LEF spearheads a full-day pre-conference session at the North American Biodynamic Conference

LEF spearheads a full-day pre-conference session

at the North American Biodynamic Conference in Portland, Oregon

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

The session, titled, “Biodynamic Seed for North America: How to Build International Cooperation to Strengthen a Coordinated North American Biodynamic^® Seed Movement” will be led by LEF founders Nathan and Beth Corymb, and is based on the premise that the biodynamic seed movement in Europe can serve as a model and stimulus for developing Biodynamic seed work in North America.

The Development of a biodynamic seed supply in Europe was established over a generation ago through a great deal of initiative, collaborative effort, and support:

• In 1985, the Initiative Circle for Vegetable Seeds from Biodynamic Farming formed out of a workshop held at the Bingenheim social therapeutic farming community in Germany and was formally established there in 1987.

• In 1994, they formed the not-for-profit corporation Kultursaat, to separate plant breeding from commercial activities, in order to be able to raise funds and better focus on plant breeding.

• In 2001 Bingenheimer Saatgut AG was formally incorporated, as a limited company formed to contract with farmers to multiply the varieties developed by the breeders of Kultursaat together with other open-pollinated vegetable varieties suitable for organic growers. The shareholders of the company include the Kultursaat breeders and seed producers.

• By 2004, they were producing and distributing a very large and full selection of vegetable crops and varieties and built a large state of the art seed cleaning, testing, processing and handling facility.

• In 2007, Kultursaat started a gene bank for the collection and “in situ” maintenance of open-pollinated varieties, co-funded by the German government.

The purpose of this November workshop is to develop a North American branch of the Initiative Circle, and to consider how Biodynamic/organic producers can become part of the growers and breeders network of Sativa and Bingenheim and participate in breeding and production for the benefit of both the European and North American Biodynamic seed development. This would strengthen international cooperation, and could provide efficient, economic and readily available access to the varieties coming out of biodynamic breeding and production for both wholesale and retail markets. This would also contribute to open lines of communication and clear agreements among breeders, growers, and multipliers at an international level.

To register, go to: www.biodynamics.com/conference