Biodynamic Farming Diploma Program Modules - Rudolf Steiner College Canada

Foundation Module

The Foundation module of the Biodynamic Farming Diploma program consists of 14 mandatory units. Each unit includes a set number of online synchronous (live) teaching hours for knowledge transfer. These are followed by additional online asynchronous material. This material will guide students to do their own research to produce assignments, reports or records to assess their understanding of the knowledge. This will lead, finally, to practical evidence of students’ know how on the unit by recorded action or witness statement.

Objective

This Foundation Module will provide the student with the knowledge and skill competencies required to understand the Biodynamic Principles of farming/gardening. These include the relationship between the soil, plant, animal and human being and how the cosmic forces surrounding the earth affect farm management decisions. The goal of all this is to produce healthy organic/biodynamic food for people. Students will gain the confidence to plan and manage the production, processing and marketing of the quality produce of the farm or garden they are working in. They will learn to do it without causing harm to the environment, the animals or the people of the enterprise. Students will learn to do this while also conforming to the Demeter International Standards for Biodynamic production and processing, which are more stringent than Organic Standards.

Mandatory Units

Each unit consists of 2 live (synchronous) Zoom classes of 2 hours each, a total of 4 hours of live teaching per unit. Students must attend scheduled Zoom classes in real time by using a variety of video conferencing, live chatting and live stream lectures.

Students will have access to self guided lessons of pre-recorded video content, lecture notes and virtual library material to complete their research and practical exercises. Students must watch the pre-recorded lectures in their own time (asynchronous theory) prior to the set date of a Zoom class with the instructor (synchronous theory). This gives the instructor and students the opportunity to discuss the pre-recorded lectures, optimizing the live Zoom session time for knowledge transfer and understanding.

After each live Zoom class, students will receive self study assignments and do their own research to broaden their knowledge and to show their understanding of the knowledge received. Students will have access to support from the instructor and director (if needed) until the unit is completed.

The estimated time for each unit is 1 – 1.5 months, if the student does the work on time. With this suggested timeframe for each unit, the entire diploma program can be completed in 24 months (2 years).

Brief Unit Descriptors – Mandatory

Change and Challenge in Farming

This unit aims to provide students with an introduction as to how farming has changed over time to imagine a more sustainable farming future.

The Farm Organism

This unit aims to demonstrate how the principles of the farm as an organism help to guide farming practice to benefit health and adaptability to all parts of the farm.

Soil Life and Phenomenology

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of soil in its many aspects. Biodynamic farming and gardening places special emphasis on supporting long-term vitality in the soil. It is vital that biodynamic practitioners have a thorough understanding of the origins (soil formation), structures (classification), characteristics and activities in the soil.

Farm Fertility and Compost

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of farm fertility: how it is understood within a biodynamic approach, how fertility is supported with biodynamic practices and the overall significance of fertility on the farm organism.

Biodynamic Preparations

The biodynamic preparations are at the heart of biodynamic farming and growing as they articulate both the principled approach and the practical implications of working with the land.

Soil Cultivation and Care

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of why farmers cultivate the soil and what machines or tools they use under specific conditions.

Land-Based Machinery

This unit aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to operate land-based machinery efficiently and safely. This includes basic maintenance, health and safety procedures as well as developing skills through practice.

Plant Life and Phenomenology

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles of healthy agricultural plants as well as the biodynamic concept of the plant as an organism that develops within the influences of both earth and cosmos.

Seed Production

This unit aims to explore the importance of seeds and the source of seeds for a biodynamic farm.

Animal Life and Phenomenology

This unit aims to provide students with an introduction to animal physiology as well as a broader, more holistic understanding of animals.

Environmental Rhythms and Astronomy

This unit aims to explore environmental rhythms in agriculture and its connection with astronomical rhythms.

Enterprise Planning

This unit aims to provide learners with the knowledge and skills needed to plan the finances of an enterprise over the course of one year.

Reflective Practice

This unit aims to help students become conscious of their personal and professional development journey over the course of the qualification and to provide students with an opportunity to engage in an individual development activity relevant to the qualification.

Farm Improvement Project

This unit aims to improve a farm by implementing a project inspired by what was learned in this qualification.

Elective Module

The student selects 2 (20 hour) units from the range of 5 Environment Care units and 2 (20 hour) units from the range of 5 Human Development units, according to their interests and desired fields of expertise. Each unit includes a set number of online synchronous (live) teaching hours for knowledge transfer, followed by additional online asynchronous material to guide students doing their own research to produce assignments/reports or records to assess their understanding of the knowledge and finally practical evidence of their know how on the module by recorded action or witness statement.

Objective

The Elective module will provide the student with further knowledge and skill competencies required to understand the Biodynamic Principles of farming/gardening. These include the relationship between the soil, plant, animal and human being and how the cosmic forces surrounding the earth affect the management decisions. One of the goals with all these practices is to produce healthy organic/biodynamic food for people. Students will gain the confidence to plan and manage the production, processing and marketing of the quality produce of the farm or garden they are working in. They will learn to do it without causing harm to the environment, the animals or the people of the enterprise. Students will learn to do this while also conforming to the Demeter International Standards for Biodynamic production and processing, which are more stringent than Organic Standards.

Elective Units

of a Zoom class with the instructor (synchronous theory). This gives the instructor and students the opportunity to discuss the pre-recorded lectures, optimizing the live Zoom session time for knowledge transfer and understanding.

The allocated time for each unit is 1 month, if the student does the work on time. With this suggested timeframe for each unit, the entire diploma program can be completed in 24 months (2 years).

Brief Unit Descriptors – Environment Care Units and Human Development Units

Water Resources

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles of water husbandry in differing climates.

Energy and Carbon

This unit aims to provide students with knowledge and understanding about current climate change issues of energy and carbon related to agriculture.

Farm Ecosystem

This unit aims to provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to identify, create and maintain habitats which support ecological diversity within the wider landscape of the farm.

Sustainable Resources

This unit aims to explore issues of sustainability in resource management in the context of a biodynamic farm.

Climate and Weather

This unit aims to provide students with the observational techniques for understanding the weather in the landscape.

Culture and Agriculture

This unit aims to explore this relationship and encourages students to enliven cultural activities in farming.

Biodynamics and Anthroposophy

This unit aims to provide students with an introduction to the philosophy that stands behind and informs biodynamic agriculture.

Nutrition and Food

This unit aims to introduce students to the biodynamic approach to nutrition.

Land Based Therapeutic Care

This unit explores the potential for land-based work to engage individuals in transformative processes.

Local Community Project

This unit aims to connect farms with local communities, to support the local food network and support local sustainability.

Experience Module (Practicum)

The Experience module consists of practical, on-farm experience. The student selects 2 (200 hour) units from the range of 17 experience units according to their interests and desired fields of expertise.

The Guided Learning Hours for this module should take place within an experience-based learning environment (either on a farm or garden), under the supervision of an employer or other supervising subject expert. The subject matter of this unit requires substantial practical experience; therefore, a significant proportion of the learning hours are attributed to independent experience-based learning.

The allocated time for this practicum module is 2.5 – 3 months. With this suggested timeframe for each unit, the entire diploma program can be completed in 24 months (2 years).

Objective

This is an experience-based learning qualification and therefore requires significant commitment from learners in the development of practical skills. In addition to completing the 2 units of their choice, students are required to work in a land-based setting whilst undertaking this qualification. Ideally this would be on a full-time basis to complete the practicum in 2.5 – 3 months. This practical experience is essential in underpinning the development of learners’ knowledge, understanding and skills.

Brief Unit Descriptors

Vegetable Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a vegetable growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Fruit Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a fruit growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Flower Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a flower growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Herb Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage an herb growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Seed Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a seed growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Protected Growing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a protective growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Grassland and Fodder

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a grassland and fodder growing enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Arable Production

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage an arable production enterprise as part of a biodynamic farm organism.

Cattle Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a herd of cattle.

Sheep Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a herd of sheep.

Goat Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a herd of goat.

Pig Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a herd of pigs.

Poultry Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage poultry.

Dairy Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage a herd of dairy cows.

Bee Husbandry

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary for working with bees in the context of a biodynamic farm organism.

Working with Draught Animals

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage and work with draught animals.

On-Farm Processing

This unit aims to provide students with the philosophical, theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to manage on farm processing. It can be of great benefit for the biodynamic practitioner to produce value added products on the farm. This may include a wide variety of products from green woodwork and charcoal to on-farm food processes.