Biodynamic Course FAQ

Our course:

• Held on the oldest biodynamically stewarded and cultivated land in North America (1926)
• Led by professionals with decades of experience
• Rudolf Stiener’s commonly known as ‘The Agriculture Course’ originally named ‘Spiritual Foundations for the renewal of Agriculture’ is the heart of this course.
• Good for any age, any experience level
• Applies to any scale – home gardener, market grower, farmer
• Occurs in the course of the year (monthly) – filled with discussions, demonstrations + hands on experience, timely, healthful agriculture tasks both biodynamic and organic for the particular season.
• There is hardly a topic not covered
• Just as we focus on ever-developing and unfolding the agriculture individuality of our particular location, so do we in this course try to enable each participant to acquire the capacities and skills to unfold their own particular situation whatever the scale.

This course is offered in person only.

Registration for our 2024-2025 training in now open. You can register here.

People from all walks of life have benefited from the course. Perhaps a quarter may be professional farmers, gardeners, or landscapers, but the rest have included nurses, physicians, artists, nutritionists, computer experts, crafts- and trades-persons, homemakers, teachers, financial consultants, therapists, and many others.

Mac Mead, principal instructor, has more than 45 years of experience with biodynamics. Our guest faculty includes many of the leading authorities on biodynamics from the East Coast—accomplished teachers who are also working farmers and leading researchers with decades of experience.

It’s helpful to have some basic hands-on experience. Even planting a small plot or a few containers at home will give you a head start. Threefold Community Farm also offers seasonal one-day workshops on basic gardening skills that are an excellent complement to the course. Check out events page for upcoming workshops.

Each workshop is a full day, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm or 5:00 pm, with breaks for snacks and lunch. We have some great local options for meals and snacks if you don’t want to pack your own. Most workshop days include both classroom time and outdoor, hands-on activities.

Rudolf Steiner’s series of 1924 lectures, known as The Agriculture Course, is the required reading. Ehrenfried Pfeiffer’s books are also particularly recommended. Books on biodynamics are available from The Biodynamic Association.

You can make up any sessions missed in this year’s course in the following year (as long as your account is paid in full).

Tuition for the course can be paid in one or four installments. Visit this page to register and pay.

The course is designed as a whole; however we have begun offering stand alone classes that can be taken individually. You can find a list of these classes here.

Classes are held on the campus of Threefold Educational Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY, at Threefold Community Farm. Directions by car and public transport can be found on this page. Information about accommodations on campus can be found here.

Yes, some scholarship assistance is available. Please apply to the Biodynamic Association Scholarship Fund first, and if additional funds are needed, please contact us at [email protected].

Call 845.352.5020 x120, or email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

You can register here.