EARTH LEGACY AGRICULTURE – THE WORK CONTINUES

HUGH COURTNEY

Back in August of 1975, I received a call to the ministry in the form of an encounter with Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture Course at a health food store in College Park, Maryland. That call was to minister to Mother Earth through the biodynamic preparations. My initial encounter with biodynamic agriculture led the following year to attendance at a conference of the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association (BDA) held in Spring Valley, NY. It was there that I learned that Josephine Porter, who at that time was making and distributing the biodynamic preparations to the membership, was willing to teach “anyone who wants to learn how to make the biodynamic preparations.” What followed was essentially a nineyear apprenticeship in learning to make the preparations through numerous visits to her farm in Stroudsburg, PA. She was a master of her craft. In the meantime, in 1978, with the financial help of my parents, I had moved to a 109-acre farm in Woolwine, VA. My initial goal was to figure out a way to somehow put the Biodynamic Tree Paste formula developed by Peter Escher back into the biodynamic tool shed. But in May of 1984, that all changed when Josephine Porter passed away and I was asked by Owen Holder, a board member of the BDA, to carry on Josephine’s work of making and distributing the biodynamic preparations. As it subsequently turned out, this was not to be under the auspices of the Association, but as a private enterprise separate from that organization. At that point, I determined to establish a non-profit organization to be known as the Josephine Porter Institute for Applied Biodynamics (JPI), which received a charter in October of 1985 from the Commonwealth of Virginia. Although for a time, the preparation production and distribution did end up under the auspices of the BDA, in 1992, the Board agreed to have JPI assume all responsibility for the work but also provided some grant monies for a time to support the work until JPI reached a point of sustainability. After lengthy discussion with the Pfeiffer Foundation, they agreed to transfer the rights to the formulas for the Pfeiffer Compost Starter and Field Spray to Hugh Courtney and JPI. Thus, production of these valuable contributions to biodynamic agriculture and the world would continue into the future. Beginning in the early 2000s, the BDA ceased the grant support, and I began to look for a way to retire from JPI and started looking for a successor. Initially, JPI gave some thought to purchasing the Courtney farm to continue the work in Woolwine, but subsequently did not develop any concrete plans for such a purchase. In the Spring of 2009, when the possibility of a sale of the Courtney farm to JPI was removed from consideration by my parents, as there had been no offer from the Board of Directors, we initiated under Virginia law an entity that was named Earth Legacy Agriculture, LLC. Its purpose was to continue my work in biodynamics upon my eventual retirement from JPI, provide consultation to serious farmers seeking to convert to biodynamic practices, continue to make and provide biodynamic preparations to discerning clients, produce a library of various pest remedies for the biodynamic practitioner, and continue to educate people in the best techniques of biodynamic preparation making. At that time, it was envisioned that JPI would remain on the Courtney farm under a long-term lease agreement of 50 years. The 15year lease under which JPI was then operating was due to expire on December 31, 2012 and had been granted for an annual rent of $600 as well as commitments to maintain facilities and fences. Cattle at the time, as is the case to this day, were owned by the Courtney farm. In the end, negotiations for a long-term lease fell through and the JPI Board of Directors determined to move to a storefront operation in the nearby town of Floyd, Virginia, and begin the search for another farm property in Floyd

County. At that point, in June of 2013, I resigned from all connections to JPI. Unfortunately, my departure from JPI was viewed by many in the biodynamic community as my total severance from biodynamic preparations work. This was a view that seemed to be encouraged by some, and I did not have the resources to correct that view. However, at least a few people maintained contact with me and found out that Earth Legacy Agriculture could still serve their preparation needs. One of the first business decisions we made at ELA was to package the compost preparations in glass bottles with a minimum of five sets furnished with one’s order. Having always been concerned about maintaining the efficacy of the preparations, packaging in glass bottles provided a safer means of shipping and also could serve as storage containers for the end user, especially if placed in suitably prepared holes cut into a bale of peat moss as a temporary measure. I continue to make and distribute preparations through ELA, which in 2018 reverted to a sole proprietorship under my name. Over my many years of working with the biodynamic preparations, I have always tried to be both creative in the use of the preparations and responsive to the client who seeks guidance in their use. I am continuing this practice through ELA. Among the biodynamic innovations which I originated are the Sequential Spray Technique and the Tree Energizer Kit, as well as providing and promoting the use of the Three Kings preparation originated by Hugo Erbe. Recently, in further creative effort with the biodynamic preparations, I have joined with my wife, Elisabeth, who is a Naturopathic Doctor and Homeopath, to create some special remedies, Buddhi I, II and III, which will also be available in the future through ELA, it is hoped. These remedies incorporate the biodynamic preparations as well as certain homeopathic remedies in a variety of ways and are intended to support etheric, astral, and spiritual levels in the kingdoms of nature beyond the physical dimension. During the ensuing years since JPI departed the farm, besides the usual preparations production and distribution, I have focused particularly on developing the library of pest remedies mentioned above and have had good success with such things as VA Tick Harmonic at a D-10 potency in lactose. If one carries a small vial of this remedy in one’s pocket while out in the woods or a tick-infested meadow or pasture, it seems to be able to keep them virtually tick free. The remedy contains both Dog and Deer Ticks and people from Vermont, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, and, of course, Virginia, have reported good success at keeping ticks away. I will continue to be as creative, innovative, and responsive in the future in working with biodynamic agriculture through the current vehicle of Earth Legacy Agriculture.

Upcoming Workshops at Earth Legacy Agriculture in Woolwine, Va : Yarrow, Stinging Nettle and Silica: June 22 and June 23, 2019

Making the 9 Biodynamic Preparations: October 29 – November 3, 2019

For more information go to earthlegacyagriculture.com or email hughjcourtney@gmail.com

Hugh Courtney, a veteran and librarian, discovered Steiner’s Agriculture Course in 1975 at a health food store in College Park, Maryland. This led him to Josephine Porter, who was making biodynamic preparations according to Steiner’s indications. He apprenticed under Josephine and, when she died in 1984, took up her work. He established the Josephine Porter Institute in Woolwine, VA, and, more recently, Earth Legacy Agriculture..