International Ag Conference Offers Fertile Topics

I was cruising the Biodynamics Association web site, contemplating attending Pennsylvania’s Sustainable Farming conference the week of January 18th when my imagination was fired by a testimonial and obituary for someone named Devon Strong.

Amazing articles on our relationship to and with animals.

Being curious, I clicked through the link and found an amazing publication by an equally amazing group. Entitled Accompanying Animals with Dignity Into the Future, this was the published report of Agriculture Conference at the Goetheanum (which it describes as the center of a global network of spiritually dedicated people focusing on both art and science).

The conference was held in November of 2015.

I am still trying to wrap my head around who or what was behind the conference — most likely the International Biodynamic Association  but the articles coming out of the conference are astonishing in their insight into our relationship to animals, our interactions with them, what we think we know about animals and what we really should know — what animals can teach us.

Curiously accessible for such an august group, the information validates some of my fundamental beliefs in the lives and souls of the animals we share this planet with.  It also shakes up some of my ideas about raising and killing animals for food.  And it confirms the concept that we share this planet Earth with some fascinating and wise spirits.

While the November conference focused on our relationship to animals, the upcoming conference in February (also at the Goetheanum)  focuses on seeing the Earth as a global garden and asks such questions as:

1. How can we establish a new relationship to nature?
2. How can farmers, gardeners, foresters, landscape gardeners and horticulturalists transform their “gardening” of the Earth in search a way did physical and spiritual nourishment can be provided for all?
3. How can farm enterprises and gardens be opened up for the integration of people looking for Therapeutic Support for a meaningful activity or simply places to go, to see ?

I stumbled into this remarkable site but stayed because the information, the articles and the people ring true for me, because these are people who love our planet and respect all life.