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Alex Podolinsky:

1925–

Pioneering biodynamic farmer and

educationalist Alex Podolinsky passed

away in June. Podolinsky founded the

Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI) in

1957 and registered the Demeter trademark

in Australia in 1967. It still exists today.

Podolinsky was born in Germany in 1925

and moved to Australia as a refugee in

December 1949. He attracted extremely

loyal followers, but his sharp-tongued

criticism also turned many people away

and made him a divisive figure.

Undisputed is his strong advocacy

of a unique Australian interpretation of

biodynamics, and, until recently, an iron-

fisted control of the Demeter mark to

the great chagrin of the Demeter-

International organisation.

Podolinsky was an author and teacher

of biodynamics, a dairy farmer, musician,

architect, numerologist, and founder of

several Steiner schools. He shot to popular

fame in 1984 when ABC TV screened an

episode of A Big Country called ‘A Winter’s

Tale’, about Alex and his biodynamic work.

Tim Marshall

GM deregulation

threatens

Regulations tabled in Federal Parliament to free up the use of

genetically modified technology would undermine Australia’s

status as a leader in organic food production, according to

GM-free groups Gene Ethics and Friends of the Earth (FOE).

According to Bob Phelps, executive director of Gene Ethics,

the Gene Technology Amendment (2019 Measures No. 1)

Regulations 2019 allow GM sugar, potatoes, rice and a host

of other crops, animals and microbes to be released into the

environment with no safety assessment or traceability.

The amendments will become law on October 8 unless

the Senate disallows them. If you wish to have your say on

these amendments, contactyourFederalMPorSenators.

Glenmore House

celebrates 30 years

Glenmore House and Garden near Camden (NSW) is celebrating 30

successful years this November with a spring fair and open garden.

Mickey and Larry Robertson first started work on the property by

restoring a collection of dilapidated, vernacular farm buildings and

creating a garden to bind them to the landscape. Today, Mickey hosts

regular workshops and events, with the kitchen garden at their

core. She once hosted a wonderful Organic Gardener reader lunch.

Mickey is also the author

of The House and Garden

at Glenmore (Murdoch

Books 2016) and author

and presenter of the

podcast ‘In the Kitchen

Garden with Mickey’

(glenmorehouse.com.

au/new/podcast).

The fair will see stallholders

selling fresh flowers,

vegetable seedlings,

cheese, ceramics, landscape

paintings and more. Also,

there will be tea, cake

and lunch.

WHEn: November 23 & 24,

10am–4.30pm

WHERE: Glenmore House,

Moores Way, Glenmore,

NSW (approx. 1 hour

south of Sydney CBD)

details: glenmorehouse.

com.au or (02) 4654 5484 Left: Glenmore House is

opening its doors for spring.

PHOTOS: GLENMORE HOUSE: DANIEL SHIPP/POTATOES: ISTOCK

Right: Potatoes are among the

vegetables being genetically modified.