Wisdom distilled from a quarter century of biodynamic growing

GUEST: John Hodgkinson – experienced biodynamic grower and multi-talented volunteer with Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd.

Introduction to this episode:

‘My guest on this episode of the series, John Hodgkinson, is a highly experienced and knowledgeable biodynamic grower who first encountered biodynamic methods in the mid-1990s and started using them on an existing 40 hectare farm he then owned and ran. So impressed was he with early results that he launched  into full-scale adoption of the biodynamic method on his property.

After selling his farm in 2005 John moved to Bellingen NSW and has kept very busy with biodynamics ever since. He maintains his own container garden, has managed numerous rental gardens and he helped develop a veggie garden just outside of the town which supplied bunched salad varieties to a weekly grower’s market stall. John is also member and active volunteer with Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd. which is headquartered in Bellingen. His work for the organisation has included making biodynamic preparations as well as editing and contributing to the News Leaf journal and performing an advisory and educational role.

A written account of John's biodynamic growing experiences is contained in a companion text profile booklet of all the guests interviewed for this podcast series. Also entitled ‘Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners in Australia' details of this written publication are available from the Biodynamics Agriculture Australia Ltd. website. 

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed in mins.

• Guest foreshadow comment  - 0.00
• Generic podcast series introduction. – 0.30
• This episode introduction – 2.03
• Guest self-introduction – 3.51
• How would you describe biodynamics in 2023  – 10.54
• How do biodynamics contrast to more conventional agriculture – 16.42
• How did you first become involved with biodynamic growing in the first place? – 23.12
• Can you tell us more about your biodynamic work and its beneficial impacts? – 32.07
• including on you personally – 40.13 
• with  comments on  the spiritual/cosmic aspects of biodynamics? 
• What are some of the challenges you have faced on your biodynamic journey? – 57.57
• What does the future hold for your work? - 1.02.50

• Guest take home message and biodynamic advice to listeners– 1.06.14
• Thanks, acknowledgements and episode close. – 1.07:56
• End of episode – 1.09:54 
•                                               GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Guest: John Hodgkinson, Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd, Bellingen NSW.

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) Inc.(Australia)

Tel: [phone]  Email  WEB  Facebook

Biodynamic Agriculture Australia Ltd.

25 Nobles Lane, BELLINGEN, NSW 2454,Australia

Tel: [phone]  Email  WEB  Facebook

Production:

 Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 11th October 2023

Interview questions developed by: Anna Kula-Kaczmarski  Incidental Music: James Nicholson

BFGA podcast series -  brief survey (2 – 5 minute) completion

The Stories of our Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners podcast series was produced for Biodynamic Agriculture