Biodynamics
is the name given to an agricultural method based on the indications of Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). The Agricultural Course in 1924 was his response to inquiries from farmers and veterinarians in Germany who were concerned about the rapidly deteriorating health and vitality of their plants and animals. Steiner's insights emphasized the need for a healthy, living soil (bio-) with a concrete relationship to cosmic (-dynamic) forces. He set forth the principles of a modern, organic agriculture that works with life-regulating processes and subtle catalysts such as trace elements and enzymes. Work with the land, he believed, needed to be both thoroughly practical and grounded in spiritual understanding.

The Pfeiffer Center strives to integrate this spiritual dimension into its courses, workshops, internships and other educational activities.

The Pfeiffer Center Garden is at the heart of everything we do.  
Started in 1996, this oasis of mixed vegetables and flowers began to show the benefits of biodynamic treatment within the first year.

The garden is a humming hive 
of activity in every season...

Gardening with children. 
Our children s experience of the world is increasingly supplanted by virtual reality and estranged from nature. In the garden, head, heart and hands are integrated with the rhythms and processes of life, the interactions of the earth and the cosmos.

 ...a world of discovery for every age...

• Center courses and seminars offer hands-on training in the application of these principles for educators and parents.

• Schoolchildren from the greater New York area come with their teachers to visit and learn.

• On-site consultations help interested schools set up and maintain educational gardens and other environments.

Research and education in beekeeping are ongoing in our apiary.
 The honeybee seems to be a barometer for the health of our friends and helpers, the domesticated animals. Compared to only 50 years ago, all of these animals show a drastic reduction in natural health and reproductive capacity. The honeybee itself can not even survive in the short term without a growing arsenal of medications to fend off parasites and diseases. But these tactics are not winning the war. We must face the fact that it is the methods we use to manipulate nature, maximizing yields without regard for the long-term consequences, that are at the root of our crisis. Concerned people from across North America come to the Center s beekeeping workshops to study more beneficial ways of nurturing and keeping bees

 ...and a haven for nature's bounty.  
            Come and visit us.

The Pfeiffer Center has been supported by grants from

• The Biodynamic Association

• The Threefold Educational Foundation

• The Solidago Foundation, Inc.

• The Josephine Bay Paul Foundation

• The Rudolf Steiner Foundation

• The Hungry Hollow Co-Op

• The Nature Place Day Camp

• Waldorf School's Fund

• As well as many private individuals