Biodynamic compost with Farmer Jack McAndrew

This film is a fast paced introduction to biodynamic compost with biodynamic maestro, farmer Jack McAndrew. Giving you enough information and insight to start your own biodynamic compost pile. Farmer Jack likes to call this type of compost ‘black gold’.

To make a 10 ton pile you will need:

For the pile:

– 10 tonnes of biodynamic dairy cow manure.
– 20 bales of organic and/or pesticide free alfalfa.
– Water
– Food waste

– Dr Pfeiffer Biodynamic compost starter : https://jpibiodynamics.org/products/pfeiffer%E2%84%A2-compost-starter-2

Biodynamic preparations: These can be purchased from the Josephine Porter Institute for applied biodynamics: https://jpibiodynamics.org/collections/biodynamic-preparations

502: YARROW: goes in a stags bladder. Facilitates is a relationship between sulphur, potassium and the cosmos. It attracts trace elements from the cosmos.

503: CHAMOMILE: goes in the intestines of a cow and is buried over winter. Then dug up and left in the sun for the summer. It attracts calcium and sulfur. It stabilizes the nitrogen.

504: STINGING NETTLE: Is buried in the earth in peat moss and left for a year. Facilitates a relationship between sulphur, potassium and iron. It brings health to the pile.

505: OAK BARK: Facilitates a relationship with calcium, Healing forces to combat diseases

506: DANDELION FLOWER: Facilitates the relationship between Silicic acid and potassium. Brings cosmic forces to the soil.

507:VALERIAN: Made into a juice and spread over the pile. Bring intelligence to the pile.

To make a 1 ton pile you will need:

For the pile:

– 1 tonnes of biodynamic dairy cow manure.
– 2 bales of organic and/or pesticide free alfalfa.
– Water
– Food waste

About farmer Jack:

Farmer Jack was a cruise ship photographer, until his then girlfriend requested he come back on land, or she would be gone. She later became his wife and he got a job in corporate hospitality at a race course track.
Looking for a new direction, what he refers to as his ‘force’, he found himself in independent book shop The Bohdi Tree in Los Angeles. An independent bookstore specializing in world religions, metaphysics, psychology, philosophy and health. Back then it would have been called ‘new age’ now ‘current age’ seems more appropriate.
It was there that a copy of Rudolph Steiners book ‘The Agriculture course’, literally fell off the shelf and into his hands. Within its pages, his new direction and true calling, biodynamic farmer. He was hooked.
Shortly after reading the book, he was at the racecourse and met a man called Peter Dukich. There was something about this man, that he couldn’t his finger on. He asked what he did for a living and he replied that he was a farmer. Jack told him how he had always wanted to be a farmer and Peter invited him to a lecture.
Jack attended the lecture and ended up staying with Peter and his family for three days. He invited Jack to come work with him on a farm he leased, with his friend Harris Porter. It was Harris Porter that taught them all to make compost. Jack likens this to a religious experience, with Harris Porter officiating as the priest.
It was Harris Porter that introduce Jack to his next mentor Alan Chadwick. A British aristocrat and actor turned horticulturist and teacher. Alan has studied with Rudolph Steiner and Jack was thrilled to learn from a former Steiner student.
He spent 3O years working for an Armenian farmer at Still point vineyards in Topanga. Tending the farm and make compost for the world class cabernet grapes. This was followed by 12 years working for Biodynamic farm, One Gun Ranch, making biodynamic compost for the farm. More recently he has been offering a free compost workshop at Malibu Fig Ranch and this is where I was lucky to meet Jack.
His mission in this life is to bring fertility to the soil and he believes that Biodynamic compost is the most nutritious compost in the world. So whether you are an experienced farmer or just starting out, please give this process a try and let me know how it goes.

My family and I are currently traveling America in a 40ft school bus. Amateur but enthusiastic future farmers. Learning about organic and regenerative ways to farm, so that we can have our own farm one day. If there is someones world you’d like to see or a farmer or plant expert we could all learn from, please send me an email: amy@amysmyth.com. We are on the road for the next year with no real plan. Other than to learn what we can, from as many bright minds as possible.This film is a fast paced introduction to biodynamic compost with Biodynamic maestro, farmer Jack McAndrew. Giving you enough information and insight to start your own biodynamic compost pile. Farmer Jack likes to call this type of compost ‘black gold’.

T

source

32 Comments

@maucantu
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

6:59 I think this was hard to assimilate… thank you all farmers! But i want to produce my own and with a full natural process… bacterias and fungis for the win! ❤

Reply
@billybethel
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

this compost would be a lot better with things from the sea added. things like kelp, crab, lobster, shrimp and fish. The compost I use is called Benson's Surf and Turf. It's made right here in Maine with thngs from the land and sea of Maine. It's the best, so there is no way that his can also be the best…

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@C.Hawkshaw
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

100th Anniversary of Rudy Steiner’s lectures on agriculture this month! How are we celebrating 🎉 ?

🍎🧑‍🌾👩‍🌾👨🏾‍🌾👩‍🌾👩🏿‍🌾🐦‍⬛🪱🐞🐏🐑🐄🐓🌳🌳🌴🌱

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@demita840
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

This farmer Jack McAndrew has the kindest face ive ever seen, hes the salt of the earth. Once Rudolf Steiner came to me in my dream and spoke to me, i saw a beautiful golden spiral next to me it was my daughters hair, he said she is the connection between the cosmos and the earth. And she loves Rudolf Steiner and biodynamics. Its so beautiful to teach children about biodynamics

Reply
@demita840
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Has anyone seen one man one cow one planet? It should be compulsory in every school round the world

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@demita840
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Substance of earth, essence of light,
Grace of heaven,
In us unite ✨ 🙏
Thank you so much for this beautiful story about biodynamic composts, if everyone on earth used biodynamics in their garden or farm the earth would be so wonderful 🌸🦋

Reply
@arcadiapermaculture974
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

"I'd like somebody to refute me."

Sounds like a challenge we should all undertake. Nice feature on a wise & charming man.

Reply
@devriescustomleather1109
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Good!

Reply
@donlourie769
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Big ag does NOT feed the world. It feeds autos and livestock. The number one producer of human food in the world is a woman on one acre of land. That accounts for 60% of the food grown worldwide.

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@insAneTunA
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

If he would ad a certain percentage of wood chips to the mix it would be an even better compost. It would create a long term nutrient source for fungi which are very beneficial for the soil and the crops that you grow. I don't want to go in too much detail here, but for the best growth and insect protection you want to have a fungi dominated soil.

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@itzakpoelzig330
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Why is this guy just the cutest? I love him.

Thank you for sharing his beautiful wisdom. He is a modern-day wizard! I can tell by his Gandalf eyebrows.

Reply
@mceliniak
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Great video.
However: the big ag feeding the world statement is not false, but I would rather say: the big ag feeds the food industry that is feeding large part of the world. No big ag – no food industry, no Nestle, no Coca-Cola, at least not as gigantic corporations.

Reply
@l0gic23
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Would certainly appreciate a series that captures his knowledge and wisdom.

Reply
@kaitsamari
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

I was buying in right up to the point I heard the word homeopathic

Reply
@BradleyJean
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

keep it simple. just green organic material and mostly straw color organic material. Plus local dirt.

Reply
@scotttimmorton
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Good job on this video. Fantastic! Thanks.

Reply
@tarponjohn
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

beautiful words …will try my best

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@RegretWhisperer
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

I will always be grateful to the biodynamic gardening community. After reading all about how the key to growing food on the American continent was mystical preparations of European plants and cattle manure I knew that the whole idea was a pile of shit. It’s not necessarily a bad approach but it’s completely out of place so I stopped even considering it.

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@pstep2966
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

The world need to do this all around

Reply
@booksintamil
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

thanks for the video. this is amazing, I am just starting to make compost from this year. I will try your steps for sure. I found little success with the korean natural farming

Reply
@thereikiforest4843
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Thank you so much 🌳💖🙏💖🌳

Reply
@craigaladd3262
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Do not recommend this channel. Promotes animal slavery and climate destruction. Peace. W.F.P.B.

Reply
@The_True_
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Beware the persistent herbicides like Grazon that may be present in cow manure and alfalfa these days. That poison will destroy a garden for up to two years.

Reply
@alph8654
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Big ag feeds most of the world, but praise the Lord they feed me very little. I grow most of my own food and love doing it. I sow the seed and the Lord brings the rain and the sunshine.

Reply
@havfaith56
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Big agriculture is destroying the soil and that is the cause of global warming.

Reply
@ashleighcash4681
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Thanks what a great man

Reply
@rondog869
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Nice guy but compost does need all the little packets he adds and such. Just green waste and brown waste needed and not that complicated.

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@closetcleaner
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Being a composter for many years, I always felt there's a spiritual element in composting: probably the most primitive cycle that keeps life on earth and inside us. However, this guy is way higher than my orbit.

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@MrKen-longrangegrdhogeliminato
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Excellent, and Jeff Poppen speaks about Biodynamic on his video also.

Reply
@gauvaindf
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Technically yes they feed the world, but they mainly feed livestock, if we ate even a little less meat, it would be very different
and they also feed our cars, biofuels are a shame, a waste of resources that pollute more than if there were none..

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@LMKTinyForest
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

I love his last statement in this clip. Going against multi millions giant devil we all know it's almost no hope, but let's follow the beautiful heart he has for the soil. I am on the other side of this planet. Will try my best to be one of his followers.

Reply
@JS-jh4cy
May 31, 2025 @ 4:12 pm

Piss away good too

Reply

Biodynamic compost with Farmer Jack McAndrew

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