A sample of my work...
- 1. Shumei Santa Cruz Farm Natural Agriculture
- 2. Our Mission.... Practice and promote fertilizer free, pesticide free, Natural Agriculture Farming, Consumer Education programs through Consumer Supported Agriculture,Farmer’s Markets and Open Farm Celebration, Educational programs for next generations & adults through Farm to School and garden mentorships. Future Cultural, Art and Environmental Educational programs.
- 3. What is Natural Agriculture? The principles and practices of Natural Agriculture were developed in Japan in the early decades of the 20th century by Mokichi Okada, founder of Shumei
- 4. “ The principle of Natural Agriculture is an over-riding respect and concern for Nature,” stated Okada in his book ‘A Great Agricultural Revolution.”
- 5. While many modern agricultural practices are based on a belief in the need to control and manipulate the growing process, Natural Agriculture works with and learns from Nature
- 6. Thus, the soil is cultivated in its natural state without the addition of foreign elements. Chemical fertilizers prohibit the soil’s natural energy from being transferred to the plants.
- 7. In its natural state, soil is pure and contains all the elements needed for healthy plant growth.
- 8. By forming a conscious collaboration with Nature, we can guide, aid and enhance natural food production.
- 9. A plant grows amid a myriad of relationships that make up the natural environment of the plant, and the plant is affected by its interaction with all.
- 10. Seeds are respected for their natural purity and are not manipulated for specified ends. Extensive experience has shown that this approach leads to crops that are healthier, stay fresh longer and are better tasting than those produced by conventional agricultural methods.
- 11. Natural Agriculture recognizes that plants are conscious living entities.
- 12. We care for plants as we would our own children.
- 13. The organic food movement is geared toward eliminating the use of chemicals in food production for health purposes.
- 14. Natural Agriculture has a more philosophical approach to agriculture and aims not only to produce mental, spiritual and physical health but also in fostering the well-being of entire ecosystems. In Natural Agriculture each decision is based on consideration for the entire web of life...
- 15. While Natural Agriculture may use natural compost such as leaves and grasses, it does not use manure because it does not believe this benefits the natural soil. When compost is used, local materials are encouraged, and are used not as a nutrient but to keep the soil moist, warm and soft. Natural Agriculture does not use any fertilizers, not even those approved for organic.
- 16. Everything needed by the plant for growth is already present in the soil. Each year through the practice of Natural Agriculture, the condition of the soil improves on its own.
- 17. Natural Agriculture does not recognize any insect as a “pest” that needs to be exterminated by chemical means. There may be reasons for the presence of these creatures which we may not understand, for example a balancing of Nature’s systems. Most often an imbalance of insects can be successfully addressed through natural means.
- 18. A key tenet of Natural Agriculture is the vital energy of freshly grown food. Therefore it promotes the consumption of food grown locally. Food that has been shipped from long distances loses important nutritional value.
- 19. Thus Natural Agriculture involves more than agricultural technique; it means changing the way one thinks about Nature. It means relating to the natural world through one’s heart, not only one’s head. It means listening, respecting and responding to, rather than dictating, the needs of Nature.
- 20. Through the practice of Natural Agriculture the producers and consumers of food develop a unique relationship, based on a support system of deep appreciation and gratitude.
- 21. “ In Natural Agriculture soil, farmer and consumer are equal partners. No longer is the soil considered lifeless, the consumer dutiless and the farmer wholly responsible for coaxing life from the former and serving the latter. Each partner is integral. The soil grows and provides. The farmer tends the soil and grows the plants. The consumer participates, appreciates and educates. The process behind eating changes from being an assembly line to a true food system.” - Lisa Hamilton from ‘Farming to Create Heaven on Earth.’
- 22. Thank you for visiting today and for your interest in Natural Agriculture!