FOREST GROVE, Ore. — The journey to biodynamic farming at Montinore Estate began with a tiny soil-dwelling insect. Rudy Marchesi, former president of the 200-acre vineyard and winery west of Portland, remembers finding grape phylloxera for the first time in 1998. These notorious aphid-like pests feed on the roots and leaves of vines, causing damage in heavy infestations.

While looking for ways to manage the bugs, Marchesi said they started focusing more on soil health, gradually adopting organic practices and eschewing conventional sprays in favor of boosting beneficial bacteria and fungi living underground.

A step farther

But Marchesi wanted to go a step farther. Years earlier, he had been vice president of a large wine import and distribution company. Some of the more fascinating and high-quality European wines, he said, were labeled as biodynamic.

“There was sort of a unique liveliness to the wines that caught your attention,” Marchesi said. “That set the stage for my curiosity.”

Marchesi spent 10 months completing a course on biodynamics through the Pfeiffer Center in Spring Valley, New York. He applied what he learned at Montinore Estate, and by 2008 the vineyard was certified.

European beginning

Biodynamic agriculture is a movement that began in Europe in the 1920s and has since spread to the U.S. Though it remains a niche, the number of certified businesses has grown in recent years, particularly among wine producers on the West Coast.

According to the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance, 263 farms and processors are currently certified nationwide. That covers 13,240 acres of crops and 11,000 acres set aside for biodiversity, which is a requirement for biodynamic systems.

Globally, there are more than 5,000 biodynamic farms encompassing more than 400,000 acres in 60 countries, according to the alliance.

What it is

The principles of biodynamics were introduced by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner during a series of lectures in 1924. His approach helped to pioneer modern organic farming — emphasizing the use of composts and manure while prohibiting synthetic fertilizers and herbicides.

But to become certified biodynamic, the list of requirements goes deeper.

Farms must dedicate at least 10% of their land to biodiversity, providing native vegetation and natural ecosystems. As much as possible, producers are encouraged to create a “closed loop” whereby the farm generates its own fertility and limits the use of off-farm inputs.

The idea is to think of the farm as one single, self-sustaining organism, said Sheila Foster, executive director of the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance.

Foster, who lives in Ashland, Ore., joined the alliance shortly after it was formed in January 2022 by the merger of the Biodynamic Association and Demeter USA, the organization responsible for certifying biodynamic farms and businesses.

Along with certification, Foster said the alliance is responsible for outreach, research and market development for biodynamic products.

“I think we are at a really exciting time in the world,” Foster said. “We have an opportunity to make choices that can save our planet and actually put us on an amazing path toward this future that is truly in connection with the natural world.”

Soil preparations

A signature of biodynamics relies on several compost “preparations” intended to boost the vitality of soils.

For one preparation, farmers fill hollow cow horns with fresh manure and bury them in a pit for six months during the fall and winter, allowing the dung to ferment underground. The horns are then dug up, and the material is collected and mixed with water.

“During that (buried) period, it’s collecting and fermenting with the biology of our soil,” said Craig Camp, general manager of Troon Vineyard, a certified biodynamic farm near Grants Pass in Southern Oregon. “We make a tea out of that, and spray it on the soil.”

Another preparation also involves burying cow horns, but this time packed with crushed quartz — about the consistency of talcum powder.

This spray goes directly onto crops, which biodynamic producers say allows the plants to better harness sunlight for photosynthesis. Other preparations use the flowers from dandelions, yarrow, chamomile and valerian along with stinging nettle and oak bark. They are applied to soil or compost.

A more mystical hallmark of biodynamic farming involves timing certain activities with constellations and lunar phases. At Domaine Willamette, which recently harvested its first crop of biodynamic grapes, a large calendar greets visitors in the wine shop charting when certain activities should take place.

Though Marchesi said workers at Montinore Estate are “very mindful” of the calendar, work does not simply stop because of it.

“We have a lot of work to do,” he said. “We can’t stop working because the moon isn’t right.”

Scientific research

The scientific community appears to be divided on whether these methods produce any added benefits.

A review of literature published in 2013 concluded that peer-reviewed research “provides little evidence that biodynamic preparations improve soils, enhance microbes, increase crop quality or yields, or control pests or pathogens.”

However, Evrett Lunquist, certification director for the Biodynamic Demeter Alliance, pointed to studies from Germany and Sweden showing that biodynamics increased soil organic matter over a period of decades compared to organic and conventional practices.

Washington State University researchers also studied the effects of biodynamic treatments on compost piles, finding they sequestered more carbon and maintained more nitrogen compared to control piles. Those results were published in 2000.

Lunquist runs a certified biodynamic farm north of Lincoln, Neb., called Common Good Farm, where he raises vegetables, eggs, beef and pork. He said the purpose of biodynamics is to “raise the most nutritious food” for people and livestock.

“It calls on a person to think about the life of the farm in a completely different way,” he said.

Wine appeal

Foster said the biggest adopters of biodynamic practices on the West Coast are winemakers.

“Biodynamics is a practice that allows that terroir to come out,” she said. “It’s focused on the individuality of the farm. That’s in alignment with what wineries are trying to do.”

California has the most certified biodynamic producers in the country, with 62. Oregon ranks second overall, with 24. Washington has five, and Idaho has two. Of all producers certified by the alliance, 54 are vineyards and wineries.

Since transitioning to biodynamics 15 years ago, Marchesi, at Montinore Estate, said his soils are less compacted and richer with organic matter. It has also changed soil acidity from a pH of 5.7 to 6.3, which he says is in the “sweet spot” for nutrient absorption.

“We’re getting healthier vines and better utilization of the nutrients in the soil,” Marchesi said, adding that vine growth and ripening are now more uniform.

Camp said Troon Vineyard was certified biodynamic in 2020. The decision was prompted three years earlier by the need to replant 50 acres of vines that had been afflicted with fungal diseases, a process that is still ongoing.

Today, the vineyard has incorporated cover crops to protect soil and control weeds. Camp said they raise sheep and chickens to graze on the vegetation, with the animals’ manure serving as yet another source of on-farm fertilizer.

“My goal was to make better wine,” he said. “We’ve more than seen the results in the type of chemistry and flavors we get.”

Building demandBoth Marchesi and Camp described the transition to biodynamic as an up-front investment, though they have gradually been able to reduce some of their other costs by purchasing fewer inputs and less fuel for tractors.

“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t profitable,” Marchesi said. “It’s more of a shift in resources, rather than an expense.”

The two wineries are also able to charge a premium for their product, and have cultivated a following among consumers interested in sustainable farming.

“Every year, you’re faced with different issues and different problems, just like any farmer,” Camp said. “You eventually have this toolbox that you can address problems as they arise.”

Lunquist said the initial cost to certify a new farm is $350. Certification must be renewed annually, which is $220, while the cost of an inspection can range from $250 to $700, depending on the complexity of the farm.

The next step for the alliance is continuing to increase the awareness of biodynamic products. Frederick Smith was hired as the alliance’s economic development director, and he said they are pushing to increase consumer demand.

“I think our natural consumer market could be anyone, but certainly people who shop at natural food stores,” Smith said. “Those are the people who would naturally want to learn about biodynamics and support it.”

The alliance is eyeing a big media push in 2024, Smith said. They also plan to release a “Flavor Guide” at the alliance’s national conference, scheduled for Nov. 8-12 in Westminster, Colo. The guide includes a breakdown of certified biodynamic producers by state and commodity.

“I think once people learn about the products and try them, they keep buying them,” Smith said. “They can really taste the difference and feel the difference.”