Natural Agriculture as a Way of Living

At its core, Shumei Natural Agriculture is the process of rebuilding our relationship to nature, using a foundation of cooperation and gratitude. Farming and eating are the mediums for learning that approach to life, but at its fullest, Natural Agriculture is a way of being in the world no matter what you’re doing. For instance, it can be a child in a Natural Agriculture garden. There he or she would discover the interconnectedness of all the living beings that make up that garden. The child would learn to treat the plants and soil with care—as partners rather than possessions. But then the child would carry that lesson outside the garden, applying the newfound sense of respect and partnership to all the relationships in his or her life. In another case, it can mean revitalizing the traditional farming culture of rural communities that were relying on conventional farming methods over the wisdom of nature. The practice of Natural Agriculture can help restore the respect for nature and natural resources in communities that enables them to develop in environmentally sustainable ways. While the experience of Natural Agriculture begins in the vegetable rows, it extends throughout our lives.

Ask a Natural Agriculturist what he or she is trying to accomplish, and the answer is often surprising: “World peace.” And yet if it sounds like a lofty goal for a person who appears to simply be farming in a unique way or eating with particular awareness, consider that there is more to their actions than meets the eye. When Natural Agriculture’s founder, Mokichi Okada, conceived of these ideas, he was not just looking for an alternative food source. He was responding to larger themes in the world, particularly to the way human beings treat the environment and each other, to a culture that leads to disregard, conflict and violence. His vision was that one by one, person by person, we could use Natural Agriculture to build new relationships with the people and nature around us—just as that child in the garden or a rural farming cooperative would. With enough people, that change would spread to the community, and with enough communities that change would spread to the nation. Ultimately, the renewal of compassion and respect would span the globe. And war would become a thing of the past.

Given the current state of the planet, it can seem as though little progress has been made toward that goal. And yet, change is taking place—on farms and in families throughout the world. Person by person, Natural Agriculture is coming to life.