Mokichi Okada to Teruo Higa

Mokichi Okada was among the first in Japan to encourage a return to Natural Agriculture. He saw the effects of chemical based farming, and sought to return to a more harmonious state of living with nature, instead of subduing it for short term profits. In 1936, Okada established an agricultural system originally called "no fertilizer farming" or "Nature Farming". Offshoots such as the Sekai Kyusei Kyo, promoting "Kyusei nature farming", and the Mokichi Okada Association formed after his death to continue promoting the work in Japan and South-East Asia. According to the International Nature Farming Research Center in Nagano, Japan, it is based on the theories that:

    Fertilizers pollute the soil and weaken        its power of production.
Pests would break out from the excessive use of fertilizers
The difference in disease incidence between resistant and susceptible plants is attributed to nutritional conditions inside the body.
Vegetables and fruits produced by nature farming taste better than those by chemical farming
Unfortunately, the yields of Okada's followers were never demonstrable enough to convince large swaths of the country to take up nature farming methods.
However, starting in the 1970's, Dr. Teruo Higa was working on various microbial consortiums to see what was more symbiotic in action, because previous microbiology studies were more focused on individual species and their exact effects. Higa wanted to show that there were relationships between the invisible world of microbes that could be used for dealing with pollution, and increasing agricultural yields. The story goes that one liquid culture batch he made in the 70's that was tossed out on the grass before he went on vacation, became the basis for what is now known as EM-1(effective micro-organisms). EM-1 at it's simplest is a mix of varied Lacto-bacillii, common brewer's/baker's yeast and photosynthesizing bacteria(PSB) such as Rhodopseudomonas Palustris, though it has included up to almost 200 species of microbes and as little as 13. The PSBs, which are considered to be most syntropic of the consortium of EM-1, are recognized as being amongst the oldest living organisms on earth, being found in ancient fossil records and around sulfur vents deep underwater. In the 1980's organizations like Kyusei Nature Farming helped establish EMRO, the Effective Micro-organism Research Organization, to help promote nature farming with the use of EM-1, and the Asia Pacific Natural Agriculture Network in 1991. Mokichi Okada's original vision in combination with microbial inoculants was finally able to demonstrate the ability of natural farming to produce yields  equivalent and greater than conventional agriculture, while not causing damage to the soil and the waters downstream. One of the most incredible stories was the restoration of the Seto Inland Sea with EM. This massive cleanup project started with the formation of a taskforce to educate the public and to gain acceptance and usage of EM-based products for sewage disposal, dioxin pollution remediation, soil remediation, and direct infusions of EM into estuaries and the Seto Inland Sea which was extremely polluted. The fish, shellfish, and seaweed populations were minuscule due to residential, agricultural, and industrial pollution. EM was introduced into all of these sectors for the treatment of wastes. They also set up a massive fermentation system to produce EM1 Microbial Inoculant in quantities to support wide use and to dump directly into the polluted sea.
In just five years the nearly lifeless Seto Inland Sea was teaming with schools of fish. The shellfish populations were at pre-industrial pollution levels. Octopus returned, and the seaweed beds were producing clean, fresh, edible product once again
"The world is currently facing a time of great change and upheaval. I believe this condition has arisen mainly because of our present civilization becoming increasingly structured along the lines of competitive principles. An excessive reliance on competition certainly does not excite feelings of generosity and sharing."-Teruo Higa

Fukuoka-san started his life in Okinawa, the son of a rice and citrus farmer. He went to school and became a plant pathologist but had an existential crises whereupon he realized the myth of "progress" imported from Europe was destroying the culture and environment of Japan. He sought solitude in a Zen-like existence, living on a mountainside in a small cabin, testing out his theories on agriculture. Though he was drafted back into working for the government as an agriculture scientist during WW2, he went back to his simple living to develop his own strain of Natural Farming, which he also called do-nothing farming or no-till farming. His magnum opus, the One Straw Revolution, shares how he one day saw a single rice plant growing in an abandoned field, and it was the most healthy specimen he ever saw, though it was unassisted by the hands of man. Realizing that nature knows how to grow plants better than any human, he came up with his unique system of planting using seedballs of compost, clay and seeds, scattering them before harvesting his rotational crops, rye and barley for winter, and rice for summer. Then while harvesting, all the leftover straw and chaff would be distributed on top of the germinating seeds, acting as a both weed suppressant and returning nutrition to the soil with mulch, what was too often just being burned as "waste". He also never watered his rice using flooded paddies, yet within ten years of not disturbing the soil, his yields were equivalent to chemical farmers. By the end of his life he was getting double the production of industrial farmers, and thought that the potential of the land was possibly 30 bushels of rice an acre(10 per acre was standard). He also realized that by never pruning a tree it would grow itself fine, with no crossing branches and advocated not ever pruning once if the plant was grown from seed. It was a process of trial and error which did involve several acres of orchard dying off from disease as he learned once a tree had been modified by the hands of man, it was weaker and needed continuous care. He talked much about the "discriminating mind" and said that if the universities sent out specialists to study his work, that they wouldn't be able to see the whole picture because they were only looking through a narrow gaze of both time and training. He said one year, they would need the frog scientist, next the one who knows about spiders, because as he strived for natural balance, a whole system developed in which he claimed no credit, merely helping foster a relationship once again between man and nature.
"The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings."-Masanobu Fukuoka

Master Cho has been working tirelessly since 1965 to promote his own style of natural farming, which now has culminated in the Cho's Global Natural Farming organization. He credits three teachers in Japan:  Yamagishi Miozo, who was a farmer; Shibada Genji, author of The True Aspect of Enzymes; and Oinoue Yasushi, author of The Theory of New Cultivation Technology which introduced Cho to the Nutritive Cycle Theory(see the files section for Cho's Global Natural Farming text). "When a woman is pregnant, she has morning sickness. Why is it so? It’s because the balance of nutrition is broken since another living organism is in her body. Different kinds of nutrition are needed for her baby, but she cannot provide enough of them at once. What pregnant women need and like to eat is something sour (acidic) and this belongs to phosphoric acid.
Then I realized that floral differentiation in plants is the same phenomenon as morning sickness of humans. I tried applying phosphoric acid (P) at that period; the result was astounding. 4-5 red peppers or eggplants fruited in a node that used to open only one. Applying the right input according to the nutritive cycle, I found that plants sustained high yield. The same was true for livestock." Janong Natural Farming Institute was created and trained over 18,000 farmers in the unique methodology combining knowledge of modern microbiology with ancient fermentation techniques to create inoculants and fertilizers solely with materials that are commonly found in a kitchen. In 1994 Korean Natural Farming Association, with approval by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry published Natural Farming by Cho Han-kyu(in Korean) and published Utilization of Indigenous Micro-organism(in Japanese). It was in 2007 that a missionary from Hawaii, Dr. Hoon Park, noticed that in South Korea the pig farms had no foul smell. Curious about it, he learned about IMO's and was able to bring the knowledge back to Hawaii, in which there is a strong contingent of natural farmers now, ten years later. In 2012, the Chinese Army, which raises pigs next to whereever troops are stationed, sent scientists to study KNF's no smell piggeries due to fears of riots happening during the Beijing Olympics from th smell of pig farms. Now you can receive a PhD in natural farming from Chinese Universities. Korean Natural Farming has been spread to over 30 different countries and been embraced for it's mission of a healthier environment, and prosperous farmers. “A farmer should have parental love towards his crop and livestock. This is a heart of a true farmer…”-Cho Han-Kyu
In the 1991, JADAM(meaning "People   that resemble nature") was founded by               Cho Youngsang, to continue his father's work with mission of giving farming back to farmers. They have pioneered ultra-low cost agriculture, claiming costs of around $100US an acre, that meet the organic standards. Where the differences lie within KNF and JADAM or JADAM and Kyusei Natural Farming, is that Cho Youngsang teaches no sugars or molasses is needed to grow indigenous micro-organisms, but instead boiled potatoes can be a food source for culturing the wild microbes, and leaf litter from an undisturbed mountain forest can be the source of the culture. While the IMO technique of his father is similar to EM-1 bokashi making, all JADAM fertilizers and inoculants are produced anaerobically in water, and by not using sugar they are cultivating microbes that are in a more neutral ph range, versus EM-1 which is below 3.8ph  usually. JADAM has over 65,000 member famers in South Korea according to their website and continues with it's open source DIY philosophy "Jadam has not patented any of its knowledge but shared it all through seminars, books, and website... Jadam will continue its work to further develop and refine its system."

By incorporating microbial inoculants with a no-till agriculture system, there is a home for the microbes to reproduce as a carbon rich soil can both house and feed a diverse population. Using the IMO's to enzymatically digest and make bioavailable through fermentation,
hormones and minerals in various solutions you can apply to plants at various growth stages what the plant needs whether in vegetative or blooming cycles. Different times of a seasonal cycle call for different ionic metabolites, which facilitated by wildcrafting "weeds" from your local ecosystem, makes for a most a fun and economical form of ethnobotany. What is in abundance in our own habitats can be using as sustainable, naturally occurring resources that break our reliance on the global petroleum addiction, all the while helping heal and replenish our surroundings, providing nutrition for our friends and families. By taking cultures from established ecosystems we can bring a microbial diversity to our gardens, orchards, farms and livestock operations.

From the International Nature Farming Research Center:

INFRC believes that Nature Farming is a method of producing food for the future which can satisfy the five requirements given below. This is based on the basic principles of Nature Farming, which are "Respect Nature and Conform to Its Laws" and "Allow the Living Soil to Exhibit Its Great Potential Abilities." In addition, the technology of Effective Microorganisms (EM) currently promoted as a vital component technology in Nature Farming was introduced in the mid 1980s.

The five basic principles of Nature Farming are as follows:

1. To produce foods which can sustain and promote human health.
2. To be beneficial economically and mentally to both the producers and consumers.
3. To be practicable by anyone, with durability.
4. To be responsible for an environmental integrity, paying respect to nature.
5. To be responsible for the production and supply of provisions in such a manner to meet the growth of population
   
   
   Fukuoka's principles:

In principal, practitioners of natural farming maintain that it is not a technique but a view, or a way of seeing ourselves as a part of nature, rather than separate from or above it. Accordingly, the methods themselves vary widely depending on culture and local conditions.

Rather than offering a structured method, Fukuoka distilled the natural farming mindset into five principles:

1. No tillage
2. No fertilizer
3. No pesticides or herbicides
4. No weeding
5. No pruning
   
   
   from the Janong Book :
   "Natural Farming and organic farming are different. Let me introduce some unique points about Natural Farming:
   

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

2. 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 ruined other farms in 2003.

3. High quality
People commonly think that organic farming produces 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. (KAERI, 1996)

4. 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 the like 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. Most of our farmers are certified by the government as low or zero pesticide.

5. 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?

6. No mechanical tillage
Instead of using machines for plowing, 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. Making soft soil for the plant will actually weaken its roots.
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.

7. 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.

8. 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 remove the feces. They are decomposed so do not pile up or smell. It is a common sight to see our farmers eating their meals inside the pig sty. Our method is revolutionary considering the serious pollution that livestock wastewater are doing to our rivers.

9. No artificial heating
Our 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 climate, we use heat from fermentation of compost.

10. 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. 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, left-over food, sawdust and even soil for feed. They go through our special treatment and assorting.

11. 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!

12. Nutritive Cycle Theory
We care 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” approach.
The general idea is that the crops and livestock need nitrogen when young, phosphoric acid during adolescence and calcium after maturity. The amount of food they need will also change constantly. Natural Farming emphasizes the right use of the right material, at the right stage, in the right quantity.

Talk only with results

Natural Farming is absent of four most notorious works in farming. First, weeding is unnecessary because it is controlled with wild grass mulching. Second, tillage and maintaining expensive machine is unnecessary because we let the nature till itself. Third, chemical fertilizer is unnecessary because fertilizers are produced sufficiently on the soil itself. Fourth, pesticide is unnecessary because insects are controlled naturally and a healthy ecology will drop in the occurrence of pests."