Conscious farming doesn’t stop at organic. While foods that are farmed organically are free from the pesticides and herbicides that are part of traditional agriculture, it’s possible to up the ante of the growing process and produce food that’s also biodynamic.

Based on initial research by Rudolf Steiner, biodynamic farming or agriculture uses self-produced composts, manures, and animal feeds and refers to the astronomical calendar to determine the best times for planting, cultivating, and harvesting.

It’s a bit like astrology for plants. Each of the twelve zodiac constellations are connected to one of the four elements — fire, earth, air, and water — and each element refers to a part of the plant: fire/fruit; earth/root; air/flower; water/leaf. When considering when to plant carrots, it’s best to choose an earth/root day and for lettuce, a water/leaf day is most auspicious.

Biodynamic food is through to stay fresh longer and have more flavor and vitality. It’s possible to purchase a variety of biodynamic produce from local farms and you can also pick up a bottle of biodynamic wine to accompany your meal.

[via The Biodynamic Agricultural Association]

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