This is a complementary piece to “Tending to What Holds Us Farmland Ownership As a Spiritual Practice at S&S Homestead,” by Darby Weaver, in the upcoming Winter/Spring 2026 issue of Biodynamics. The print journal will be available in April, as well as a digital version available to members online — along with other recent issues, historical articles, and videos.
By Darby Weaver, The Farmers Land Trust
For over 50 years, the biodynamic community in the United States has been blessed with the work, writings, and teachings of Henning Sehmsdorf and Elizabeth Simpson. Their small farm, S&S Homestead, located on Lopez Island(link is external) in Washington state, has been feeding their local community and educating people from all walks of life since 1970. Their application of the biodynamic principles in their work is evident in the vitality of their nutritious offerings and felt in the dynamic energy of their 22 acres. Over time, the farm has expanded to include vegetable gardens; greenhouses; orchards; beef and dairy pastures; barns; sheep, pig, and chicken runs; composting sites; and CSA fields. It also features a holistically designed water-catchment system with a pond, solar power for all farm needs(link is external) (including the irrigation), a woodworking shop, and a processing and teaching kitchen equipped for food storage, canning, and dry goods, along with books, tools, and a seed library.
