILDING Volunteer plant (weeds) main job is colonising any bare patch to protect it from the elements. (Wind, rain, sun) This can be use...

To achieve a balanced biodynamic farm the “animal element” needs to be included, to move it towards the concept of “the farm as an individual living organism.” Nirvana is an orchard, so the logical the choice of animals is birds because birds go with trees & bushes. Both the domestic fowl & geese form an essential part of our orchard. They play an important part in composting, and producing vital ingredients to ensure dynamic recycling of nutrients. The geese have been chosen for their grazing ability, 3 geese = a sheep. Having webbed feet they can graze the damp valley without damage. Their grazing has reduced our mowing costs by one third. Our base flock is made up of 20 cross breed embden /touslouse. These birds are hardy & reliable breeders. They graze the orchards each day. They prefer fine grasses, clover and other grasses when they are short. In general they do not like broadleaf weeds. However they do search out and destroy any comfrey leaf or root. Other g...

From our paddock to your plate – connecting producers to co-producers In slow food we have read & heard much about how producers should reconnect to their co-producers giving them the joy of savoring fresh local seasonal produce. For some, farmers markets are a logical way to do this but it does not work for everyone. For the past 20 odd years Nirvana Organic Farm& Produce have been doing this in a unique way that goes beyond just selling produce. As a small orchard in the urban fringe area of the Adelaide Hills just 20 minutes drive from Adelaide’s CBD (Capital city of South Australia) we have taken advantage of our location to develop a unique small business & lifestyle that not only brings the co-producers to us but also the world. In the beginning we sold direct to retailers & restaurants .This required a lot of running around & selling, especially to restaurants whose chefs changed regularly & were never prepared to pay a fair price. (They often advertised ...

Everyone can grow their own fresh veggies. The Key to success is Quality compost . Deb can share her long experience to help you have a full garden with little need of food storage, thus a empty refrigerator. COMPOSTING & MULCHING Sunday, October 7th 9.00 -12.30 $40 Reduce water use by learning the principles of composting & mulching, techniques & materials used & how they can be used most effectively on your garden or farm. VEGETABLES FOR YOUR TABLE. Sunday, October 14th 9.00 -12 noon $35 Practical guide to establishing & maintaining a productive & healthy vegetable garden

The shroud of winter has finally fallen away and it’s time to see what’s happening in the garden. The green manure or compost that was dug into the soil has been worked over by all the millions of bugs, fungi, bacteria and other ‘biota’. Now it’s time to plant, ready for summer harvest and beyond. At Nirvana we use raised beds because soil can be built up by digging out the foot paths increasing the soil depth immediately Raised beds also warm up more quickly in spring; there is more aeration & life via micro organisms and an overall increase in growth activity. Rudolf Steiner in ‘Agriculture’ described it this way ‘For any given locality on Earth ,there is a certain level that separates what is above the earth from what is inside the Earth. Anything raised up above the normal level for that locale will show a particular tendency to life, a tendency to become permeated with etheric vitality .You will therefore find it easier to permeate ordinary inorganic soil with humus-like mate...

With the com ing of spring its time to review the winter season . This winter we ate very well from our home veggie garden boosted by what grew in the tunnel. This year I aimed to produce a wide range of veggies that would sustain us over winter. The main challenge is getting the seeds going in the February heat in order to those slow growing things ,cabbage, caulies, swedes going so they can be harvested by mid winter. The successes TURNIPS these grew so well I had to invent ways of serving them. The swedes, which I think taste much better were much slower and really need to be planted much eerier. CABBAGE where slow to develop but a move to the tunnel was able to hurry them along to harvestable size by mid winter. CARROTS The ‘see-more’ carrots are always good –so sweet in winter. KALE was excellent and made good soups. Best planted mid-late spring. PARSNIPS Never enough of these – My favorite roast vegetable. GREENS winter is a good time for greens we enjoyed them almost every da...

Biodynamic agriculture is a method of farming and gardening that aims to treat the farm as a living system which interacts with the environment linking soil (mineral), plants, animals and humans. This process builds healthy living soil and produces food that nourishes and vitalises mankind. The biodynamic methods are derived from the teaching of Rudolf Steiner and subsequent practitioners. The underlying principle of biodynamic agriculture is the development of life-giving humus from dead organic matter. This biologically active humus is the basis of all living soils. It is achieved by: · Having a diverse system of plants and animals, landscape variety and water. · Developing skills in observation and nurturing the soil. · Enhancing the soil structure and nutrient cycles as well as plant growth by the use of specific preparations which are made from farm sourced material: *Horn manure 500 is used to enliven the soil, increasing the micro flora and availability of nutrients and trace el...