At Rutland Biodynamics, sustainability begins long before we harvest a medicinal herb or produce a fresh organic tincture. It starts with the soil, the health of our plants and the seeds we save to grow the next generation of medicinal herbs.
As the growing season draws to a close on our biodynamic farm, our attention turns to collecting and saving seeds for next year’s crops. This is an important part of our annual farming cycle, helping us maintain a sustainable supply of medicinal herbs while preserving the natural connection between our land, our plants and the medicines we produce.
Click on this video to hear Matt talking about the process
From This Year’s Harvest to Next Year’s Growth
Throughout the growing season, we cultivate a diverse range of medicinal herbs on our biodynamic farm. With more than 80 medicinal herbs grown on site, careful planning and preparation are essential to ensure we can continue producing the plants needed for our fresh organic tincture range.
Saving seed allows us to carry the growing cycle forward from one year to the next. We select suitable, healthy plants and collect their mature seeds at the right time, before carefully drying and storing them under appropriate conditions until they are ready to be sown.
This process requires patience, knowledge and an understanding of each plant’s individual growing cycle. Different species produce seed at different times, and collecting it at the right stage is essential to maintaining good seed quality and successful germination.
Biodynamic Farming and Working With Nature
cover crop
Biodynamic agriculture is based on working with natural cycles and treating the farm as an interconnected living system. Healthy soil supports healthy plants, and healthy plants provide the foundation for producing high-quality medicinal herbs.
Saving our own seed is a practical expression of this philosophy. Rather than treating every growing season as a separate exercise, we maintain continuity between successive crops and take an active role in the future of our farm.
Where appropriate, selecting seed from healthy plants that perform well under our local growing conditions can also help us maintain suitable crops for our farm. We recognise that every season brings different challenges, from changes in rainfall and temperature to variations in soil conditions, and we adapt our approach accordingly.
By taking the time to collect and prepare seed now, we are laying the foundations for next year’s growing season.
Sustainability From Seed to Tincture
For us, sustainability is about more than simply growing herbs without unnecessary environmental impact. It is about considering every stage of production, from preparing the soil and sowing seeds to harvesting the plants and transforming them into finished herbal products.
Growing our medicinal herbs on our own biodynamic farm gives us exceptional visibility and traceability throughout this process. We know where our plants are grown and can oversee their journey from cultivation through to harvest.
Once the herbs are ready, we harvest them at the appropriate stage of growth and, where required for our fresh organic tinctures, macerate them on the same day they are picked. Our herbs are then processed in our own cGMP manufacturing facility, combining our farming expertise with controlled manufacturing and quality procedures.
This close connection between the farm and our manufacturing facility helps us maintain a clear understanding of our raw materials and supports our commitment to producing safe, sustainable and effective herbal products.
Looking Ahead to Another Growing Season
Saving seed is a quiet but essential part of the work we do at Rutland Biodynamics. It may not be as visible as harvesting a field of flowering herbs or producing a batch of fresh organic tincture, but it plays a vital role in ensuring we can continue growing the medicinal plants we need.
Every seed represents the potential for a new plant, another harvest and another opportunity to work with nature to produce valuable herbal products.
As we prepare for the year ahead, we are reminded that sustainable herbal medicine begins in the soil and that the decisions we make today help shape the crops we will grow tomorrow.
Finally, FRESH ORGANIC Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair) 1:3 25% now BACK IN STOCK. Please click on the link below to purchase (while stocks last)
Ginkgo biloba 1:3 25% Fresh Organic Tincture – Rutland Biodynamics
At Rutland Biodynamics, we are committed to nurturing that cycle — from seed to plant, from harvest to tincture, and from one growing season to the next.
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