The South East Biodynamic Association
The Southeast Biodynamic Association is a loose-knit organization of biodynamic growers and enthusiasts from around the southeastern US. The association began congregating with conferences held first at Hugh Lovel’s farm in Georgia, Union Agricultural Institute, in 1987, then shifted to Jeff Poppen’s Long Hungry Creek Farm in Tennessee around 1995. Our annual fall conference maintains an atmosphere of an informal fall festival and serves as the primary meeting of the association.
We publish a news letter a couple of times a year. It generally contains news of the south east and national biodynamic happenings as well as articles of interest on biodynamic topics and musings. Please feel free to submit something if you have something that will fit. Contact Coree at [email protected].
We have enjoyed bringing many wonderful biodynamic guests over the years, including Traugher Groh, Gunther Hauk, and Hugh Courtney, and many more. We were honored to host the National BD Conference in 2005.
Hallmarks of the SE Biodynamic Conference are the high-quality home cooked meals, which are included in the ticket price, beautiful campsites by the creek, fine weather, spacious places for children to run free, a rousing talent show (please plan on participating), and ample space and time for conversations with speakers and friends, new and old.
The association also gathers seasonally to enjoy making and digging the preparations together and has periodically gathered to read aloud from the Agriculture Lectures as a soul-warming winter activity.
The Long Hungry Creek Farm
Long Hungry Creek Farm is a sprawling 320-acre farm located along the Long Hungry Creek outside Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee. The Long Hungry Creek is in the top tier of creeks in Tennessee for water quality. Much of it runs through forests and is shaded and cool. It makes for a refreshing dip in the summer heat, but is too cold for most people in October. It is part of the Cumberland River Watershed that eventually empties into the Gulf of Mexico. The farm is mostly eastern hardwood forest, with about 100 acres of pasture, 8 acres of gardens, and a homestead. It is a working farm and produces cattle, hay, and vegetables.
The farm hosts seasonal events, music festivals, as well as weddings and other private events throughout the year.
Long Hungry Creek Farm is also a long-standing education center for new farmers who apprentice at the farm and take part in all of the seasonal activities. Since 1995, the farm has hosted the annual Southeast Biodynamic Conference.
There are ample and beautiful camping places on the farm, some with easy car access. A newer intern quarters, near the creek crossing has showers and toilets. There are roads and trails throughout the farm fields and forest, and you can spend hours walking along them. If you go hiking, please be mindful of fence gates and boundaries lines, so as to not disturb the neighbors.
Long Hungry Creek Farm is treated with the biodynamic preparations and compost prepared from the farm’s cattle and hay. The land is managed according to biodynamic principles and strives to meet all the farm’s needs from within the farm organism.
A Map of the Conference Site
