Diana Jerkins, Ph.D., is Research Program Director at the Organic Farming Research Foundation and formerly directed the Center for Regenerative Studies, California State Polytechnic University’s College of Agriculture; Horticulture, Plant and Soil Science Department, Pomona, California.
People participate in Natural Agriculture as farmers, gardeners, and consumers. Natural Agriculture can be thought about on three levels, (1) from a technical perspective of how to grow the plants, and (2) from a philosophical evaluation of our connection to Nature, and (3) from a social relationship between farmers and consumers. Because of the farmerÍs respect for the land and those that he or she feeds, energy flows from the farmer to the soil and plants and is transferred to the consumer through the consumption of the farmerÍs crops. On all three levels, the farmer and consumer influence each other and others that they come into contact with in their daily lives. The influence of this partnership and the eating of this food, changes their individual nature and how they relate to others.
A continuing challenge for humankind over the centuries has been our ability to support each other physically and spiritually. Natural Agriculture can be a link between the physical and the spiritual. This article is about the relationships between Nature, farmers, and consumers.
Natural Agriculture at Misono
The Misono Natural Agriculture fields are an integration of wild borders surrounding cultivated croplands. During my recent second visit to the Misono Natural Agriculture fields, I saw improvement over the last two years in the production and organization of the fields. The plants appeared to have more energy and vitality. A better balance had been achieved between natural areas and farming areas. Agriculture on this farm is a cooperative effort among six people under the coordinating leadership of a field manager. Many types of vegetables, including eggplant, corn, beans, and tomatoes, are grown throughout the farm. Tomatoes were growing in one of the greenhouses. Two rows were healthy and two rows withered and dying. This is an example of the best and strongest plants surviving the stresses of the environment. It would be interesting to see if the same effect occurs next year in this area.
Crops were planted in raised beds and mulched with grass cuttings similar to our California Natural Agriculture beds. The soil is more sandy and lighter than the clayey soil of California. Deguchi Sensei’s garden demonstrates the relationship between a farmer and nature. Both are working to grow and control the same land. Wild plants are more aggressive than food plants and continue to try to reclaim their natural place in the soil.
Looking only at the efforts of these six farmers, I wonder how they can work so hard and be rewarded with just a moderate amount of food compared to the industrialized western agriculture. In discussions with these farmers, I find they all believe that Natural Agriculture is the best farming application for the environment and people, but wonder how to be able to develop their own farms and have economic survival. Are natural forces so strong to require this much effort to produce food? Natural Agriculture does not only produce food, but also a healthy lifestyle. So the effect of being a Natural Agricultural farmer could be summed in a mathematical equation:
work effort + health of food + spiritual blessing of working in a natural environment + benefit of crops to the consumer + sharing with nature to continue natural areas = sustained life between people, animals, soil, plants, air, and water.
How can land best be used to support all creatures and provide food for humans? Can enough food be grown for our population and still maintain natural areas for the other species and the support of the global environment? What is the balance?
Kishima Island Natural Agriculture
For over sixty years, Mr. Murota has practiced and thought about farming. His interest now is to farm in a way that incorporates and reflects the natural relationships and balances found in nature. As our body must be in balance between all organs and systems to be healthy, the environment must be balanced in use of elements, plants, soil – at all levels from atomic to the total biosphere. This balance comes from a spirit of cooperation between the living and nonliving components of the earth. The human spirit provides direction to our actions by observing, understanding, and appreciating the relationships between the multitude of functions and systems that allow our planet to be a living and sustaining environment. Like an engine, all gears, pipes, valves, fluids must perform an individual function to be most efficient. At the same time each part must work in synchrony with the other parts to be most efficient and to maximize the work and lifetime of the engine. The engine needs to be maintained over the course of its life to be kept in good working order. Man is the mechanic who cares for the engine and receives benefit from the work produced by the engine. The farmer, like the mechanic, must maintain the balance of his or her fields to produce the highest quality crops and sustain production over a lifetime of farming. Indirectly, the farmer affects the balance of his or her surrounding environment, which in turn extends this effect to the global balance. If we do not maintain our farms in balance with the resources provided by the natural environment, then we not only affect the efficiency of our fields, but also the functioning of the connecting global environment. The world is self-contained. All elements cycle within this sphere, beginning at the micro level and flowing into the macro global levels. This connection is the spiritual connection of Natural Agriculture to the rest of the biosphere.
Takamatsu Natural Agriculture
In a few short years of fruit growing, these farmers have experienced many changes in how they grow things and what their connection is to the fields. In a blend of kudzu, tall grasses, and cultivated fruit trees, the agricultural plants are part of the native environment. Generation-to-generation learning occurs on this land. The willingness of a father to allow his child to practice an untested method of production on land that has taken him a lifetime to acquire and nurture, is a testament to his faith in his daughter and her faith in using nature as a guide. The diversity among the fields of many different types of fruit trees reflects Mother NatureÍs mixing of native plants in natural ecosystems. Standing in the fields, one can eat fresh fruit at the peak of flavor and nutritional value. Or drink the juice produced from the thinning process of early citrus fruit. The taste dances on our tongues and vitalizes our senses as the juice flows into our bodies. Animalsand birds consume from the bounty of the farmer’s work. In nature, over time all cycles come into balance.
Kobayashi’s Farm
A continuous theme has evolved from the teachings of the Natural Agricultural masters. Success as a Natural Agricultural farmer depends on making the soil of primary importance. Mr. Kobayashi also adds a second value. This is the belief that if the farmer is farming for the benefit of others with pure motivation for health and love of his or her land, all other factors and benefits will be bestowed upon the farmer and the land. This is indeed a difficult concept to accept, for human nature fears not being successful -it wants monatary success, wants to acquire more land to farm, and wants to grow sufficient crops for the customers.
A faith in himself and purpose of benefiting others will allow the farmer to be content and happy and unstressed. These values will radiate into his work, to his soil, plants, and animals of the fields. This contentment and the value of knowing that his work is the most valuable of all professions is transmitted as ñhealthî to those who consume his crops. Once a person accepts the simplicity of working for the benefit of others, life becomes totally free and unencumbered by doubts, fears, and greed that clouds the ability to be self content. There is no need to worry about decisions of what or how to live and work; no searching for the right methods or formula for success. Living becomes totally simplified. The most difficult action is to allow ourselves to be uncontrolled, letting the spirit within our body direct our actions and provide us with total wisdom. A Natural Agricultural farmer must have complete and total faith that he or she will be given the necessary opportunities to fulfill his or her mission in this life. From this belief, the grace of God will pass between the farmer and Nature, and reach all those that the farmer comes into contact with. The first step along this path is so simple. Just begin your mission.
Tokyo’s CSA Consumers
Meeting with a group of farmers and CSA members, we see that the connection between these people reflects the connections between the farmer and nature. The meeting was not to learn about technical practices of Natural Agriculture. It was not about what to do to make a better CSA. It was to share the feelings and understanding of each person’s roles and relationships in life necessary for self-survival and prosperity. It was to clearly identify the basis of a productive and healthy life.
By accepting the responsibility to care for ourselves and choosing how we live and interact with our environment, we automatically will care for the welfare of others. This is because we must depend on each other and the natural environment we live in to survive. No one can live alone and be totally self-dependent and enjoy a full and happy life. We must treat others as we would have them treat us. We must care for others as we would want them to care for us. We are sustained by and connected to the environment by being part of a Natural Agriculture community. This community includes the farmer, the consumer, the environment. Nature will provide us with health, beauty, and happiness if we care for nature.
These connections between all living entities and nature are the basis of our survival and the survival of our planet. Now is the time for us to reconnect to nature. You have this choice and opportunity through Natural Agriculture. Nature is waiting for you to accept this partnership. We are at a crossroads in human development. As members of Shinji Shumeikai, you are able to be the guiding light to others to show the way to a contentment and health that has not been experienced before. The foundation of this life is the flow of the spirit of nature to provide us with energy and renew our life force.
FROM SHUMEI MAGAZINE, Vol. 240. JULY/AUGUST 2002