Ukiah Daily Journal Alsace leads the rest of France in organic and biodynamic wine production. (Sunday February 7th, 2010 – Ukiah Daily Journal - )

Forum on earth-friendly agricultural method set Bio-dynamic agricultural methods, take organic farming a step further. In a series of lectures given as early as 1924, Austrian philosopher and social thinker Rudolf Steiner talked about how the earth was a living organism, that each farm was distinct and needed to be treated differently, and that plants, animals and the soil were inter-related as a self-nourishing system. Unique to the bio-dynamic system is the introduction of special sprays and soil starter preparations called BD 500-508. The preparations not only replenish depleted physical nutrients, which is what organic methods already do, but also activate the “life forces” in the soil and plants. The resulting produce is healthier, is naturally richer in nutrients, and has actually been proven to stimulate the human immune system. (Saturday February 6th, 2010 – Philippine Star)

"Acoustapalooza" "Acoustapalooza," an acoustic journey through history, will be hosted by juniors of Kimerton Waldorf School, 410 W. Seven Stars Road, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. A pasta dinner will be followed by a concert. Proceeds from the event will benefit an upcoming trip to the International Eurythmy Conference in May in Germany. The 24 Kimberton Waldorf juniors will be the first American group to perform. (Friday February 5th, 2010 – Pottstown Mercury - Pennsylvania USA)

The Denver Waldorf School: Physical movement helps punctuate lesson Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_1433856 Vernon has the kids stand behind their chairs as he reads the passage again. When a comma is needed, the students take an exaggerated breath. When a period is required, they plop into their seats. Physical movement is another hallmark of Waldorf education. Here, punctuation melds with exercise as the kids bob in and out of their chairs. (Friday February 5th, 2010 – Denver Post - Denver, Colorado USA)

Ballymena going green with carbon neutral network Camphill Community Glencraig, near Omagh, has been awarded funds to install a biomass district heating scheme using locally sourced wood. (Thursday February 4th, 2010 – Belfast Telegraph - )

Organic vs. biodynamic wine The brainchild of early 20th century Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic farming is a holistic approach to agriculture that views farms and vineyards as self-sustaining ecosystems, and the soil beneath them as a living organism. In biodynamic farming, the relationship between soil, plants, animals and astrological elements is emphasized. (Thursday February 4th, 2010 – Mother Nature Network - USA)

Quality 'key' to pinot's success The sustainability of New Zealand pinot noir producers was covered yesterday, along with organics and bio-dynamics. "The industry is facing a great opportunity to respect the land our wine comes from and the processes that produce it," Mr Keys said. (Thursday February 4th, 2010 – Southland Times - New Zealand)

Community Living gets funds for upgrades Ontario is investing $331,023 to upgrade roofs, wires, windows and security systems for agencies that serve people with special needs, and vulnerable women and children. ... Camphill Communities, which also supports people with intellectual disabilities, received $20,623 to help with wiring upgrades. “This investment will help local service providers improve security, accessibility and energy efficiency at facilities that support vulnerable Ontarians of all ages. It will also create more jobs and boost economic growth,” said Barrie MPP Aileen Carroll. (Tuesday February 2nd, 2010 – Barrie Advance - Ontario, Canada)

Winning wines ... it is made using biodynamic principles (ie, agriculture conducted in tune with nature). The owners prefer to call their concern a ferme, or farm, rather than a domaine (or estate). If you visit la Sansonnière expect to see the very unusual sight of animals running around besides vines. (Sunday January 31st, 2010 – Malaysia Star - Malaysia)

Ontario wines shine but are hard to come by The winery is goes beyond organic, it's now biodynamic, a holistic earth nurturing process. Southbrook is a Canadian success story. Starting from a family fruit and vegetable farm in the Richmond Hill area north of Toronto, the Redelmeiers blazed into fame when they created Canada's first world-class raspberry wine. (Saturday January 30th, 2010 – Toronto Star - Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service 2010 Students from the Waldorf School of Garden City spent the day collecting trash and cleaning the grounds of the Tanglewood Preserve in Rockville Centre, New York. (Friday January 29th, 2010 – Garden City News - Garden City, New York USA)

Rudolf Steiner students prove verse-atile Year 7 pupils from Rudolf Steiner School, in Langley Hill, have entered Poetry Explorers 2009, a contest run once a term. (Friday January 29th, 2010 – Watford Observer - Watford, Hertfordshire UK)

Bertini offers look inside unique pre-college experience Sophomore Julianne Bertini, a 2008 graduate of the Waldorf School of Garden City in New York, is one of the few students at Elizabethtown College who did not follow the traditional path of education. But what makes the Waldorf School different from traditional high schools? (Thursday January 28th, 2010 – Etownian - Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania USA)

Woofing: a howling success Operating in a similar way to the Israeli kibbutz volunteer program, Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) began in England as a weekend ''on-farm'' experience for city-slickers keen to get their hands dirty. (Monday January 25th, 2010 – Sydney Morning Herald - Australia)

This Emerging Food Source May Get Banned from Organic (and it's not GMOs) Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental The USDA's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which determines which products can be certified organic and carry the valuable organic sticker, is leaning against allowing innovative growing systems, such as aquaponics, from the program. Why? Because, according to their logic, food not grown in soil cannot be organic, even if no pesticides, herbicides or hormones are used. (Saturday January 23rd, 2010 – Daily Green - Hearst Digital Media, USA)

Vindication for Ontario raw milk producer Michael Schmidt Michael Schmidt must feel more than relief now his epic battle with Ontario health authorities is coming to an end. Justice of the Peace Paul Kowarsky acquitted Schmidt of all 19 charges laid against the farmer on Thursday. Schmidt wrote on his website Friday "It is a time to celebrate as our right to choose has been upheld." (Saturday January 23rd, 2010 – DigitalJournal.com - Canada)

Home with sustainable style Building work started in 2000, and took three years to complete. The bricks were made locally, using Motueka clay. The walls were finished with clay and sand mixed with a protein binder, and Mr Maples mixed salt water, hydrated lime and yellow oxide to make the rendering. The rooms are rounded, giving a softer effect. "[Rudolf] Steiner talked years ago about how houses should be like wombs – rounded, not square boxes; it doesn't fit with our human psyche." (Friday January 22nd, 2010 – Stuff.co.nz - New Zealand)

Last Chance to Save Wild Bumble Bees -- Has Commercial Shipping Been Wiping Them Out? Thorp has come up with a thesis: that the recent decline of four North American bumble bee species is the result of a pathogen brought into the country by bees that were shipped to Europe. In short, he argues that the North American bees acquired a selectively virulent strain of Nosema bombi, a gut pathogen, while being reared alongside the European bumble bee Bombus terrestris. When the bees were sent back to the US and distributed, the pathogen made its way into the wild, decimating several closely related species. (Friday January 22nd, 2010 – Alternet.org - USA)

Winery upcycles used wine bottles, corks and caps “It’s not enough for us to endeavor to grow great grapes and produce world-class wine. Being Biodynamic is also about closing all of the loops and that means taking responsibility for our packaging. "We provide our local community a way to upcycle glass and recycle corks, and hope to inspire other wineries and wine lovers to do the same in their region. One of the greatest aspects of the emerging Biodynamic wine world is that there is genuine spirit of friendly competition in an all out race to the top to do the right thing.” (Friday January 22nd, 2010 – FOOD Magazine - Australia)

Are School Gardens Cheating Kids Out of an Education? Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/weird-weather/blogs/submit/school In the most recent issue of The Atlantic author Caitlin Flanagan writes a scathing article on school gardens, particularly the Edible Schoolyard program led by Alice Waters in California. ....... Flanagan argues that school gardens are taking kids out of the classroom and wasting the state's precious resources, while those children should be hitting the books and getting the knowledge to pass the standardized tests they need to graduate and advance to the California higher education system (although that system is also struggling for money). (Thursday January 21st, 2010 – Daily Green - Hearst Digital Media, USA)