Call it “Zen and the Art of Farming” or a “Little Green Book,” Masanobu Fukuoka’s manifesto about farming, eating, and the limits of human knowledge presents a radical challenge to the global systems we rely on for our food. For anyone interested in working with nature, this is where you start.
At the same time, it is a spiritual memoir of a man whose innovative system of cultivating the earth reflects a deep faith in the wholeness and balance of the natural world. You'll be delighted by the simplicity of the methods presented and their harmony with nature.
My first interaction with these concepts was through Larry Korn, one of Fukuoka's students. In just 9 minutes and 7 seconds, you'll be delighted by these concepts and want to learn more.
Without any reliance on chemicals, plowing, or flooding, he raises as much rice as his neighbors do. Yields for other crops remain strong, despite additional crops in the same fields. Two unique features of this method:
- Use of ducks to fertilize and weed grains.
- Returning surplus straw to feed soil,
- Natural approach to farm management.
You don’t have to grow rice to use this method. Any cereal grain, broadacre crop, or mixed vegetable-growing area can benefit from this simple approach.
While the book is more philosophical, it provides a basis for a farming system that can last for generations. Get your copy of The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming here.
