The Principles Of Natural Agriculture

The Principles and practices of Natural Agriculture were developed in Japan in the early decades of the 20th century by Mokichi Okada to foster a renewed understanding of the harmony that exists among the natural elements of the earth.
Mokichi Okada conducted extensive research in the development of agricultural practices that would yield the most productive and beneficial results for nourishing the body, working in conjunction with Nature. His premise was to support, not control, Nature. From this research he developed a technique of food cultivation called Natural Agriculture, which uses no chemicals, fertilizers or pesticides. It encourages the consumption of locally produced food, recognizing the degree to which nutrients are lost in the transportation process. Natural Agriculture stresses the relationship among all elements in the growing process – the seed, water, light and surrounding vegetation – and is based on an “over-riding respect and concern for Nature.”

Over the past few decades, Shumei has developed a network of Natural Agriculture farms in Japan, today numbering over 100. It has also established a community distribution network called CSA (community supported agriculture), where farmers and consumers work together to distribute and market the food products. Shumei has expanded this effort outside of Japan. It has established farms around the world, including the Philippines, and Germany, as well as developing farms in Crestone, Colorado, Hunter, New York, and Santa Cruz, California in the United States. It has also sponsored workshops on the benefits of Natural Agriculture, showing the relationship between chemicals in the environment and water purity, between deforestation and the condition of the soil, and between chemicals in the food and human health. Shumei’s programs reach out to both the growers and consumers of food.

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