How Dr. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer Contributed to Organic Agriculture in Australia

Summary

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (1899-1961) was 25 years old when Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) delivered his eight lectures on agriculture from 7th June to 16th June 1924. In those eight lectures at Koberwitz, Rudolf Steiner laid the basis for biodynamic agriculture. Steiner advocated an agriculture informed by anthroposophy, and that the ideas he expounded in the eight agriculture lectures should be developed by experiments, practice and observation. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer took up this task and he spent the rest of his life in the pursuit. Pfeiffer published his book ‘Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening’ in 1938. It was the first popular account of bio-dynamic agriculture. In that book Pfeiffer presented the practical results of more than a decade of farming practice and experimentation. Pfeiffer was a major contributor to Australia’s first organic farming journal, the 'Organic Farming Digest' (1946-1955); he was the leading contributing author from the USA. Pfeiffer's lecture tour to Australia planned for 1953, and visiting the states of NSW, Victoria, and South Australia, was cancelled at short notice due to his ill health.