WELCOME Dear Friends, It is a joy to welcome you to the 2018 Biodynamic Conference, Transforming the Heart of Agriculture: Soil. Justice. Regeneration. The Biodynamic Association is celebrating our 80th anniversary this year, and organizing conferences has been a central part of our work since we began in 1938. For eight decades, the Biodynamic Conference has been a place where farmers, gardeners, land stewards—and so many others who are drawn to the deep wellspring of biodynamics—travel from near and far to learn, teach, connect, and inspire. This conference has also become a place where we lift our heads from our day-to-day work on the land and consider the broader significance of our endeavors. At a time when society is grappling with ecological, social, and spiritual divides—deep disconnects between humans and the Earth, humans and other humans, and humans and ourselves—this conference gives us an opportunity to energize our work to co-create a more vibrant, regenerative, and just future. We have an amazing lineup of keynotes and workshops addressing the practical aspects of stewarding soil and seeds, tending plants and animals, and nurturing the individualities of each of our farms and gardens to generate health and abundance. We also have a wide array of sessions exploring the spiritual, cultural, social, and economic dimensions of agriculture. Some of the questions we will live into during this conference include: How can we develop truly co-creative relationships with our fellow humans and with the earth? What can we do to build justice, dignity, and respect for all who inhabit this planet? How can biodynamics, indigenous land stewardship, regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and the many movements for positive change work in synergy, and what unique contributions can biodynamics bring? What is the heart of agriculture, and how does it need to be transformed? What do our hearts want to tell us? These are deep questions, which cannot be fully answered in these few days we have together. They may not be fully answered in our lifetimes. But in this ephemeral community—this unique convergence of hundreds of souls who have come together right here and right now—we have an amazing opportunity to activate our hearts and minds, and to sense into new possibilities. May this experience resonate deeply in your heart, and may you leave with new ideas, connections, and inspiration to nurture the transformative work you do. Warmly, Thea Maria Carlson Executive Director
2018 North American Biodynamic Conference Program Book
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