Where It Began
Humble Origins
The term "Natural Farming" was coined by Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka in his 1975 book The One Straw Revolution.
Fukuoka-san distills his philosophy into five principles.
No tillage
The soil is never dug up or "turned over" as is standard practice in modern agriculture. Instead, the top-soil is built up over time and tilled naturally by animals and insects.
No fertilizer
Fertilizer products are never applied to the soil as they are unnecessary when the land is of itself fertile.
No pesticides or herbicides
Pesticides, herbicides and other poisons are never used as pests and weeds are symptoms of deeper issues which when resolved will make the symptoms disappear.
No weeding
Nature abhors a vacuum and will throw up weeds where there is exposed soil. To solve the problem of weeds, the space must be filled with desirable plants, hay or mulch.
No pruning
Trees should be allowed to take their natural and healthier form instead of the standard practice of constant pruning which creates dwarf and wine-glass shapes to facilitate easier spraying and harvest.
We take things one step further and do not irrigate perennial plants once established in the environment.
The life and works of Fukuoka-san inspired us to adopt these principles and put them to practice in place of organic agriculture on our estate.
