Demeter Association November Newsletter

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Demeter Newsletter -- Novmember 2024

Greetings from Demeter!

In this issue:

+ Standards Feature: Sprouts and Micgrogreen Production

+ Notes from the Field: Biodynamic Farming in Thailand

+ Update from the Biodynamic Industry Working Group

+ Grant Funding: Aid for Transitioning to Regenerative Ag

+ Announcements of upcoming Conferences

+ Staff Corner -- Recruiting and Training new Inspectors

Please send future newsletter content suggestions or questions to: [email protected]

Certification Cycle Update

The Demeter team is working hard to wrap up reviews and complete the 2024 certification cycle for our certified operations.

Please respond promptly to any Findings Reports sent to you this year so we can close out all issues and complete your review.

Questions about certification?

Please contact Sarah Rhynalds: [email protected].

Notes from the Field...

A Visit to Thailand

A Travel Update from Mike's Organic Curry Love

Michael Buechi and Laurie Sebestyen, Demeter-certified Traders and owners of Mike's Organic Curry Love, traveled back to Thailand recently, visiting their farmer partners to discuss new products, taste samples and plan future projects. And of course, that meant eating lots of excellent Thai foods!

They agreed to share some photos and thoughts about their trip in our newsletter.

Much of the food grown in Thailand is inherently organic & even regenerative on many of the smaller farms. However less than 1% of crops are certified organic and even less are certified Biodynamic.

Most consumers are still unaware of Demeter in the US and the same goes for Thailand but generally Thai people take for granted the produce they buy is responsibly grown and harvested and that farmers are protecting the soil from harmful additives. This is fine in a place where there is great respect for nature but our hope is to expand awareness in both countries so demand goes up and with that financial incentives will likely follow. It’s hard work and it takes great dedication and we as partners and consumers need to make sure their work is not in vain. The people working in this field need to be fairly compensated for their efforts and recognized for the work they do which benefits all, even the people who don’t buy Biodynamic foods, because they protect the soil for future generations. For us, certification is the best way to ensure compliance while creating greater awareness in the CPG industry.

“It’s a great feeling knowing your partners are on the same page and there’s no need to explain how important this is to our brand as they are pioneers in Biodynamic farming and believe in it wholeheartedly.” --Chef Michael Buechi

We are reserving a spot in each of our newsletters to feature a farmer or other certified business owner. If you'd like to write a brief article about your experience with Biodynamic Production, Processing, or Marketing, or answer some interview questions about your operation, we'd love to share it with our readers!

Please contact Nell at [email protected] for more details.

Standards Feature:

Sprouts and Microgreens Production

The Biodynamic Farm Standard is posted on Demeter USA's website and can be found at this link: Demeter-Farm-Standard.pdf

One recent update to the Standard was an expansion of the section on Sprouts and Microgreens production. The change details where seed can be sourced from, and use of the preparations in growing mediums.

The full text is as follows:

D. Certified Sprouts and Microgreens

For sprouts and microgreens to be Demeter Certified, the seed must be from a certified Biodynamic source. The growing medium for microgreens ideally originates from the farm. Commercial growing mediums must be approved for use by Demeter and be inoculated with Biodynamic Preparations 500 and 502-507. Greening of sprouts and microgreens must occur by sunlight.

The growth must take place in or on food grade surfaces that have no potential for contamination with prohibited materials.

The room or area in which the sprouts are grown must not pose any contamination threat to the integrity of the product.

Water used must meet processing requirements for chlorine (4ppm) and fluoride (4ppm) and be tested at regular intervals for E. coli and other disease organisms. Consult your local health department for further requirements in your locality.

Demeter processing guidelines apply.

What is Biodynamic Agriculture?

We want to hear your one-liners!

We're asking because we'd like to add a page to our website where visitors can read a range of descriptions. Reading what others say about the Biodynamic movement has the potential to speak to a wider audience, and may re-enliven our own way of speaking about it!

Please send your interpretations to: [email protected]

Growing the Biodynamic Marketplace

An update from the Biodynamic Industry Working Group

The potential for developing the market for Demeter Certified Biodynamic® quality products in the US has been long recognized, however attempts at market development over the past two decades have largely failed. While organizational development and lack of financial resources have been limiting factors in developing the market, the Biodynamic movement has also struggled with balancing the unique dynamic between supply and demand in farming and food systems.

With the formation of the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance by the Biodynamic Association and Demeter USA, a framework was established to help bring forward an effective marketing and economic development initiative to advance Biodynamic agriculture and products in the United States. Currently, a marketplace working group is engaged in identifying relevant and effective strategies to build the Biodynamic brand in the US. Members of the group represent a broad cross-section of our Biodynamic community and include licensees and others with experience in small to larger scale farming, direct-to-consumer goods as well as nationally distributed retail CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods), vertically integrated farm to bottle production, value chains, and a diversity of certification programs and labels. In addition, collaboration with our colleagues at the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International (BFDI) is helping to inform us with respect to challenges and opportunities and to build on the success of biodynamics in Europe in other parts of the globe (see You Will Grow for a BFDI marketing campaign).

While we are excited to take up this work, we recognize the challenges are many! The Demeter Certified Biodynamic® brand is not generally recognized in the US, outside of the vineyard and wine sectors, and so has little financial value in the broader marketplace; therefore, there is little incentive to certify, even when biodynamic practices are implemented. The adoption of Biodynamic practices in the US also has been slow as there has been minimal support for education at the production level and for transitioning acreage. In addition, there exist strong competitors in the organic and natural products market.

However, while the organic market has grown in the US, the narrative over what is organic continues to confuse the US consumer, and concerns regarding the integrity of the organic label are widespread. The conflict surrounding the certification of hydroponics as well as the recent emphasis on enforcement programs continue to affect the credibility of the organic label. Additionally, the current focus on regenerative agriculture, the meaning of which is not well defined or regulated, adds confusion to the discussion of what environmentally responsible agriculture looks like.

Biodynamic agriculture and products have a compelling story and strong differentiation from other organic and natural brands. Combined with a 100-year history and an argument for practicing generative agriculture as well as being the original “regenerative agriculture,” the Biodynamic movement is well poised to launch an effective marketing campaign. Critical to supporting that campaign will be identifying strategies to provide short and long term supply and to develop domestic value chains that compensate all stakeholders fairly, with a focus on farmers.

Going forward, the working group will be meeting to do this strategic work with the following objectives:

Increase demand for Demeter Certified Biodynamic® products in the US
Broaden availability of healthy Demeter Certified Biodynamic® products to US consumers
Support the conversion of US farms to Biodynamic production
Reduce barriers to certification for Biodynamic farms and processors in the US
Build reliable and fair food value chains

As we do this work we will also be considering a long term strategy to carry this forward and will be discussing the best organizational form to adopt. While we are currently working within the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance and in collaboration with Demeter USA, we recognize the need for a robust, independent entity with a specific focus on economic development. We are excited to see this form take shape!

And while we have a talented and experienced group (as identified below), we would love your input as well! Please keep an eye out in the next couple of weeks for a survey; we welcome creative ideas, constructive criticisms, and all support. If you are feeling a deeper call to engage in this work please feel free to reach out to me directly or to any of our group with whom you may already be acquainted.

Warm regards for a restful and rejuvenating holiday season and much gratitude for your commitment to biodynamic agriculture,

Beth Hoinacki

Demeter board president

Farmer, Goodfoot Farm

[email protected]

Working group participants:

Craig Camp, Troon Vineyard

Will Bratton, Traditional Medicinals

Arizona Muse, DIRT Charity

Jim Fullmer, Hoskins Berry Farm

Brian Wickert, Natural Health Partners

Isaac Daniels, SunGold Botanicals

Meghan and Keith Rowe, White Leaf Provisions

Lance Hansen, Jack Rabbit Hill

Alysoun Bolger, Biodynamic Federation Demeter International

Bill Sweat, Winderlea Vineyard and Winery

Jessica Roberts, Whole Farm Strategies

- Staff Corner -

Demetria Hill

Certification Specialist

Visiting Churchtown Dairy with Jennie and Jean-David.

Have you noticed a shortage of inspectors?

From meat inspectors to Biodynamic inspectors, we do not have enough in my region, the plains states. I work as an inspector for several organic certifiers, along with being a certification reviewer for the Demeter Association. My family's farm has been certified organic for 30 years, and we've never had an inspector from my state. I have conducted inspections in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas in the last decade.

The National Organic Program (NOP) is actively encouraging more farms to transition to organic certification by providing funding for consultants and mentors through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). If there are more organic operations, there should be more inspectors, too, right? To address this, a key TOPP initiative focuses on Workforce Development, aimed particularly at inspectors and reviewers.

If the movement continues and is successful, we will see an increase in the number of organic farms. I hope we'll see more of them convert to Biodynamic certification as well. And if we do, we will also need more Biodynamic inspectors! It is clear we need to encourage more individuals to fulfill the requirements to become qualified.

As of 2024, the National Organic Program requires new inspectors to complete 2,000 hours of related experience and 50 hours of training. Returning inspectors must complete up to 25 hours of training annually, for all scopes. While professional development is important in any field, these increased requirements provide an additional challenge for those who seek to motivate more people to pursue a career as an inspector.

Currently, there is one official NOP resource for training called the Organic Integrity Learning Center. Beyond these approved online courses, organic certifiers are the gate keepers who determine what qualifies for training hours to meet the new annual requirements.

I have some assurance that Biodynamic inspector training will count toward the required hours. The Demeter staff offers inspector trainings at least once a year.

We can do more individually, to inspire people to become inspectors, especially in underserved areas. I am doing my part by developing an online and in-person training, supported by TOPP. I'll submit my proposal to the program’s administrators by year's end and start offering trainings next year. Let me know if you have suggestions or contacts for the next generation of inspectors!

Grant Opportunity:

2024 Regenerative Transition Grants

The non-profit organization Kiss the Ground has announced that they are offering $500k in Direct-to-Farmer grants. The funding is aimed to help farmers and ranchers transition to regenerative agriculture, and the group recognizes Demeter Certification as a regenerative farming system.

The grant program is the largest in the organization’s 11-year history and, “aims to ease the barriers associated with transitioning to regenerative practices.” In-person training and funds for supplies, infrastructure, and equipment are covered by this grant.

The application process is now open and details can be found here: Kiss the Ground Direct-to-Farmer Grants

An Update from the Biodynamic Association

Look forward to an email in mid December sharing access to the Winter 2024-25 issue of Biodynamics. This issue will share perspectives on the concept of "individuality" and how that is expressed in personal, farm, community, and even global contexts. The next issue will be available in June.

The BDA is excited to introduce a new course series: Core Biodynamics. You can choose from modules that meet your interests, or take them all at once for a full picture of biodynamics as a path for healing agriculture. Stay tuned for more details, including presenters and specific dates, in December.