Social Agriculture
Many anthroposophical social organizations are based on a farm or agricultural business and people with assistance needs are involved in their circular economy. Agriculture, animal husbandry, horticulture, bees, food processing, etc. are the fields of work in which inclusive work – with cows, pigs and chickens – is carried out all year round.
At the Section’s 2024 autumn conference, there was a forum on the topic and the people in this group are taking the initiative further and want to continue working on it in this working group.
Social farming can be considered as the third element alongside curative education and social therapy under the overarching theme of inclusive social development. The relationship between the ecology of the earth and humans becomes central in a world conditioned to migrate into virtual reality and can thus provide means for reconnection and healing.
This could also be formulated in terms of the three horizons:
HORIZON 1:
A dominant system that loses its purpose:
- We think and feel: “vita aktiva” is the real life!
HORIZON 2:
A transformation system capable of facilitating a shift in patterns:
- We think and feel: a balance between “vita aktiva” and “vita contemplativa” is the good life!
HORIZON 3:
An alternative system. We can anticipate in the midst of turbulence:
I believe and feel that the real basis for acting out of myself and for meeting the demands of the world is the “vita contemplativa”. All peace comes from this, the presence in the here and now and also all activity in the future.
See the article by Oliver Koenig in Das Goetheanum, 48/2024
Initiative group:
Fabia Biewer (Camphill School Communities Brachenreuthe, Germany), Irina Paparo (Sofera, Bulgaria), Achim Leibing (Loitholdhof Community, Austria), Marc Blachere (Camphill Copake, USA)
The contact person for technical questions is Marc Blachere: marcblachere@camphillvillage.org
The contact person in the management team of the section is Sonja Zausch: sonja.zausch@goetheanum.ch