Cultivate an interest in the agricultural sector with a three-level secondary course designed specifically for the Caribbean. - Explore regional and global practices and developments in agriculture. - Review career options in an increasingly lucrative and essential sector. - Enhance understanding of the relevance of agriculture with a project-based approach to select topics. - Prepare for study at the CSEC level with a dedicated project-based chapter scalable to other topics and SBA research at the CSEC level. - Consolidate learning with clear chapter objectives and end of chapter evaluation.

Steiner's original contribution to human knowledge was based on his ability to conduct 'spiritual research', the investigation of metaphysical dimensions of existence. With his scientific and philosophical training, he brought a new systematic discipline to the field, allowing for conscious methods and comprehensive results. A natural seer from childhood, he cultivated his spiritual vision to a high degree, enabling him to speak with authority on previously veiled mysteries of life. The evolving human being; Cosmos as the source of life; Plants and the living earth; Farms and the realms of nature; Bringing the chemical elements to life; Soil and the world of spirit; Supporting and regulating life processes; Spirits of the elements; Nutrition and vitality; Responsibility for the future.

"I grew up entirely among peasant folk, and in my spirit I have always remained there--I indicated this in my autobiography. Though it was not on a large farming estate as you have here, in a smaller domain I myself planted potatoes, and though I did not breed horses, at any rate I helped to breed pigs. And in the farmyard of our immediate neighborhood I lent a hand with the cattle. These things were very close to me for a long time. I took part in them actively. Thus I do at any rate have a love of farming..." -- Rudolf Steiner Biodynamic agriculture, which has increased consistently in popularity over the years, was born in June 1924 from a single course of eight lectures by Rudolf Steiner in Koberwitz (now in Poland). In The Agriculture Course, Peter Selg presents a remarkable study of the context of those lectures, conveying a tangible sense of the celebratory mood and atmosphere of those events at Pentecost. He highlights Steiner's intentions for the course--and parallel lectures in Breslau--by drawing widely on the available literature and numerous archival sources. Recognizing that chemical manipulation of agriculture was neither desirable nor sustainable, Steiner helped launch an agricultural movement whose outlook is truly pioneering in spirit. As Selg describes, Steiner saw that "what was needed instead was new, conscious insight into life forces and laws, into the nature of organisms, into the diverse realms of nature, and the determining factors of both Earth and cosmos that influence them." The vivid picture painted here reveals the importance that Steiner placed on launching this work, as well as the extent to which his initiative offered an answer to the emerging forces of cultural and political destruction that would lead to World War II. The Agriculture Course, Koberwitz, Whitsun 1924 is a translation from German of Koberwitz 1924: Rudolf Steiner und der Landwirtschaftliche Kurs (Rudolf Steiner Verlag, 2009).

Grow better not bigger with proven low-tech, human-scale, biointensive farming methods Making a living wage farming without big capital outlay or acreages may be closer than you think. Growing on just 1.5 acres, Jean-Martin and Maude-Helene feed more than 200 families through their thriving CSA and seasonal market stands. The secret of their success is the low-tech, high-yield production methods they've developed by focusing on growing better rather than growing bigger, making their operation more lucrative and viable in the process. The Market Gardener is a compendium of proven horticultural techniques and innovative growing methods. This complete guide is packed with practical information on: Setting-up a micro-farm by designing biologically intensive cropping systems, all with negligible capital outlay; Farming without a tractor and minimizing fossil fuel inputs through the use of the best hand tools, appropriate machinery and minimum tillage practices; Growing mixed vegetables systematically with attention to weed and pest management, crop yields, harvest periods and pricing approaches. Inspired by the French intensive tradition of maraichage and by iconic American vegetable grower Eliot Coleman, author and farmer Jean-Martin shows by example how to start a market garden and make it both very productive and profitable.

With this remarkable series of lectures presented in Koberwitz, Silesia, June 7-16, 1924, Rudolf Steiner founded biodynamic agriculture. They contain profound insights into farming, the plant and animal world, the nature of organic chemistry, and the influences of heavenly bodies. This translation from the original German by Catherine E. Creeger and Malcolm Gardner is a fundamental text for many intermediate and advanced students of biodynamic agriculture -- one to which the biodynamic practitioner will refer again and again over the years. In addition to the eight lectures, this version includes four discussions by Steiner, color plates of Steiner's chalk drawings, the address to the members of the Agricultural Experimental Circle, Steiner's report to members of the Anthroposophical Society after the lectures, Steiner's handwritten notes to the Agriculture Course, further agricultural indications given by Steiner, and "New Directions in Agriculture," by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (a colleague of Steiner's who brought biodynamic agriculture to North America).