Nurturing the Life Force in Seed, Soil, and Plants: Insights from Shumei at the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2025
In January, the 16th Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) brought together leading agricultural experts, farmers, policymakers, and advocates from around the world to Oxford to discuss the future of farming and sustainable agricultural practices. Throughout the conference, conversations reinforced the importance of working in harmony with nature, highlighting how regenerative and mindful approaches to agriculture can nourish both people and the planet.
This year Shumei was privileged to host a session titled “Nurturing the Life Force in Seed, Soil, and Plants.” This session explored how farming practices—as well as the consciousness of the farmer—can impact the nutrition and flavor of food and its overall life force. Moderator Ben Raskin and speakers Shinya Imahashi, Matthew Adams, and Jana Rock shared their experiences and perspectives on strengthening seed, soil, and plant vitality to positively impact human and planetary health.
Panelists at ORFC 2025. From left to right: Alice Cunningham, Shinya Imahashi, Matthew Adams, Jana Rock, Ben Raskin
Shinya Imahashi, a Natural Agriculture farmer and advocate, detailed his experience growing wholesome fruits and vegetables as the former manager at Yatesbury Farm in the U.K. For example, through years of careful seed saving and deep attentiveness to the land, he enabled crops, such as corn, to thrive in the British climate without fertilizers or soil additives. Matthew Adams, Deep Ecologist and Co-Founder of GRFFN, shared his work measuring nutrient density through citizen science, emphasizing the connection between healthy soil, farmer consciousness, and a higher nutrient value of food. Jana Rock, a vegetarian chef and school gardens educator, spoke about the importance of cooking with ingredients cultivated through natural and mindful farming methods and the noticeable difference it can make in the quality and taste of the dishes prepared.
Shinya Imahashi presents at ORFC 2025
Through the perspectives of each panelist, the session highlighted the profound impact of cultivation methods on the lifeforce in soil, seeds, and plants, and its ripple effect on the broader health of our communities and ecosystems. To conclude the panel, Shinya conducted energy testing, a demonstration of the vitality in food using the body’s energetic shifts. Participants noted the difference in their physical abilities after eating a tomato, which offered attendees a tangible way to experience the life force in Natural Agriculture produce.
At the conference, there were other sessions that pointed to not only the importance of farming methods but also the farmers’ mindset and approach to nature in generating results in the face of climate and economic challenges. The Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) hosted sessions on integrating indigenous knowledge, spirituality, and consciousness into farming. CoFSA’s discussions reinforced the role of mindfulness in helping farmers to restore their relationships with nature, ultimately creating more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Alan Imai, President of Shumei America and Shumei International Institute, shares his insights on the inner dimension of agroecology in a video presented by the Conscious Food Systems Alliance at ORFC
Conscious farming practices, including Natural Agriculture, allow farmers to observe and benefit from the innate life force in nature. Through cultivating a deeper connection with the land, farmers and communities can work in alignment with nature to create thriving, harmonious food systems that feed both body and spirit.
Watch archived sessions from ORFC 2025 here: https://orfc.org.uk/orfc-archives/page/1/
