“First do no harm”, said Hippocrates in 410 BC.
This principle we apply as much as possible to our daily actions – and of course to the vine culture in particular.
Steiner, the founder of Biodynamic agriculture in 1923, invites us to develop a sensitive approach to the practice and to experiment to test the real “intuitions”. If one strives to “listen” to nature, to try to experience a rich, “symbiotic” relationship with the environment around us, one can discover a thousand resources and alternatives to produce differently!
“Physiological” size of the vine, respect for the seasons and natural cycles, no trimming, no green harvest: here are some practices implemented at Jonc Blanc.
Inter-row crops bring vitality to the soil and complementarity to the vine:
– the “fire” of a mustard in bloom will warm a limestone soil a little sleepy at the end of winter.
– a winter grain rich in silica and trace elements will bring “verticality” and re-balance the monotonous landscape of a dormant vine.
– a flowered row, regularly distributed every 20 meters, will attract pollinating insects and provide shelter and cover for auxiliary fauna, thereby avoiding the use of insecticides.
In addition, the use of biodynamic preparations as taught by Steiner in 1924 brings to our vines the indispensable link with the “etheric and astral” forces that surround us.
