Organic and Biodynamic | Di Filippo Wines

We have been practicing organic farming since 1994, when our company was first certified according to E.U. regulations. Since then, organic cultivation has become a force of habit, as well as a good technique for conserving the fertility of the soil for future generations.

Nowadays, organic farming is no longer seen as a return to tradition, but as something up to date, because it respects what contemporary society demands of the farmer: to produce with as little pollution as possible, to produce both healthier (through less chemical residues) and tastier food.

The leading principle of organic agriculture is the use of organic substances, whilst the use of synthetic substances is strictly forbidden. Legislation is of course far more complex than one can imagine, and is continually evolving. Let us not forget that it is still not a perfect system, but is continually evolving.

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Organic agriculture looks at the whole agricultural ecosystem and favours the natural properties and fertility of the soil without the use of synthetic or genetically modified products.

The major difference from so-called conventional agriculture is that organic excludes the use of any “unnatural” products and preserves the organic substances in the soil.

This is important for two reasons: whoever produces organically does so not only to avoid the use of chemical means that one tries to reduce to a minimum any action which could be harmful not only to the vines, but to the entire ecosystem.

In agronomic practice organic uses organic fertilizers and cultural rotation which protects the structure of the soil. The fight against the plants’ “enemies”, is only with organic products and with natural techniques, such as sexual confusion or the use of anti-parasites selected from the insects themselves. From the legal aspect, organic agriculture was “born” with the E.U. regulation no. 2092/91 relative to organic production of agricultural products, and the indication of this method on agricultural methods and their food by-products.

In June 2007 a new regulation for organic agriculture was brought into force (EU) Reg. n° 834/2007, which abrogates previous laws and is relative to organic agriculture and the labelling of organic products-both animal and vegetable (including water cultivation).

We started experimenting with biodynamic preparations in 2008, because we realized the need to increase fertility of the soil and to bring back the correct balance between soil, plants and productivity. The main aim of biodynamic farming is to restore to the soil what has been taken away through the practice of modern farming, which is unspontaneous and unnatural. Put simply, of fundamental importance in biodynamic farming is the nurturing of plants through the nurturing of the soil. This often entails the use of microorganisms produced with refined, yet ancient techniques.

Hence, we use Preparation 500, or cow horn manure, which is produced with cow manure matured for six months under anaerobic conditions, 70 cm underground. Once dynamized to activate microorganisms, Preparation 500 is sprayed on the soil. Microorganisms are literally “sown”, reproducing exponentially and increasing the fertility of the soil. An increase in worms is clearly visible, showing maximum richness of the soil.

Extra help to the plants can be provided with Preparation 501, or cow horn silica. Ground quartz is activated by dynamisation in water, and sprayed on the plant to enhance photosynthesis of the leaves and increase the plant’s energy.

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Biodynamic agriculture was born in 1924 following a meeting organized by German farmers, who invited Rudolf Steiner, philosopher, researcher and founder of Anthroposophy, to share the first experiments in response to emerging problems with chemical agriculture incipient at that time.

New points of view regarding the observation of natural phenomena emerged, and in particular, to those relative to the activity of human production. The limitations and partiality of an agrarian technology founded merely on the application of norms of a physical/chemical nature came out strongly amongst the agriculturalists present.

Nothing should be left to itself, but everything connected in a complex relationship which goes beyond purely causal aspects. In biodynamic cultivation, one therefore talks of organic agriculture-meaning paying attention to all those systems composed of living relationships, and not only material.

Fundamental to the concept is that plants must be fed naturally, in other words in soil with increased organic activity, determined by the level of humus and the granular and root structure. This means that the plants are fed by the ecosystem of the soil and not primarily by the soluble salts in the water present in the soil.

Plants grown in this way take in nutrients under the direct influence of the sun, its heat and light, so they may selectively absorb the nutritional elements they need for appropriate growth.

The agriculturalist prepares them on the farm and decides their use, making use of specific laws which govern the Natural Kingdom, extended and developed by the anthroposophical scientific research of Rudolf Steiner, foundation of Biodynamic agriculture.

In agricultural practice, specific agronomic studies are taken into consideration- the astronomical/mathematical sector of the Goetheanum Dornach-CH. These indicate the best times (according to cosmic rhythms) for different phases of the working of the soil, for sowing and harvesting, for the care of animals.