Ehrenfried Pfeiffer was a student of the Austrian philosopher & polymath Rudolf Steiner - originator of Biodynamic Farming - an advanced form of organic, regenerative agriculture that integrates natural, ethical, and ecological principles, emphasizing the interrelationships between soil, plants, animals, and human environmental sustainability. Biodynamic farms create self-sustaining ecosystems that work in harmony with nature to produce healthy, nutrient-rich crops.

Rudolf Steiner gave the ground breaking ‘Agriculture Couse’ in 1924 since even then farmers were observing that the ‘modern’ growing practices, which began using chemical fertilizers after the WW1, were producing lower quality food.

Between 1928 and 1940, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer began working with an ancient variety of feral spelt found in Italy, derived from a team of seed breeders in the biodynamic farming movement in Holland, Switzerland and Germany, where Mark Zinniker’s Grandfather, Immanuel Voegele worked. Their breeding experiments yielded a variety of wheat that has practical significance, because of reduced threshing problems, and higher nutritional content. It has historic significance, because it is the result of the applied science of biodynamics.

In the 1930's, when the Nazi’s were in power in Germany, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer came to the United States where he remained until he died in 1961. In 1933 he attended the second World’s Fair in Chicago - the ‘Century of Progress Exposition’ along with Guenther Wachsmuth, the secretary of the original Vorstand. 

In the 1970's Erika Sabarth who worked with Pfeiffer passed this wheat on to Paul Scharff and Mac Mead who grew it until the 1990's.

Since 1994, seed researcher Walter Goldstein, founder of the Mandaamin Institute, has been working with Pfeiffer wheat to make it hardier for the Wisconsin winters in the Heartland of America.

Zinniker Farm has been growing this ever-improving variety of Pfeiffer wheat, providing food for their table & for their animals.

And now Mark and Petra planted 5 acres so we can make it available to the wider community.

Mark recently harvested the Pfeiffer Wheat, so we will have some available for you soon.

Please note that we will only have a limited quantity this year. Our plan is to continue making it available as long as you want it!