In North America such as sight is much more rare, unless one is fortunate to be passing a Biodynamic farm. Those who have traveled in Europe may have noticed when crossing the countryside that many of the cows seen grazing the truly pastoral scenery have horns. Regardless where the conversation on polled cattle goes core to the philosophy of Biodynamic agriculture is the idea that this blood filled sentient organ (the horn) functions as a "locality where the incoming stream of forces is particularly strong", core to the inherent being of a cow and its relation to the land where it resides. ![]() There currently also is a strong movement towards applying CRISPR technology to breeding polled dairy cattle (something that clearly would not be permitted in Biodynamic production). There are some existing commercial beef breeds, such as Angus, that are the result of being genetically polled by human breeding close to 1000 years ago. This is an interesting on going conversation. Certifying polled animals Biodynamic also is not currently permitted in the Demeter Standard. Cattle have been bred to be without horns (polled). This is the removal of a blood filled, sentient organ literally connected to the sinus cavities of the animal itself and is not permitted in Biodynamic certification. Needless to say the process of dehorning is a traumatic one. Cattle evolved with blood filled, sentient horns that played a key role in the function and evolution of the species. The bone grows into it forming a boney core that is penetrated by blood cells, furnished with nerves and containing internal air spaces that develop and connect with the sinus cavities and literally the breath of the cow herself. On the contrary the horn is a condensed protrusion of the skin. The horn itself is not just an auxiliary growth of bone protruding from the skull. Native cattle such the Bison, Yak and Auroch have lineage to the Earth's evolutionary DNA, void of human intervention. Biodynamic ruminants have horns- what's that about? Cattle themselves have a long lineage back in evolutionary time of Ungulates that includes other horned ruminants such as goats, antelopes and giraffes. The goal is to recognize and utilize this in Biodynamic farm management.Įnter to that equation the horn. The relationship between the Earth, ruminants grazing it, and the Sun is an ancient principle inherent to the organic functioning of the Earth herself. One reason that integrating livestock back into diverse cropping systems, and out of the CAFO's, is a principle of the US Demeter Farm Standard is an attempt at bio-mimicry. As we know humus holds 90% of the water of a saturated atmosphere (such as rain), it holds onto crop nutrients, cycles nitrogen and there is a yet to be discovered universe to be found in the living processes that follow the native process of ruminants massaging the Earth with their mouths. The process of photosynthesis that begot the vegetation the Bison consumed along with what transpired between the Bison and the predators that regularly herded them, yielded humus, and lots of it. Photosynthesis is an interaction between the Earth and the Sun. Very fertile soils were built based on this relationship. From a farm management perspective this creates the opportunity to cycle carbon/fertility on farm, not only from the manure produced but also the contribution of sod to a farms crop rotation, as this is a phase where, sans tillage, soil humus can be significantly developed and carbon sequestered.įor North Americans take the example of the relationship between the Bison and the native prairies upon which they roamed, a region that stretched from Canada down to Mexico. The Demeter Farm Standard specifies that at least 1/2 of the feed has to come from the farm where the ruminants reside and 80% of it has to be Biodynamic. They graze it, cycling the vegetation ruminated towards enlivened soil humus. So first off one needs to have a focus on the contribution of these meditative critters to farm system as a whole. ![]() It has its roots in the idea that a farm can be a holistic, regenerative, and self regulating system. Rudolf Steiner- Agriculture course –lecture 4īiodynamic ruminant production is an interesting proposition. What happens in the places where the hooves and the horns are growing? A locality is created where the incoming stream of forces is particularly strong. ![]() Have you ever wondered why cows have horns.? It's a most important question. For Farmers Musings on Biodynamic® cows, their horns, and the evolution of the Earth.
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