002, Gunther Hauk: Bees and Biodynamics

The humble honeybee does so much more than pollinate and produce honey. She is far more evolved than humans give her credit for. Join us as we discuss bees and biodynamic with Gunther Hauk. Gunther has four decades of experience as a biodynamic beekeeper, gardener, and farmer. In 1996 he co-founded the Pfeiffer Center – one of the first biodynamic training programs in the US. And since that time he has been invited to teach around the world. His book Toward Saving the Honeybee was first published in 2002. And in 2006, Gunther and his wife, Vivian, founded Spikenard Farm. His work was featured in two full-length documentary films about the honeybee crisis – “Queen of the Sun” (2010) and “Vanishing of the Bees” (2009), and he also produced his own educational film “Hour of Decision” (2015).

Take the time to enliven the soil, and watch insect and animal diversity on the land explode!

In this episode...

• Gunther's path to biodynamic agriculture and beekeeping (2:10)
• Rudolf Steiner and Spiritual Science (5:00)
• Biodynamic foundations (7:35)
• The "Laws of Life" (9:10)
• The insect apocalypse is here (12:35)
• The motivation behind the creation of a honeybee sanctuary (14:50)
• The role of compost on a farm or in a garden (25:15)
• Advice for those interested in exploring biodynamics (33:15)
• Enlivening the land increases insect and animal diversity (37:20)
• The mysterious honey bee (39:25)

Resources

• Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary spikenardfarm.org
• Biodynamic Principles & Practices in Farming & Gardening workshop at Spikenard Honeybee Sanctuary (September 26-29, 2019)
• Agriculture: Spiritual Foundations for the Renewal of Agriculture and Bees by Rudolf Steiner; Laws of Life in Agriculture by Nicolaus Remer