PETER PROCTOR (1928-2018) was one of the most respected and influential figures in contemporary Biodynamics. He was born in 1928 in New Zealand, although he told me his grandmother was probably born in Stamford, Lincolnshire, England “sometime in the 1800s.” His father was a primary school teacher and was brought up in what he called “a conventional church environment. I just missed the Second World War by being at high school.” In 1948/9 aged 18/19 Peter worked at the botanic gardens in Wellington, under the expert supervision of horticulturists trained at Kew Gardens. This is where his passion for gardening, compost making and practical excellence began.