Shaping the future 
Empowering Changemakers in Food and Farming

Intensive study week 12–17 January, 2020 at the Goetheanum, Dornach, Switzerland
Knowledge an tools for those carrying responsibility in the biodynamic movement

Are you looking for tools, methods and an exchange of experiences to:

• move your farm or enterprise into a new phase of development?
• position your enterprise differently in its social surroundings?
• develop a new inner relationship to your enterprise, organisation or initiative?
• transform visions into projects which can be put into practice?
• expand or reduce the scope or context of your work?

You are:

A farmer, gardener, processor or trader or are involved in an organisation or institution connected to biodynamic or organic agriculture.

We take our current activity as the point of departure for this week and ask: where am I at present?

The method:

This intensive week is based on anthroposophy. One of the main aims of the week is to rediscover anthroposophy as a source of inspiration through current, existential questions. The programme is accompanied by impulse contributions on nature, Goetheanism and mankind. The plant as a prototype of development processes will be used as a metaphor and orientation.

During the study week, we will make use of the tools of the U-process developed by Claus Otto Scharmer to work through specific questions related to the activities on farms and in biodynamic organisations.

Using dialogical tools, we will work on our own questions, allowing the 'new' to emerge step by step. Questions will be raised in world café conversations and then expanded on dialogue walks. Sculpting and painting are non-verbal methods of communication, allowing formative processes to be consciously experienced.

Course of the week:

• First step: Defining one’s own situation by dialogue. How is my situation viewed by others and how do I view theirs?
• Second step: Try to discover what inspires and motivates us.
• Third step: Leaving behind what already exists, and immersing ourselves in what wants to emerge. What is coming to meet me from the future? Does this bring me to a threshold and can I cross it?
• Fourth step: We try to distil out these perceptions of the future and become conscious of our own intentions and visions. Does this lead to a new perspective on my work?
• Fifth step: To create a plan to bring something new into our daily work so that it can more closely reflect our core values.

This is an intensive path to develop the faculties needed to shape the future: both for the individual and for the entire biodynamic movement. The Section for Agriculture sees itself as a platform for facilitating the cross fertilisation of ideas for individual and common ways into the future.

Eurythmy

The movement art of eurythmy allows us to develop a stronger awareness of our spatial surroundings. In the process of relating this surrounding space to our own core, our will to act is strengthened. It also enables us to achieve a good balance between letting go and taking the initiative.

The team of facilitators will provide full support for the process throughout:

• Barbara Bäumler: Eurythmist
• Jean-Michel Florin: Co-leader of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum, coordinator of the Biodynamic Association of France.
• Ueli Hurter: Co-leader of the Section for Agriculture at the Goetheanum, farmer at L'Aubier.
• Schirin Oeding: MSc. Organic Agriculture, biodynamic farmer in Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, and project coordinator for Demeter e.V.
• Rachel Schneider: Co-Founder, Institute for Mindful Agriculture

Working languages:

German and English