Todos Santos · 2026
January 10, 2026
Palma Serena
The Biodynamic Farm Organism
We gathered beneath the trees at Palma Serena for a day devoted to the farm as a living organism. Talks, practical activities, and food from the garden brought the relationships among soil, plants, animals, and people into view.
A garden beneath the trees.
At Palma Serena, shade is part of cultivation. The trees shelter the garden from the drying force of the sun. To understand the garden, we look beyond its beds to the trees, the water, and the surrounding land.
Around the shared table.
Flowers stood on the table on the morning of the gathering. We met to consider how our daily choices strengthen the life of a farm, with time for learning, conversation, and a shared meal.
The Pacific, close by.
The January visit continued at the shore. On January 11, the photographs turned toward the surf, the sand, and the changing light on water.
January 10, 2026
The program
- The astronomical calendar as a guide for farm management.
- Soil fertility and the care of living soil.
- The role of animals within the farm organism.
- Food from the garden, its preparation, and the shared table.
With Natalie McGill and Stewart Lundy of Perennial Roots Farm. José Aviña coordinated the gathering’s promotion at Palma Serena. Their work at Perennial Roots in Accomac, Virginia, began in 2010 and brings together a market garden, a community-supported agriculture program, and livestock.
Todos Santos
Photographs
Photographs: Martha Ocampo and Natalie McGill.
PDF · 5 pages
The original program
The Biodynamic Farm Organism
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