Beautiful, bountiful and bio-dynamic

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 15

Beautiful, bountiful and bio-dynamic

Tessa Ward recently called on Janice and Hans Schaper who use bio-dynamic methods to raise their organically-grown fruit and vegetables. They support themselves and their two children from the gate sales of their produce which bears the internationally recognised Demeter trademark indicating that it has been grown by bio-dynamic methods.

A Christchurch couple, Janice and Hans Schaper, say they can support themselves and two children by growing and selling vegetables and fruit without the use of chemicals and with minimal machinery.

They are among a few people in Christchurch who sell organically grown vegetables and fruit commercially and about the only ones using bio-dynamic methods for this. Their produce is about the same price as conventionally grown produce, and bears the internationally recognised Demeter trademark indicating that it has been grown by biodynamic methods. Bio-dynamic horticulture and agriculture uses methods based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner. It aims to build up a lasting soil fertility through the use of composts, liquid manures and sprays prepared from plant, animal and naturally occurring mineral substances to produce nutritionally balanced yields. Hans explains that they try to keep the price of the vegetables at a level low income earners can afford. "At the same time we make sure that the price reflects our input. Instead of fluctuating our prices during the season, we stabilise them so at times the produce is below the market price, and at other times it is above. "Our potatoes and sweet corn usually cost more than those on the market but our silverbeet, broccoli and cabbages are generally cheaper.” The only machinery the couple use is a rotary hoe and a small tractor with a grubber to prepare the beds for planting. "I suppose if you counted up all the hours we put into working our land, the return per hour is not very good, but this is much more than just a job,” Janice says. “It is a great interest for us and provides many intrinsic rewards that you can’t place a dollar value on. We enjoy the road-side sales and getting to know our customers as friends, for example.” Since Janice and Hans began to grow vegetables and fruit on their one hectare property in 1982 on Port Hills Road, Heathcote, they have been able to sell all of their produce at the gate. They feel that the demand for the produce is strong enough for other people to successfully follow their example. “We would like to see other people using the bio-dynamic methods, not only because there is room for more growers, but because it will help show that quality produce can be grown

without the use of polluting chemicals,” Hans says. “We don’t sell any produce that doesn’t look right and the customer would not be satisfied with. This doesn’t mean that we have to throw a lot of produce out because we don’t use chemicals. “Our soil and plants are healthy and we just don’t have much of a problem with insects and diseases. During the first two years we had problems with insects but since then we have found that the natural predators control the insects sufficiently and it never gets out of hand.” Provided Hans and Janice keep up the weeding programme their hand hoeing is sufficient to keep weeds under control, they say. “This is not a huge job if we get to the weeds at the right time,” Janice says. “Some more time-consuming hand work is required if we get behind with weeding. ‘‘The weeds provide the garden with good green manure and if they have formed seed heads we compost them along with other plant material below a covering of straw.” Before the compost is put on the garden the Schapers mix it with-a biodynamic preparation, usually a cowdung or silica preparation. A sign in their shop explains the benefits these preparations help provide. These range from raising the humus content of the soil and increasing its micro-life to enhancing the formative cosmic light forces and improving the colour, flavour and shelf-life of the produce. In order to keep up a continual supply of vegetables and fruit throughout the season, the Schapers plant each crop at different times, and their crop rotation between plots is designed to improve the structure and health of the soil. One recent set-back for them was the spring-flooding of their property from a drain along their boundary. “Some of our potatoes had quite yellow foliage this season as a result of this flooding which leached nitrogen, in particular, from the soil,” Hans says. “As well as producing vegetables and fruit we try to create an attractive environment as part of a holistic approach to life. Although we are not vigorous campaigners for organic or bio-dynamic growing methods we are happy to show visitors what we are doing with our land. “If other people decide to give some of our ideas a try on their own land then we regard that as very encouraging.”

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