In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in organic and biodynamic produce. Although once marginal and 'alternative', escalating concerns about the environment, health, food quality and animal welfare have brought organics into mainstream consciousness. Biodynamics, a unique development of the organic approach, does not narrowly focus on agricultural techniques. It was conceived as a new way of thinking about farming, nutrition and the world of nature, allowing for a revitalized relationship with the living soil, the elemental world and the cosmos. Originating from a series of eight lectures given by Dr Rudolf Steiner in 1924, biodynamics broadens the outlook of agriculture and the science behind it, leading to a holistic perspective that incorporates astronomical rhythms and unique preparations for plants and earth. The author describes the foundations on which not only biodynamics but also the wider organic movement is based. He builds bridges between mainstream science and Steiner's insights, making it easier for the wider organic and ecological movement to approach biodynamic concepts and practise. This book has much to offer to the beginner as well as to those already involved with biodynamics. Its broad range of topics - including the ecology of the farm organism, food quality and nutrition, community supported agriculture, planetary influences, seed quality, and the vitality of water - contribute to a deeper understanding of the subject. The author is also concerned to promote innovation so that biodynamics moves with the times. An appendix includes details for contacting various elements of the biodynamic world. DR RICHARD THORNTON SMITH was formerly a geography professor at the University of Leeds, specializing in soil science, environment and conservation. Widely travelled, he has a long-standing interest in indigenous and sustainable farming. He was introduced to the work of Rudolf Steiner at an early age, although his full involvement with biodynamics dates from 1990 when he began to participate in training programmes and workshops at Emerson College, Sussex. In 1996 he began a biodynamic extension programme in Sri Lanka, for which he published a book, most recently updated in 2007. Since 2001 he has been an inspector for the Biodynamic Association's Demeter and Organic Certification in the UK. In 2003 he produced an edited selection of Steiner's work relating to agriculture. He is currently a council member of the Biodynamic Agricultural Association, and lives in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire.

"The author describes the foundations on which not only biodynamics but also the wider organic movement is based. He builds bridges between mainstream science and Steiner's insights, making it easier for the wider organic and ecological movement to approach biodynamic concepts and practise. This book has much to offer to the beginner as well as to those already involved with biodynamics. Its broad range of topics - including the ecology of the farm organism, food quality and nutrition, community supported agriculture, planetary influences, seed quality, and the vitality of water - contribute to a deeper understanding of the subject."--

Drawing on research and Rudolf Steiner's Spiritual Science, this book by Gerhard Schmidt, M.D. looks at nutrition, offering a new dynamic view of humanity and the world -- and of food as a community-building force. Concerned with the problems resulting from the modern viewpoint of nutrition and the research of modern science, this book examines the fundamental and general aspects of nutrition. Schmidt makes the case that continued healthy human development will require us to re-conceptualize our understandings of nutrition, to find "a new light of consciousness to illumine our conception." Topics include: Basic questions of nutrition Nutritional research through Steiner's Spiritual Science What is the purpose of nutrition? General aspects of the physiology of nutrition Smell and taste: spices and aromatic substances Rhythm in nutrition; Raw and cooked foods Foods -- dietary substances -- medicinal substances Nutrition from the realm of plants, nutrition from the realm of animals Nutrition and spiritual life Nutrition and soul life Community-building through the meal The history of human nutrition The development of nutrition in the age of technology

Our instinctive knowledge of which foods are helpful and which are harmful appears increasingly to be fading. We are bombarded with advice, information and prescriptions as to what we should eat and drink, but the issues surrounding nutrition - questions of health, diet, taste, even ecology and sustainability - remain largely unresolved.Unlike most commentators on this subject, Rudolf Steiner tackles the theme of nutrition in a refreshingly open way. At no point does he try to tell us what we should or should not be putting into our bodies - whether with regard to an omnivorous or vegetarian diet, smoking, drinking alcohol, and so on. The job of the scientist, he says, is to explain how things act and what effect they have; what people do with that information is up to them. However, he emphasizes that our diet not only determines our physical wellbeing, but can also promote or hinder our inner spiritual development.In this carefully collated anthology, with an introduction, commentary and notes by Christian von Arnim, Rudolf Steiner considers nutrition in the light of his spiritual-scientific research. He explains the impact of raw food, vegetarian and meat diets, the effects of protein, fats, carbohydrates and salts, individual foodstuffs such as potatoes, beetroots and radishes, as well as the impact of alcohol and nicotine. His insights are vital to anybody with a serious interest in health, diet and spiritual development.

The planets and their effect on the human race are at the heart of this stellar collection of provocative science fiction short stories, Adventures in the Cosmos by Darryl L. Gopaul. A second menacing moon appears in one story, which awakens powerful new forces on Earth. In another story, humanoids venture onto Earth and start to behave very differently than they usually do, right up until the moment they are called back to their home planet. In other stories, humans face a new biological phenomenon or gain new abilities, like telepathy. Hinting that strange, powerful forces are quietly guiding humans on Earth, Gopaul probes the possibilities that exist in the deepest pockets of outer space and right here on our home planet. Inspiring, stunning, and sometimes shocking, Adventures in the Cosmos shows that while the universe is our new frontier, it will take not just bravado but understanding to conquer or control it. A thinking person's collection of sci fi, Adventures in the Cosmos is both beautifully written and bolstered by the expertise of Gopaul, who is a microbiologist. In story after story, he prods you to see the earth, the planets, and yourself in new and original ways.

Based on a series of eight lectures by Rudolf Steiner in 1924, the movement for biodynamic agriculture today involves many hundreds of farms and millions of consumers worldwide. Much has been written about the unique perspectives of biodynamic methods for farming, nutrition, the world of nature, and the wider cosmos. But how does it work in practice? What is it like to run a farm based on its principles? England's Tablehurst and Plaw Hatch farms are a cooperative venture in which the local community plays a crucial role. As successful commercial enterprises with large production, they have a growing reputation for the excellence of their produce. Through interviews, commentary, and dozens of full-color photos, Biodynamics in Practice offers a guided tour of the farms from the view of a sympathetic visitor. It illustrates how biodynamic farms work, how they differ from conventional and organic farms, and why that difference is important. In short and accessible vignettes, the book looks at many aspects of farm life, including animal rearing and welfare--cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry--crop growth, dairy, and cheese making, as well as beekeeping and the care of people with special needs. It also introduces biodynamics itself, with brief histories of the two farms. People often view farms simply as food-producing factories; this book, however, shows that they can be much more, offering spiritually sustaining focal points of community cohesion and participation.

This acclaimed guide to children's physical, psychological and spiritual development is now available in a fourth revised edition. Combining up-to-date medical advice with issues of development and education, this is a definitive guide for parents. This is the book for anyone who has ever wanted a deeper understanding of their children's illnesses, or sought a more holistic approach to children's health. As well as comprehensively covering medical issues, it also discusses parenting techniques, education, spirituality and play -- a truly integrated approach to all aspects of raising healthy children in the broadest sense. The authors have over 20 years' experience treating children at Herdecke Hospital, Germany, which is run using anthroposophical principles. The fourth edition includes updates on treatments for tonsilitis, croup, sunstroke and headlice. The section on vaccinations includes the latest recommendations including measles, meningococcal and HPV. There is also a new section on electromagnetic pollution, including mobile (cell) phones.

Global Change and Future Earth is derived from the work of several programs of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG). It demonstrates how multi- and inter-disciplinary research outputs from the geoscience community can be applied to tackle the physical and societal impacts of climate change and contribute to the Future Earth programme of the International Council for Science. The volume brings together an international team of eminent researchers to provide authoritative reviews on the wide-ranging ramifications of climate change spanning eight key themes: planetary issues; geodetic issues; the Earth's fluid environment; regions of the Earth; urban environments; food security; and risk, safety and security; and climate change and global change. Covering the challenges faced by urban and rural areas, and in both developed and developing counties, this volume provides an important resource for a global audience of graduate students and researchers from a broad range of disciplines, as well as policy advisors and practitioners.

Since the turn of the millennium, there has been a burgeoning interest in, and literature of, both landscape studies and food studies. Landscape describes places as relationships and processes. Landscapes create people’s identities and guide their actions and their preferences, while at the same time are shaped by the actions and forces of people. Food, as currency, medium, and sustenance, is a fundamental part of those landscape relationships. This volume brings together over fifty contributors from around the world in forty profoundly interdisciplinary chapters. Chapter authors represent an astonishing range of disciplines, from agronomy, anthropology, archaeology, conservation, countryside management, cultural studies, ecology, ethics, geography, heritage studies, landscape architecture, landscape management and planning, literature, urban design and architecture. Both food studies and landscape studies defy comprehension from the perspective of a single discipline, and thus such a range is both necessary and enriching. The Routledge Handbook of Landscape and Food is intended as a first port of call for scholars and researchers seeking to undertake new work at the many intersections of landscape and food. Each chapter provides an authoritative overview, a broad range of pertinent readings and references, and seeks to identify areas where new research is needed—though these may also be identified in the many fertile areas in which subjects and chapters overlap within the book.

In Nutrition for Enlightened Parenting, Marie-Laure Valandro draws on her deep study of Rudolf Steiner and Spiritual Science, as well as on the works of Rudolf Hauschka and Karl König, attempting to bring greater consciousness to one of life’s most common and vital activities—eating. Food can be the object of instinct, desire, obsession, and even fear. We all want to be healthy in body and soul, and gaining increased awareness of what we prepare and put into our body can become a powerful path toward heightened consciousness. It is one key to taking charge of our life and determining our destiny. Through such an initiation, we can gain the power to read the great Book of Nature through the foods we eat, discovering what stands behind those substances—the spiritual within the material. Marie-Laure Valandro uses personal stories, words of wisdom from modern spiritual teachers, and observations while traveling the world. She presents an organic picture of how we can take charge of our day-to-day nutrition and become more aware of ourselves and the world around us.