What is a Spiritual Farm?

When the farmer has obtained a level of consciousness that motivates him to move away from the “only-for-profit mentality” and treats the soil and the environment with respect that will allow him to get in touch with the cosmic forces and be a steward of the land, that farmer is operating a “spiritual farm.” 

That level of consciousness will make him stay away from using any synthetic chemicals and fertilizers or pesticides on the land or the environment.  He will use means to heal the soil instead of degrading it or exploiting it. 

To evaluate the reflection of this higher level of consciousness in the food we established Farm Classification System, which is recognized in different levels of degree within each category.  

The level of complexity or integration of the agricultural practices to attain the excellent quality of food and care for the land and environment is what will determine the “degree” attained by the farm being evaluated, the category is determined by the nature of the practices being used, as can be seen in the Farm Categories and Evaluation Chart. 

Our intent is to develop a market of consumers with higher consciousness, who really appreciate and value the effort that goes into growing life-giving, spiritual food.  The agricultural method therefore plays an important role and will be a determining factor in selecting the providers for this program.  The  questionnaire will allow us to make that selection.  

The commitment of Spiritual Food for the New Millennium (SFNM) to provide the best food is based on the belief that food grown with a spiritual purpose in mind will stimulate the spiritual development of those who partake of it.

The Agriculture course offered by Dr. Rudolf Steiner in 1924 makes this ideal possible; that is why we have chosen this form of agriculture as the basis for our farm/food selection system.  We are open to other forms of spiritual farming as well, as you will see from the categories established in our award (selection) system. 

Spiritual development is the main concern of the School of Life Educational Society that is the originator of SFNM.  Therefore the actions of SFNM are based on spiritual values, such as trust, non-violence (no competition), gratitude for the abundance of God's creation, truthfulness, purity, etc.  Our commitment also involves manifesting spiritual intent in the way business is conducted and how this can affect the social structure. Our principles are not based on professionalism but on ethics; our motivation is not financial but humanitarian.  Our security is based on trust, love, compassion and courage.  We cordially invite those who share this view to join the program.

We would like to be very clear about one of our primary objectives at this time which is to support and promote the survival and multiplication of small farms, individually or communally owned/managed that will serve their immediate community.  (The CSA movement should be a strong component of this program).  The intent is to stimulate the use of locally grown food and avoid excessive transportation and processing costs that unnecessarily raise the price of food.

Dealing with very large farms and mass production is beyond the scope of the SFNM program.  Instead, we wish to offer fresh, vital food for the family, while favoring the development of a new economic model, such as Rudolf Steiner's Threefold Economic Order.

In order to select providers for the program we established a "Selection Committee" of experienced farmers who will evaluate and place each farm in its respective category.  The evaluation will be based on the questionnaire.  This questionnaire was initially prepared by a group of farmers and has been revised by the Selection Committee.

The system being established will give consumers the assurance not only of the excellence of the food but of the spiritual nature of it.  That is why we will call the food offered "sattwic", from the Sanskrit word "sattwa", which can be translated to mean pure and luminous.  "Sattwa", along with "rajas" and "tamas" are the three attributes of nature.  Rajas is usually interpreted as active and restless, and tamas as dark and inert.

As said before, the system is not based on competition; therefore there will not be a winner.  Each farm participating in the program receives a questionnaire corresponding to one of the categories (see below).  The completed questionnaire is sent to the Selection Committee to determine the final category and degree of the farm as you can see in the Farm Classification section. 

Since farming is not a mechanical process but a biological one, the outcome is subject to many other factors that cannot be evaluated quantitatively, therefore the classification should be seen as a reference, not a qualification of the farm or farmer.