Natural Farming Policy

Natural Farming Philosophy By Cho Han Kyu

Environment-friendly

Natural Farming is a sustainable farming. Natural Farming makes all inputs from natural materials, observes the law of the Nature and respects the rights of crops and livestock. Natural Farming heals the soil slashed by chemicals, herbicide and machines. Where Natural Farming is practiced, the soil and waterbecome clean and ecology is recovered. It is even being used as a tool to fight desertification.

Respect for Life

Natural Farming respects life. It opposes human exploitation on life. Ironical it may sound; respecting the nature of the life is the best way to achieve top quality and yield. We prevent disease rather than curing with medicines. We rear healthy animals rather than feeding them hormones and antibiotics. Crops and livestock reared by Natural Farming are very healthy. They have almost no disease and show especially strong resistance to climatic fluctuation. Natural Farming orchards in Korea were least damaged by the notorious typhoon that slashed other farms.

High Quality

Natural Farming products have high quality, good taste and better yield. People commonly think that by converting to organic farming you will have smaller yields, lower quality and smaller-sized fruits. In Natural Farming it is the opposite. We do not go back to the past; we take a leap into the future. Natural Farming products have much higher nutritional contents. Protein, amino acid, crude fat and other essential nutrient were identified to be as much as 300 percent higher than ordinary products. Chemical residue such as nitrate is almost undetectable

Natural Farming Methods No Pesticide

Natural Farming does not use pesticide. Pesticides do not only kill insects; they reside in the soil and fruit. When absorbed, it can do serious harm to our bodies and even our next generations. Instead of using toxic chemicals, we use light, alcohol, aroma, poisonous plant and so forth to control pests. More surprisingly, an ecology that recovered the natural balance will drop in the pests and disease occurrence. Natural Farming does precisely that. Because we do not use colorants, our fruits can have some natural stripes, spots or insect bites. This is the proof of zero chemical. Most of our farmers are certified by the government as low or zero pesticide.

No Herbicide

Natural Farming does not use herbicide. Killing the weeds with chemical is not the only solution nor is it wise. Herbicide is lethal to human. How can it only kill the weeds? Natural Farming uses the weeds rather than killing them. We actually grow the wild grass such as rye and clover for mulching. Natural Farming orchards are green with grass growing between the fruit trees. The grass prevents soil erosion, holds moisture, propagates microorganism, produces organic fertilizer, improves soil ventilation and suppresses the pests. How can it only be a thief of nutrients?

No Tillage

Natural Farming does not till the land. Instead of using machines, we use earthworms, microorganisms and small animals. Machine can plow 20 centimeters at best, whereas earthworms will dig 7 meters. The excretions of the earthworms turn into the best soil. After practicing Natural Farming, the soil inflates like a balloon. Our little workers tilled so well that your hand will slide in as if into a soft cake. Because you don’t till the land, the grass seeds in the soil do not come up to the surface. In other words, after the grass on the surface have germinated and died, you will have no more weed problems. No tillage and no herbicide are linked

No Chemical Fertilizer

Natural Farming does not use chemical fertilizer. Nor does it follow the common practice of applying over half of the fertilizer as base manure. Crops will become weak if given too much food at early stage. Nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium and all other elements that would be commonly given in the form of chemical fertilizer are substituted with Natural Farming inputs. Fish amino acid provides nitrogen, eggshells give calcium, animal bones are source of phosphoric acid. Our Natural Farming inputs are not only cheap but highly effective.

No Pollution

Natural Farming animal houses do not emit any wastewater. There is no need to install an expensive treatment machine. All the treatment is done right on the floor itself. As soon as feces fall on the floor, it is quickly decomposed by the powerful microorganisms. Floor is not made from concrete, it is touching the soil; it is alive. Rice straw, sawdust, fresh soil are used for flooring. Even if you use a Natural Farming animal house for many years, you do not need to clean the feces once. They do not pile up and they do not smell. Our method is revolutionary considering the serious pollution that livestock wastewater are doing on our rivers. Natural Farming animal housings do not smell. Utilizing the natural powers like the sun, wind and microorganism, the floor is always dry and fluffy. It is a common sight to see a Natural Farming animal houses right beside a human house.

No Artificial Heating Natural Farming animal houses do not provide any artificial heating. Rather than

consuming fossil fuel or electricity we think it is wiser to develop the animal’s natural resistance against cold. A healthy animal does not need such human-improvised help. Natural Farming chicks grow short, tough and dense hair whereas ordinary chicks have long, soft and sparse hair. In extremely cold areas or weather, we use heat from fermentation of compost.

Farming inputs are made by farmers

One of the most important aspects of Natural Farming is that the farmers make what they need. Fertilizers, soil improvers, pest controllers, disease cure are all made by the

farmers themselves using only natural materials based on the Nutritive Cycle theory. We do not simply buy materials from the market and follow the manual. We make what we need and follow the principle of the nature. By doing so, we save money and perform better. Our field, hills, forest, rivers, ocean and all surroundings are full of useful materials that are tools of our farming; only if we open our eyes. This is why Natural Farming can be a powerful tool for the third world farmers who cannot afford to buy expensive imported farming inputs. Our important inputs include Indigenous Microorganism (IMO), Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN), Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), Fish Amino Acid (LAB), Water-soluble Calcium (WCA), Water-soluble Calcium Phosphate (WCP), and Insect Attractant (IA). All produced at home easily and cheaply. Most importantly, they work!

Natural Feed made by Farmers

Natural Farming animals do not only eat commercial feed from the market. They eat natural food prepared by farmers with love and affection. Chicks are given with whole brown rice grains and bamboo leaves immediately after hatching. Tough food develops their intestines. Animals reared with Natural Farming are healthy, strong and have no disease. We do not give antibiotics, hormones, colorants or other chemicals to our animals. We give them what nature has given them to eat. We use grass, rice husk, rice bran, leftover food, sawdust and even soil for feed. They go through our special treatment and assorting.

Nutritive Cycle Theory Natural Farming cares for the crops and livestock according to the “Nutritive Cycle Theory.” It is a theory that enables us to read the changing growth stages of a plant or animal. We apply fertilizer, feed, or prescription precisely according to this cycle. Natural Farming is a very elaborate, complicated and precise method that denies “spray-and-forget” kind of approach. Just like humans, crops and livestock also need nitrogen when young, phosphoric acid during adolescence and calcium after maturity. Also the amount of food they need to take in will constantly change, just as a baby cannot eat a grown-up’s dish. Natural Farming emphasizes the right use of the right material, at the right stage, in the right quantity.

Natural Inputs

All Natural Farming inputs are made by the farmers utilizing only natural materials. Even though we do not use chemicals sold in the market, our inputs have enough effect to supercede them. Here we introduce some of our unique inputs.

Indigenous Microorganism (IMO)

Indigenous microorganism is a powerful input that improves soil condition and crop health. It is collected from nearby forest or fields using a simple wooden lunch box with steamed rice. By utilizing microorganisms that survived and adapted to that local place for numerous generations, we can have safe, cheap yet powerful microorganism input.

Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ)

Fermented plant juice is made by fermenting plant parts in brown sugar. Sprouts and baby fruits with high hormone concentration, full grown fruits, flower abundant in honey, and any plant with strong vigor are good ingredients.

Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN)

Oriental herbal nutrient is made from herbs valued in oriental medicine.

Lactic acid bacteria is exactly same as yoghurt. Other inputs include fish amino acid, water-soluble calcium from eggshells, water-soluble phosphoric calcium from animal bones and seawater.