Mixed biodynamic farming in far north Queensland.

Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia

Guest: Adam Collins, Kisima Farm, Evelyn Tablelands (FNQLD)

Introduction to this episode:

My guest on this episode of the series, Adam Collins, was born and raised in Kenya, and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture in the United Kingdom. However he says that after five years of learning how to ‘kill’ everything he felt disillusioned as he believed that farming should be “about growing life, not killing it.” In 1985 Adam’s family moved to Australia and bought a 100-acre block in far North Queensland near Ravenshoe named Kisima Farm - the ‘place of peaceful water.’ After doing some soul-searching and travelling, Adam partnered with his father on the farm in 1999 and began his systematic journey into biodynamic practice from that point on.

A written account of Adam's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website.

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment - 0.00
• Generic podcast series introduction. – 0.30
• This episode introduction - 2.04
• Guest self-introduction: description of current work and farm profile – 3.07
• Can you define and describe biodynamics in 2023 – 5.22
• How do biodynamics contrast to more conventional growing methods? – 8.57
• (Includes description of biodynamic preparation work – 11.52
• How did you first become involved with biodynamic growing in the first place? -21.34
• Tell us more about the biodynamic methods you are use on your farm - and the beneficial effects they have. – 27.22
• How do you go about teaching and training others in biodynamic methods? - 31.40
• (Includes description of stirring work involved in biodynamic preparations – 36.26
• How have you incorporated the spiritual/cosmic aspects of biodynamics into your work? – 40.22
• (Includes discussion of the benefits of higher food quality and human health and wellbeing- 44.50
• What are some of the challenges you have faced in your biodynamic journey? - 51.04
• The key importance of long and thoughtful observation in biodynamics -54.56
• What does the future hold for your farm and for biodynamic practice more generally? - 58.20
• Guest take home message – 1.02.36

• Guest parting advice to audience on biodynamic adoption – 1.06.06
• Thanks, acknowledgements and episode close. – 1.08.16
• End of episode – 1.10.44

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Guest: Adam Collins, Kisima Farm, Evelyn Tablelands (FNQLD)

Email: [e-mail] WEB: Biodynamics FNQ Tel: [phone]

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: [phone] Email WEB Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: [phone] Email WEB Facebook

Production:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 9th October 2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series - brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Our short listener survey is available now on Survey Monkey. It consists of simple questions which should take less than five minutes to complete.

The survey has been created to encourage our audience to give more feedback than is usually generated via podcast app rating scores and comments. We value any ideas, insights or comments listeners might have which could help us develop possible future podcast offerings. All feedback received will be treated as anonymous data and will only be used for the strict purpose of helping us better design possible future podcast media.

The survey is available at this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7HNFFBQ

IDEAS MENTIONED AND RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE DISCUSSION

KISIMA FARM, EVELYN TABLELANDS FAR NORTH, QUEENSLAND – MORE DETAILS

See guest entry in the profile booklet companion to this podcast: Stories of our biodynamic farmers

and gardeners in Australia, Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd (2023)

Newspaper article on Kisima Farm bumper garlic crop harvest (March 2021)

GUEST INFLUENCES MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Peter Procter (died 2018) Book: Grasp the Nettle: Making Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Work (2004 edition). Google Books review

Documentary: One Man, One Cow, One Planet (2007) a story of Procter’s teaching and training work in India - and the use of biodynamics by marginal farmers there to regenerate their lands as an alternative to the bio-colonialism of multinational corporations.

Hugh Lovel: Book: A Biodynamic Farm, For Growing Wholesome Food (2000 edition) Amazon books review A recent video of Hugh Lovel offering farm consultancy in the USA Part 1 (2019)

John Priestly: A number of interviews on biodynamic topics contained on a podcast series Quantum Agriculture.

Cheryl Kemp: a short YouTube video with Cheryl talking about ‘biodynamic silica prep 501 application for atmospheric enhancing of natural vitality (2022). And on Life forces and metaphysics processes

BOOKS MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW:

Charles Massey: Call of the Reed Warbler: A new Agriculture a New Earth (2020 edition) Google Books review.

Rudolf Steiner

The Agriculture Course Lectures (1924) – originally delivered in June 1924 and available in English translation on the Steiner Archives Website.

Recent research paper (J. Paull, University of Tasmania, 2020) offering a brief overview of the historical significance of the Steiner lectures, with a timeline of their various language translation dates.

PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS SUPPORTING BIODYNAMIC GROWING IN AUSTRALIA

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. is one of the peak bodies supporting biodynamic practice in this country and it financed this podcast series. The organisation website offers a wide range of products for sale to ‘home gardeners and farmers including soil activators, kits for home gardens and compost making, specialised pastes and liquid blends. These products are made in Australia ensuring the highest quality and shipped nationwide wide.’ The website also contains links to information on training workshops, educational text and video resources on biodynamics and a free eNewsletter.

Their Biodynamics Handbook comes free with membership of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. Or can be purchased separately at modest cost.

Other organisations in this space include Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Australia and Australian Demeter Biodynamics

CONCEPTS AND OTHER RESEARCH MENTIONED IN INTERVIEW

Holism and (w) holism concepts

Some early ideas by Jan Christian Smuts (late 19th/early 20th century)

Spiritual and cosmic elements within biodynamic practice.

See this fascinating recent academic article (2020) on Spirituality and Soil care in Biodynamic Agriculture based on participant observation research work carried out by Dr. Anna Pigott on a Wales (UK) biodynamic farm.

Past societal collapses occurring through human induced environmental destruction.

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail Or Succeed (Jared Diamond, 2013 edition) Google Books Review

A New Green History Of The World The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations (Clive Ponting, 2011 edition ) Google Books Review

Gut health linked to food quality – the ZOE website and podcast series provides a smorgasbord of cutting edge science on nutrition its effects on gut health and its microbes (the microbiome) and knock on effects to general human health and wellbeing.

Other podcast series containing material relevant to biodynamics and regenerative agriculture.

• The Regenarration podcast with Anthony James (produced in Australia)
• The Regenerative Journey with Charlie Arnott (produced in Australia )
• The Regenerative Agriculture podcast with John Kempf (produced in USA)