This famous quote from the Dottenfelder Hof in the era of Manfred Klett and Georg Glöckler stands as the motto of our recap of the 2026 Agriculture Conference.1
This sentence captures the mood and essence of the Agriculture Conference. Freedom and destiny are usually contradictions: either freedom or fate. But there are moments that break through this logic in unexpected ways. You can’t arrange for them to happen, only prepare. Whether we successfully break through to the realm beyond “either/or” depends upon the fortune of the moment. The Agriculture Conference was such a moment. Where did this spiritual cheerfulness among the 750 participants from 46 countries come from? Hadn’t they all traveled from difficult circumstances? Hadn’t they all endured years when lightning and thunder rocked the beautiful world of organic food? Who hadn’t experienced drought or flooding on their land? Who hadn’t faced a shortage of workers, sales difficulties, and revenue losses? Who hadn’t been affected by the societal shift from sustainability to “war readiness”?
Global Conversation
Where did this confidence come from? One source was the conference theme: You never farm alone. It became a motto. If you know this phrase, you’ll make the breakthrough! To know the phrase means to have embodied it, lived it oneself. It means to have wrested it from the abyss with full force—combatively, poetically. The miracle was that everyone could speak to this motto. There was a global conversation—everyone was able to join, no matter what language, no matter whether apprentice or master, no matter whether cook or merchant. “You never farm alone” is an existential experience for everyone. Because, actually, the statement isn’t entirely true: everyone is alone!—in the barn, in the field, at the year’s end. “You never farm alone” only becomes a true statement when destiny is freely shaped. That’s what the conference stories spoke to—gently, dramatically, with humor—in the lectures, in the panels, the workshops, and in the breaks.
Michael Conversation
Another source was the morning study of Rudolf Steiner’s Michael Letter, “Michael’s Experiences during the Fulfillment of His Cosmic Mission.”2 Steiner writes: In the beginning, Michael was the steward of cosmic intelligence and kept a watchful eye on humanity while it was still playing child-like in a corner of the cosmos. Intellectuality then passed over to humanity. Ahriman took advantage of the opportunity and claimed a portion of it for himself. Christ came to Earth to assist humanity against Ahriman’s attacks. Michael wants freedom; therefore, he cannot intervene directly, but he can spiritually present his intellectuality. We can freely connect with this—including through a Michaelmas festival.
Feya Marince and Helen van Zyl developed the first part of the Michael Letter with the conference community. Both are from South Africa. Feya is of indigenous descent, while Helen has European ancestors. Feya said that, for her, cosmic wisdom is always present—she just has to tune in. “I sat in front of my rosebush; it was my counterpart, five generations of my ancestors were represented in it. I asked, ‘What can I do in Africa?’ The bush replied, ‘Follow your path; you will be supported.’ A week later, I discovered biodynamics; we founded an indigenous African association for biodynamics, and I am able to work in many countries across Africa.” Helen recounted: “I see only the sensory world—to get behind the curtain, I have to work hard. During a walk around the farm, I discovered that beehives had been attacked by a bird of prey. I was so angry. It wasn’t until the next day, after a lot of inner work, that I had achieved a sufficiently gentle attitude to be able to help the bees.”
On the second day, Paz Bernaschina and Gloria Sun continued the conversation. Paz is from Chile, and Gloria is from Taiwan—West and East. Ahriman can help us use numbers to gain a clear understanding of our food systems. These systems often destroy rural communities, uproot people, and lead to migration, followed by industrial mass production. How do new communities emerge in rural areas? Christ and Michael can help when the spiritual gesture extends beyond one’s own body and the body of the farm. When I don’t calculate. With this free spiritual quality, community spirits can connect, especially on farms. Not only do plants grow from the soil, but also the community.
Faculty and students—this was the setup on the third day: Martin von Mackensen with former students from the Dottenfelderhof Agricultural School. Martin: The letter leads from standing alone in the corner to the communal festival. What can a Michaelmas festival be? My answer: Now—You—The future! What are your experiences? Rocio: I was at the university in Mendoza, Argentina. I wanted to know more, but what was offered was harsh and lifeless. What could I do? Compost! I introduced the subject of composting with practical applications at the university. Now I’m a lecturer at the agricultural school, and we’ve started a partnership with the agricultural university in Mendoza. A community spanning continents. Now—You—The future!
Social Ground
The gentle energy and cheerfulness at the conference grew day by day as the many examples made it clear: on our farms, we can build communities of the future. The physical ground becomes the social ground for communities of peace. We freely shape our own destiny.
More Goetheanum Section for Agriculture, You Never Farm Alone. Talks from the conference are available for viewing on: GoetheanumTV.
Translation Joshua Kelberman
Image Scenes from the 2026 Annual Agriculture Conference at the Goetheanum. Photo: Xue Li
Footnotes
- Germ. “Wir sind freie Gestalter unseres Schicksals,” lit., we are free shapers of our destiny. See en.dottenfelderhof.eu.
- Rudolf Steiner, Leitsätze—Leading Thoughts. Bilingual Edition, CW 26 (Arlesheim, Switzerland: Ita Wegman Institute, 2024), Oct. 19, 1924.
