Ehrenfried Pfeiffer

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Ehrenfried Pfeiffer
Born19 February 1899
Munich
Died30 November 1961
Spring Valley, New York
OccupationSoil scientist

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (19 February 1899 – 30 November 1961) was a German scientist, soil scientist, leading advocate of

anthroposophist and student of Rudolf Steiner
.

Life

Ehrenfried Pfeiffer began work with

Lord Northbourne, published his manifesto of organic farming 'Look to the Land' in which he coined the term 'organic farming'.[8]

Pfeiffer first visited the U.S. in 1933 to lecture to a group of anthroposophists at the Threefold Farm in Spring Valley, New York on biodynamic farming.[1] His consulting was essential to the development of biodynamic agriculture in the U.S.

Pfeiffer developed an analytical method using copper chloride crystallization and used this technique as a blood test for detecting cancer.

Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association
in 1938. in 1940 he immigrated to the U.S. from Switzerland with his wife Adelheid, escaping the advance of German troops into France. They brought with them their son Christoph and daughter Wiltraud.

With the advent of World War II in Europe, Pfeiffer took his family to Kimberton, Pennsylvania (near Philadelphia), where Alaric Myrin offered Pfeiffer the opportunity to create a model biodynamic farm and training program. Starting in the late 1930s he taught biodynamic farming and gardening at the Kimberton Farm School. One of his students, Paul Keene, who worked and studied with Pfeiffer there for two years and shortly thereafter co-founded Walnut Acres, recalls: "he helped bring all of life together for us in a definite coherent pattern".[11]

While at Kimberton, Pfeiffer led the initiative to found the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, and to start its journal. While at Kimberton, Pfeiffer also met J. I. Rodale, founder of Organic Gardening and Farming magazine, and of the organic movement in the U.S. This relationship gave biodynamics a little-known place in the history of the American organic movement. Interpersonal difficulties - a motif of Pfeiffer's life - brought to a close the Kimberton Farms chapter.[12]

Aiming to continue his work training biodynamic farmers, Pfeiffer bought a farm in Chester, New York, where a small colony arose focused on farming, education, and the administration of the Biodynamic Association.[12]

His copper chloride

Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital in Philadelphia in 1939.[4] He studied chemistry and became a professor of nutrition in 1956.[3] Pfeiffer wrote on the dangers of pesticides and DDT and Rachel Carson consulted with him when she was writing Silent Spring.[13]

In 1961, at his home in Spring Valley, N.Y., he suffered from a series of heart attacks, lingering for several days, but ultimately was not given the proper medical care and died. His wife subsequently took over the operation of their farm in Chester, New York.

Work

Pfeiffer was a pioneer of

Oakland, California,[4] as well as countries in the Caribbean, Europe, and the Far East.[14]
A technical difficulty with the resulting compost, that it would not spread readily with the commonly used fertilizer spreader, could not be overcome and the project ultimately failed.

Pfeiffer invented two anthroposophic Image forming methods, a method using a round filter chromatography (circular chromatography or chroma test) and the copper chloride crystallization method,[14] developed together with Erika Sabarth. In the latter method, a solution of copper chloride and the test solution is allowed to evaporate. The pattern of the copper chloride crystals can be "read" based on the patterns of known samples. Similarly, the patterns of the circular chromatographs can be "read" based on known samples.[9] Both methods require much practice to "read" and interpret the images.

Honorary degree

Pfeiffer's work at Hahnemann earned him an honorary Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Philadelphia on June 8, 1939, at its 91st commencement ceremony.[15]

Books and articles by Ehrenfried Pfeiffer

Biodynamics in farming and gardening

Chromatography

  • ————, Chromatography Applied to Quality Testing,
    Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association
    , 1984.
  • ————, Sensitive Crystallization Processes: A Demonstration of Formative Forces in the Blood, Anthroposophic Press, 1975. ASIN B00073467S.

Composting

  • ————, The Art and Science of Composting: Observations and Testing Methods: The Chromatographic Method,
    Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association
    , 1959. ASIN B0007HK7MC.
  • ————, The Compost Manufacturers Manual: The Practice of Large Scale Composting, Pfeiffer Foundation, 1956. ASIN B0007G1MWC.

Other topics

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-8135-2790-2
  2. ^ Under Steiner's direction, Pfeiffer designed and constructed special diffuse stage lights, not concentrated by lenses, that would be suitable for eurythmy performances. He also designed and built a special lighting keyboard to allow the lights to be changed quickly and fluidly, a kind of "color piano". Pfeiffer, E., Autobiographical memoirs, cited in Barnes, H., Into the Heart's Land: A Century of Rudolf Steiner's Work in North America, 2005, pp. 232-233.
  3. ^ a b Andrew Lorand, Biodynamic Agriculture — A Paradigmatic Analysis, Ph.D. thesis, Pennsylvania State University, 1996.
  4. ^
    Collier's Weekly
    , May 31, 1952.
  5. ^ Paull, John (2011) "The secrets of Koberwitz: The diffusion of Rudolf Steiner’s Agriculture Course and the founding of Biodynamic Agriculture" Archived 2016-03-08 at the Wayback Machine, Journal of Social Research & Policy, 2(1):19-29.
  6. ^ Paull, John (2011) " Biodynamic Agriculture: The Journey from Koberwitz to the World, 1924-1938", Journal of Organic Systems, 6(1): 27-41.
  7. ^ a b Paull, John (2011) "The Betteshanger Summer School: Missing link between biodynamic agriculture and organic farming", Journal of Organic Systems, 2011, 6(2):13-26.
  8. ^ Paull, John (2014). "Lord Northbourne, the man who invented organic farming, a biography". Journal of Organic Systems. 9 (1): 31–53.
  9. ^ a b "Medicine: Cancer Progress". Time. September 25, 1939.
  10. ISBN 0-8135-2536-5
    , p. 200.
  11. ^ DeLoach, Ethyl. 1961. "The story of Walnut Acres. Natural Food and Farming (Atlanta, Texas) 8(5):12-13, 34-36. Oct.
  12. ^ a b "Home". pfeiffercenter.org.
  13. ^ Paull, John (2013) The Rachel Carson Letters and the Making of Silent Spring, SAGE Open, 3 (July):1-12.
  14. ^ a b c Steve Diver, Biodynamic Farming & Compost Preparation, Alternative Farming Systems Guide: ATTRA, February 1999. Document text Archived 2008-05-09 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ Personal communication from Irvin Miller, archivist of Hahnemann papers at Drexel. According to the minutes of the Board of Trustees on January 27, 1939, he was approved to receive an honorary M.D. at the June commencement. The program for these ceremonies also lists his degree as a Doctor of Medicine.

Biographical resources

External links
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