This year, Demeter, the leading certification organization for biodynamic agriculture, marks the 100th anniversary of biodynamics. Some may know that the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher and social reformer, laid its foundations. Perhaps this is why his home country is at the leading edge of environmental stewardship today, especially when it comes to viticulture.
If you don’t know very much about Steiner himself, you are not alone. In the annals of history, few figures stand as complex and enigmatic as Rudolf Steiner. Born in 1861 in the Austrian Empire (in a town that is now part of Croatia), Steiner was a polymath whose influence extended far beyond the conventional boundaries of academia and philosophy. His insight into spirituality and connecting it with science created a legacy that continues to reverberate.
“He was very valuable, especially for our times because we have become very technical,” says Karl Schnabel, proprietor of Weingut Karl Schnabel—Ermihof in the Austrian region of Styria. “Life and nature cannot always be solved in a technical way.”
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Since childhood, an insatiable hunger for knowledge seemed to drive Steiner. He studied at the Vienna University of Technology, where he immersed himself in many different subjects, including the natural sciences, mathematics and philosophy. However, later in life he drew inspiration from the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that led him down new paths. The idea that there is no limit to human knowledge, alongside Goethe’s holistic approach to science and art, inspired Steiner to explore the synthesis of the physical and spiritual realms.
He developed his own unique system of thought, which he called Anthroposophy—a term derived from the Greek words for “human” and “wisdom.” Central to this philosophy was the belief in the inherent spiritual nature of humanity and the cosmos. This perspective formed the basis of his approach to education, medicine, agriculture and the arts, which he saw as avenues for nurturing and expressing the human spirit.
“This is the ancient knowledge that was present in the past but has been lost with industrial developments,” says Eduard Tscheppe, who runs the Gut Oggau winery in Austria’s Burgenland with his wife, Stephanie Tscheppe-Eselböck. “Before people would come into the room and analyze by energy and spirit, but nowadays they analyze by what they see.”
Andreas Roll, owner of the biodynamic winery Gustavshof, removes horn silica from a cow horn. On Demeter farms, cow horns are sometimes buried in the vineyard, filled with ground quartz or manure – Photography by Uwe Anspach/picture alliance via Getty Images
New Schools
Steiner’s insights led to the development of Waldorf education—a holistic approach that seeks to cultivate a child’s intellectual, emotional and spiritual dimensions. Waldorf schools, which now exist on every continent, emphasize creative, experiential learning and aim to foster a deep reverence for the natural world. One such school was founded in Austria by Meinklang, the country’s largest biodynamic farm and winery. The farm’s proprietor, Werner Michlits, sees the school as “a rich source for the future.”
Steiner’s influence extended to the field of agriculture, where he developed the principles of biodynamic farming—a method that seeks to work in harmony with the spiritual forces inherent in nature. The jubilee that Demeter celebrates this year marks 100 years since Steiner gave eight lectures at the request of farmers who were becoming wary of the increasing use of artificial fertilizers and chemical sprays in agriculture. The basis of his teachings, which involve practices such as crop rotation, composting and the use of herbal preparations, have gained traction in the last decade or two as a more sustainable alternative to conventional farming methods.
