Testimonials for the Certificate Program
“I am one year into the distance biodynamic Certificate Program with the Biodynamic Education Centre & am thoroughly enjoying it. This course arrived in my life at just the right moment. I am so grateful for the opportunity to study biodynamics in such depth within the bounds of my own family life & work place. For me this is a true education. All aspects of the course are directly relevant to my everyday life, so I am able to learn through real experience. Backed up by Lynette, course tutor, via the internet & the many references which the course details, there is a lifetimes study within this course. I fully recommend this course to anyone wishing to learn about themselves & the world around us through working with the land & its people.”
Tom O’Kane, Wales, U.K., May 2008
“I feel satisfied that I have learnt a lot about biodynamic from this first workbook. I also found the presentation to be of a high standard and several fellow students who are studying in other areas have commented very favourable in this regard as well. Thank you.”
Jane Maywood, Australia, March 2008
“So far I have found the course not only enlightening in its content but also extremely helpful as certain key items in the content have guided Larry and I in what we can and cannot do in terms of becoming authentic biodynamic practitioners.”
Marc Dobson, Hahndorf Hill Winery, Australia, Dec 2007
Testimonials for the Foundation Course
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the lecturer was fantastic and very knowledgeable. The course content was very thorough and I would recommend the course to anyone. I thank you for the insights in to bio-dynamics.
Joel Pizzini – Pizzini Wines – May 2015
Recently I completed the Foundation Course taught by Walther Kohler in SA. The course modules and associated notes were very comprehensive, well laid out and easy to follow. I appreciated the balance of theory with hands on application. Walther is truly passionate about teaching the essentials of biodynamic farming and gardening. He has a wealth of practical experience in this and related fields which he generously passes onto his students. After this immersion, and by referring back to the manuals, I feel confident to begin applying what I learnt in my own garden and start the journey of conversion from conventional to biodynamic farming.
Cathryn Nitschke – May 2015
After retirement from a University career spanning 37 years, I had the opportunity to participate in the one-day workshop Introduction to Biodynamics and Composting, and the more comprehensive Foundation course in Biodynamic Agriculture, presented by Mr Walter Kohler-Bond.
As Department Head I have been asked to provide references for members of the teaching staff on many occasions. After Mr Kohler-Bond’s performance on both occasions I felt compelled to offer my comment on the calibre of the presentations and the quality of teaching materials and manuals.
Walter is a born teacher. Besides his evident talent as a communicator, and his boundless enthusiasm, he is able to draw from a vast knowledge and deep belief in biodynamics. Students in his classes were inspired by his ways of introducing topics that were not necessarily easy to grasp, with patience and clarity.
Walter reads German texts by masters such as Rudolf Steiner, Maria Thun and Viktor Schauberger in the original, giving him an intimate understanding of the eternal play between the forces of the Universe.
When I retired from academic life, there was a search for a new challenge. At first I focussed on woodwork, beach-combing and generally getting used to the 24 hours in a day belonging to me alone. Then Walter opened the door to the awareness of spiritual forces at play in nature. This is a gift I will always be grateful for.
Guy A Neumann LenDR, BA(Hons), PhD, Moruya, 2010
This is an account/review of the Bio-dynamic course that was run by Lynette over three weekends at the Rudolf Steiner School, South Devon during the spring of 2007.
This was a most inspiring course taught by a teacher who combines passion and whole heartedness with compassion for both nature and the students in her care. Lynette’s grasp of bio-dynamics, borne of years of experience, was complete and very compelling. She puts her points across with vigour and great enthusiasm and yet her delivery was gentle and mild mannered. It made the learning process fun.
I am an experienced and trained organic grower having practiced commercial organic market gardening and large scale production gardening for many years. However in no way did I feel that I was at an advantage over my fellow participants because of these points. Clearly an interest in bio-dynamics and farming/gardening/growing plants is a prerequisite of signing up for such a course but for an amateur or inexperienced grower considering joining a course run by Lynette I can assure them that their learning needs as regards pace and explanation, will be well catered for.
The classroom work was fun, interactive and easy to follow and as well as that there was considerable practical tasks to be carried out by the participants (such as making compost and learning to stir the biodynamic preparations) rather than just demonstrations. We were involved throughout as individuals as well as being held together in the group space.
For me this course was an absolutely ideal way in which to begin a future in bio-dynamics. It was a thorough grounding in all the required skills that Rudolf Steiner said need to go hand in hand with good husbandry. Bio-dynamics is not a complicated science but it requires attention to detail and a level of devotion to nature and her rhythms. Lynette made this quite clear. All that said, the course was the best fun which is what working with the land should be all about.
Tom Petherick, South Devon, United Kingdom, May 2007
Together with nineteen other people I attended the Foundation course on biodynamics run by Lynette West at Duchy Home Farm. I found this course a revelation. It encompasses all aspects of biodynamics – the etheric, the philosophical and the practical. The people on the course were gradually touched by the truth of the knowledge she was sharing with us.
People opened up to each other, their faces softened and relaxed. We were a real mixture of students – allotment holders, farmers, gardeners, someone from the Blackthorn Trust, somebody running a wineshop selling organic and biodynamic wines…a real mixture but all with an enthusiasm for biodynamics.
The course was very well structured starting with a talk in the morning, followed by a role play to reinforce what we had learned and then a practical activity in the afternoon.
If you have the time and opportunity to go on any of these courses I hope you would find the experience as much of a revelation as I did.
Liz Ellis, Member U.K.Biodynamic Council, 2006
Many loose strands of information came together to weave a rich tapestry of knowledge of Biodynamic gardening and farming. Lynette is an experienced and enthusiastic lecturer who has put together an intense, thoughtful and thought provoking course over three weekends. Highly recommended, especially to farmers and gardeners already practicing Biodynamics.
Georgina Hudson, Chairperson Hunter Biodynamic Group. 2003/04
Lynette West has the gift of being able to present some of the most complex of material (that of Rudolf Steiner’s work on Bio-Dynamic Agriculture) in a truly accessible yet profound manner.
I attended the Foundation Course in March this year, and although I have had much exposure to Bio-Dynamics through my work in Nutrition and Cookery, I am not a farmer. Nevertheless I found clarity in her presentations which gave confidence to all those participating. Lynette uses imaginative ways of interaction, group work and game playing to make the material come alive. Each day has a practical component which got us outside, making the manure concentrate preparation, looking at ways water flows with clay modeling and directing water through the various forms, injecting dyes to see complexities of flow. The crowning glory was creating the most incredible compost heap with its many ingredients and thatch of straw. Just like cooking!
We were also taught how to properly stir the biodynamic preparations and to spray out onto the land. Lynette’s enthusiasm and love of her work is completely infectious, warm, lively and coherent. I heartily recommend this to anyone who would like to take their love of horticulture to a more profound level. Biodynamics is the most effective way of healing the disaster that we have created in our environment. (Dis- to cut off from, Aster- stars).
Wendy Cook, Author of Foodwise and The Biodynamic Food and Cookbook,March 2007, U.K.
The Foundation Course which I attended in autumn 2004 was a remarkable experience for me. Through the excellent teachings of the Biodynamic Education Centre I now have a more thorough approach to gardening and agriculture. The trainers understanding and commitment to the biodynamic system enabled the penny to drop for me with the complexities and importance of soil humus, cosmic relationships, water and the earth. For all involved in horticulture or agricultural industries I believe that this course presented by the Biodynamic Education Centre is essential, not only for self-growth but also for the sustainability of our industries and our planet. The course has provided me with the knowledge, commitment and confidence to pursue my dreams in agriculture and pursue them in the biodynamic way.
Yvonne Hughes, Horticulturalist and Landscape Trade Teacher. 2004
We have a beef cattle farm near Gympie in Queensland. My husband attended the six-day course in July 03. He was so impressed he booked me in for the following year. I agreed a little hesitantly.
Did I know enough about farming?
Was I ready for this?
I now realise everyone is ready for this Foundation Course. If you have an interest in the environment, gardening, farming, and are a caring person or just want more meaning in your life, this course is for you.
I now know why soils are different and how to improve them for more nutritional value. I know about plant growth and pests and even about the energy water creates. I learned how the planets influence our lives and every living thing.
I have developed a sense of understanding through these teachings, giving me direction in my life. It is six days of fun and friendship creating learning and wisdom.
I cherish the knowledge and friends I have gained.
Don’t miss the chance of a life time.
Julie Hasthorpe, July 2004
The biodynamic course you conducted has confirmed my belief that sustainable agriculture in the long term will, without doubt, involve the principle concepts of biodynamics. Sustainable agriculture, I believe, involves the careful management of our most important resources – our soils and our water. The Biodynamic course was able to increase my knowledge and improve my understanding of how to manage and produce enlivened soils and water. Agricultural produce grown in such soils will result in better quality and higher nutritional value foods.
Our plans for our farm are a lot more definite now than they were in that we have a greater understanding of biodynamics and are able to see the value of this system to our land in the future.
Adrian Giacobetti, Currawang Valley Estate. ACT 1999
I really got an enormous amount out of your course and I know it has really empowered me to move to the next stage of my BD journey, thank you.
I had read many BD books prior to the course but I thought how you structured and presented the topic was excellent. So keep up your good work I am sure many more people will come away with the same feelings as I have.
Nicholas Pook, Primrose Hill Farm. Hunter Valley 2002
My initial agricultural qualification was the gaining of a Wagga Diploma of Agriculture. Over many years I have read numerous Biodynamic Agriculture books and articles. I have also attended a significant number of training sessions and field days for Biodynamic Agriculture in both Australia and New Zealand.
Attending your six day Biodynamic Course was the first time I had been able to integrate my many snippets of accumulated biodynamic knowledge into a complete package. Attendees at your course achieved this same level of understanding in the six days. I am happy to recommend your course to anyone with a desire to understand more about Biodynamic Agriculture.
Thank you for the course manuals; they provide information in a readable and unusually understandable manner for this highly complex subject. Congratulations on the production of these much needed manuals.
Congratulations and Well Done.
Greg Harris, ACT 1998
I’ve found the course well structured and fascinating. I have enjoyed the development of ideas and concepts through the course; the course has flowed well. New topics built upon the materials covered previously.
I have been able to quickly grasp the ideas and practice covered in the course. The teaching techniques, combining lectures, handouts, visual instruction and plenty of light-hearted interaction have helped in my rapid coming to grips with BD. The teachers enthusiasm is infectious.
I am confident that I can apply the BD techniques covered in this course. The course has inspired me. It has opened up a whole new dimension to gardening/agriculture for me. I can’t wait to further my understanding of BD and deepen my connection to my garden. I am thoroughly enjoying the course and would recommend it to anyone with interest in gardening/agriculture and Nature.
Thanks Lynn for a fantastic course.
Peter Hammond, ACT 1999
I found the course excellent – not only in technical content but also inspirational and am now committed to furthering my knowledge on Biodynamics.
Dianne Baker, ACT 1998
I’m excited about what I’ve learnt. A holistic approach that can be applied to ideas Victoria and I have. We are looking forward to applying the principles on a few hectares. I am beginning to become a keen follower of the principles and would strongly recommend the approach to other people.
Julian Renwick
Thanks! What a wonderful six days! I really enjoyed it, I loved meeting everyone and I have a much better understanding of BD now.
We want to put everything into practice immediately and of course one can’t. Thank you for your understandable methods, so much is clearer now. Its amazing how much is so logical in some ways. I now really watch the weather, the moon, even listening to the surf report, re the tides etc. makes more sense. I even feel more confident re scientific terminology which has never been in my field before.
I wish you all the luck with future courses.
Mary Ross, Hunter Valley 2002
