Tablets out, imagination in: the schools that shun technology In the heart of Silicon Valley is a nine-classroom school where employees of tech giants Google, Apple and Yahoo send their children. But despite its location in America’s digital centre, there is not an iPad, smartphone or screen in sight. Instead teachers at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula prefer a more hands-on, experiential approach to learning that contrasts sharply with the rush to fill classrooms with the latest electronic devices. The pedagogy emphasises the role of imagination in learning and takes a holistic approach that integrates the intellectual, practical and creative development of pupils. (Thursday December 3rd, 2015 — The Guardian - UK)

Garfield nonprofits collaborate for Colorado Gives Day Ajay Sandretto of Glenwood Springs shows off his "little ones" dolls that were made in Mr. Baruch's kindergarten class at Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork. (Wednesday December 2nd, 2015 — Glenwood Springs Post Independent - )

Sweet Music: Fighting Pests With Sound Waves, Not Pesticides Mankin said he hopes the device could work in tandem with pesticides, targeting infestations to reduce the amount of chemicals used and to help postpone the psyllids’ development of resistance to insecticides. (Saturday November 28th, 2015 — Alternet.org)

Former F1 champ Jody Scheckter trades racing for organic farming Scheckter puts same drive into biodynamic farming as he did racing (Thursday November 26th, 2015 — Autoweek )

Honouring the biodynamic legacy of the late Anne-Claude Leflaive, Clau de Nell ‘Everything is re-inforced by biodynamic preparation,’ Potin says. He argues that biodynamic philosophies, and the associated lack of chemical sprays, help vines to build natural resistance to diseases and fungi, such as oidium and mildew. But, the concept cannot work without close attention to detail. (Thursday November 26th, 2015 — decanter.com )

Napa trip yields harvest concerns, hot spots and trends Quick takes on my California trip: Biodynamics equals beautiful. Not only does going biodynamic make for healthier vineyards and better grapes, it creates a lovely landscape around the vines. (Monday November 23rd, 2015 — Houston Chronicle - Houston, Texas USA)

GLASS ACT: Quality vital aspect when wineries go organic MOIRA PETERS Glass Act Another organic producer came on the Nova Scotia scene this year with groundbreaking Burgundy-style wines. Lightfoot & Wolfville has been growing organic grapes since 2012, and this year released its first vintages of 2013 Ancienne Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ($40 each). The winery is not organic, but Lightfoot & Wolfville is in transition to biodynamic certification, which represents a set of practices that includes organic and incorporates homeopathic and astrological “spiritual science” practices that also treat the vineyard and winery as a complete, interrelated ecosystem. (Friday November 20th, 2015 — TheChronicleHerald.ca - Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada)

Twenty Years of Failure: Why GM Crops Have Failed to Deliver on Their Promises Seven myths about GM crops, and the truth behind them ... MYTH 7: Genetic engineering is the most promising pathway of innovation for food systems REALITY: Non-GM advanced methods of plant breeding are already delivering the sorts of traits promised by GM crops, including resistance to diseases, flood and drought tolerance. GM crops are not only an ineffective type of innovation but they also restrict innovation due to intellectual property rights owned by a handful of multinational corporations. (Wednesday November 18th, 2015 — Organic Consumers Association)

S.Africa’s first grid-independent dairy is exceeds expectations Last week, a Public Benefit Organisation in the Western Cape, Camphill Village, officially inaugurated phase II of its 60kW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant, making this South Africa’s first grid-independent dairy. ... The solar generated power will be used to process over 28,000 litres of organic milk into the various products. (Wednesday November 4th, 2015 — ESI Africa - Rondebosch, South Africa)

John Legend launches wine with biodynamic Napa Valley vineyard Singer John Legend is set to launch his own wine. Legend is the latest celebrity to enter the winemaking business, partnering with biodynamic Napa Valley winery Raymond Vineyards, which will produce the Legend Vineyard Exclusive, or LVE wines. (Monday November 2nd, 2015 — Malay Mail Online )

Symonds School teachers honored for birding project Each year a teacher or teaching team is selected for their outstanding work with a Harris Center teacher/naturalist. During the 2014-15 school year, Carr, Marchi and Morris led their students in a project called “Birds in our Neighborhoods” with Pattison. (Sunday November 1st, 2015 — The Keene Sentinel - Keene, New Hampshire USA)

Camphill comes up trumps with old tool project Piles of rusty old tools donated to the Camphill Community will help build better lives for poverty-stricken people in Sri Lanka. The tools have all been cleaned, repaired and made good as new by members of the Pennyland community, who have a range of learning difficulties (Friday October 30th, 2015 — Milton Keynes Citizen - Milton Keynes UK)

Would you munch on voodoo veg? The spooky mysteries of SW London biodynamic farming revealed Several biodynamic farms such as Brambletye Farm, Jacob’s Ladder and Brockmans sell their fruit and vegetables at south west London farmers’ markets including Wandsworth and Barnes. ... Ellie Woodcock acknowledges that some biodynamic principles may seem like ‘voodoo’ to some, but many praise the quality of biodynamic farming produce. (Friday October 30th, 2015 — South West Londoner - UK)

Wine, etc.: Jury is still out whether organic wines are better for you Red Rock Grill at Zion Lodge in Utah - The lodge's effort to respect the environment is impressive — no plastic straws or even plastic glasses. This was more than a token gesture. Even the wine list reflected producers who are conscious of the environment. Most notably on the list was Parducci, a California winery known for its biodynamic efforts. However noble the restaurant's commitment, Tom was disappointed to find few alternatives to Parducci. It seemed that having an environmentally conscious wine producer on the list was more important than the quality of the wine. And that raised the question: Is a wine made from organically grown grapes necessarily better? (Wednesday October 21st, 2015 — CapitalGazette.com - Maryland USA)

Buried cow horn? The mysteries of organic and biodynamic wine - See more at: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/drinks/buried-cow-ho Biodynamic farmers, meanwhile, follow an even stricter set of guidelines that limit the use of yeast strains, copper sulfate, and enzymes that conventional winemakers add to further shape the wine as it ferments. The most devout dive into the mystic components as well, going as far as burying cow horns stuffed with manure to, supposedly, promote a balanced ecosystem. (Sunday October 18th, 2015 — Atlanta Magazine - Atlanta, Georgia USA)

NASA releases massive library of sounds recorded in space NASA put up special instruments which recorded electromagnetic vibrations on the Voyager space probe and converted that into actual sound. The recordings include the sounds of Saturn’s rings, Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus as well as what Earth would sound like millions of kilometres away. (Sunday October 18th, 2015 — DailyKos online)

Reviving the Golden State with Heritage Grains Alex Weiser, along with Jon Hammond and Nathan Siemens, are among a handful of farmers in the region who are experimenting with growing heritage grains such as Sonora White, Emmer, Red Fife, and Roman rye. The idea as well as the seeds came from none other than renowned seed saver and heirloom advocate, Glenn Roberts of Anson Mill. Roberts donated 4 tons of historic landrace varietals to farmers to grow and to put to the test a long known wisdom: crops that are cultivated for nutrients and flavor are also more pest-resistant and drought-tolerant. What better way to test this theory than to grow heritage grains in drought-stricken California? After two successful plantings on 15 acres, the answers were clear. (Friday October 16th, 2015 — Mother Earth News - USA)

Over £320,000 raised for new community farm in Stroud backed by leader of Green Party Natalie Bennett The land will be used for food growing projects and there will also be a starter farm for young entrant farmers. (Thursday October 15th, 2015 — Stroud News and Journal - Stroud, Gloucestershire UK)

The Waldorf Way: The Class Teacher The Waldorf class teacher has the unique opportunity to build on this relationship throughout multiple years of a child's schooling. She is the "first among equals" in the child's constellation of teachers (others include: a foreign language teacher, a games teacher, a music teacher, a strings teacher, a handwork teacher and a woodworking teacher). (Thursday October 15th, 2015 — Conway Daily Sun - North Conway, New Hampshire USA)

Forget Saving the Planet: Being a Vegetarian Is Cheaper Than Eating Meat Last week, two federal agencies decided that sustainability concerns didn’t have a place in the government’s determination of what makes a healthy diet, rejecting an advisory panel’s recommendation that the government consider the environmental cost of agriculture in nutrition programs and limit the consumption of meat. But if environmentalists want to sell a plant-based diet to the masses, they may be better off talking about grocery bills instead of animal agriculture’s contribution to climate change: A new study published in the Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition found that eating a vegetarian diet is cheaper. (Monday October 12th, 2015 — TakeApart.com)