biodynamic coffee farming |

coffee talk

Most people are aware of the difference between veggies that are organic and ones that are conventional. While the word, organic, is a household term, it is still relatively new. It refers to a product that is not only better for our health, but was also grown responsibly, caring for the environment it is using. To buy something that is an organically grown item, you are voting with your dollars to say, “I believe farmers should practice techniques that are good for our environment.” All of this is well and good, but becoming a certified organic farm is extremely expensive. That’s not to say that the practices are way more expensive, but getting the board to come to the farm and give it a certificate of organics is.

When it comes to our coffees that we carry, we like to try to have at least one certified organic option, however, there is always a case for the smaller farms. What we have noticed, not only in food farming, but maybe even more-so in coffee farming, is that most of these are farms are extremely small family operations. Farms like Dos Ninas, where our Las Marias bean comes from, is run by a family of three, our Bunum Wo is from a family estate in PNG run by Vicram and his family. Stories like this are more and more common with small coffee farms across the board. The thing is, they are all still responsibly farming everything, more than enough to get a certification, but as previously mentioned, it’s extremely expensive. We have alway chosen to support these kind of farms because we believe in what they are doing, and we know their product is fantastic. All that being said, the idea of a Biodynamic farm, well that’s a different story.

The term Biodynamic is referring to the practices of a certain farm. Very similar to organic, biodynamic farms will always choose responsibility in farming techniques and any farm that is biodynamic should be extremely close to being organic as well! Discussing the regulations of biodynamic farming is important to understanding what makes this coffee farm so special. The leading website about biodynamics (listed here) says this summation of the term, “Biodynamics is a holistic, ecological, and ethical approach to farming, gardening, food, and nutrition.” They also refer to a biodynamic farm as “a living organism” and something that “supports integrity and diversity in seeds and breeds.” In a nutshell, what a biodynamic farm needs to be is summed up in a statement found in the Demeter Association, INC Biodynamic Farm Standards notice, “… a view of nature as an interconnected whole, a totality, an organism, endowed with archetypal rhythm. Biodynamic farming involves managing a farm utilizing the principles of a living organism.”

The practice of running a biodynamic farm is a rigorous one, making sure no outside and unnatural resources are making its way onto the land. Everything the farm needs, is produced right there on the farm. Care for the crops in a method that is naturally occurring to the farm, and managing pests with the use of already present animals, is a huge commitment. A commitment that we believe passes through to the final cup of coffee. The farm that we purchase this coffee from is headed up by a fantastic woman named Unnamalai Thiagarajan, who in 2003, took over running the coffee farm that has been in her husbands family since the 1970s. After seeking out teachings on farming (this was her first venture into it) she quickly realized that most of the fertilizers and pesticides were too expensive and labor intensive to use. This is when her vision shifted to biodynamic farming practices. This farm specifically uses Vedic methods for maintaining and growing their crop. This ancient form of cultivation aligns with the principles of biodynamic farming; all materials that are used in the growing of these crops, are produced right on the farm. From making their own fertilizer, to a tonic to spray on their crops, Balmaadi Estate does it all. They even preform a sunrise offering (called Agnihorta) to the Sun God, and the resulting ashes are sprinkled over the farm as a pest repellent.

When sitting around a table, drinking this coffee, it’s hard to ignore everything that went into producing it. Running one of 10 biodynanic in the world, Unnamalai does an incredible job producing a bean, and caring for the land in a way that most have not considered going to the extremes to do. The method of biodynamic farming, is a strenuous one, but we believe that its effects can be seen in the farmers, the land, and the final cup. We feel proud to be able to roast this product, highlighting the story of the Balmaadi Estate and of Unnamalai Thiagarajan.

To read more about biodynamic coffees, please check out The Biodynamic Association, Demeter USA Standards, and an awesome film called Biggest Little Farm.