Sunday, October 16, 2011

Basic Natural Farming concept/CGNF

Basic of Natural Farming


1. Follow the law of nature

It is a process of merging human wisdom and labor with the nature’s elements like sunlight, air, soil and water.

We need to respect the rights of plants, animals and other life form and the environment like ourselves. Every life has role, respect other’s roles and understand that I and others are inseparable.

True way of farming is based on such recognition.

2. What you need is what is around

What is needed to produce food is always around you.

The miracle is a work of nature, the untouched forest grows denser and soil gets rich with microorganisms and all the beneficial creatures.

Best way to practice Natural Farming is observing the law of the nature.

3. Enjoy the process

Process is more important than the results. A true farmer shall enjoy the process, trust and respect the living forms.

A farmer should have a parental love towards all crops, livestock and all creation.

This is the heart of a true farmer

Natural Farming also tries to develop the best potential of livestock and crops with developing their inner abilities.



4. Go back to empty mind

Natural Farming urges farmers to cast aside what they know.

Have a trust in the Natural Farming.

For example, pull out a plant a soft tilled land, plant roots will come out.

Pull out a plant from untilled land, stem will break off.

Which plant is stronger?

Put yourself in the position of zero then you will able to look at the reality. You will see the potentials of the crops, livestock, microorganisms, sunlight, air, water and the soil.

Look at the roots before the flower, empty yourself before making judgments.

5. Let them help each other

Farmer shall be helper between all beings.

Remember that plants, chickens and the pigs that grow, a farmer cannot make them grow. Leave their roles up to them.

If weeding is a pain, make weeds compete among themselves. Some weeds have beneficial aspect too.



Natural Farming has own inputs, applications, Practice, Nutrient cycle theory etc. Natural Farming requires you to self-produce farming necessities. We can produce our products at lower cost.

Natural Farming is more than a farm technique. It is a philosophy, a new economics and a new way of life.

All Natural Farming inputs are made from natural materials. They are environment friendly and safe.

Some of the major input ingredients are brown rice vinegar, brown sugar, green grass, animal bones, egg shells, fish waste, rice straw, leaf molds, livestock manure, red fine soil, fallen/picked fruit, food waste, etc. Natural Farming does not use pesticides, herbicides, fungicide, insecticide which destroys the environment and threatening consumer’s health.

As for livestock, Natural Farming is almost revolutionary.

No smell, no waste treatment, save energy and all waste are recycled and converted to resources.

What is around you gives you the best performance.

Natural Farming is producing more at less cost that is one of the greatest strengths of Natural Farming. Lower cost is a natural result of homemade materials that works. Make IMO from your field; make natural calcium with eggshells etc.

Natural Farming is a change of thinking, seeking profit not through higher investment but lower cost.

The harvesting or productive period is prolonging because the crops/animals are healthier.

When there are no chemical residue and products are from healthier crops and livestock a natural result is better quality.

Studies on quality and nutrient on Natural Farming products are 30-50% higher than conventional products. Also taste better and they often get much higher price in the market.

Natural Farming is practiced in 37 plus countries and numbers are getting higher. Natural Farming can go to any country, any region and be localized. A plant’s nutrient cycle can be different in countries and climates. So observe and localize it. You have the principles, apply accordingly and nutritive cycle theory gives you the insight into the plant’s lifecycle. Principle remains the same and Natural Farming can be localizes, adapted and applied anywhere.

Farmers can make what their crops/animals need; they give the inputs as a mother feeds her child with Love.



Theory of Natural Farming

1. Use the Nature’s power

Use the historical nutrient of seed. All seed have albumen.

What is albumen to seeds is mother’s milk to human babies. It has concentration of vital power, adaptability and survival strength.

A freshly germinated sprout only consumes nutrients from albumen. If you force it to absorb nitrogen, you are disrupting natural state. Crops develop their full potential to give best yield. Seeds are also treated to bring out the best in them.

All crops and livestock are based on theory called “Nutritive Cycle” management.

2. Use the indigenous microorganisms (IMOs)

Natural Farming stresses the use of “indigenous” microorganisms (IMO) which are produced by farmers themselves. NF uses microorganisms that are safe, easy to make, cheap and very effective. To establish balanced, healthy and vigorous microorganisms on the field the cooperate relationship between the roots and microorganism will make crops grow strong even bad weathers, low or high temperature, long rains or droughts.

Microorganisms will balance on the leaves and stems above the ground.

Some of the important bacteria we want are; photosynthetic bacteria that assimilate carbon, Asotobacter that assimilate nitrogen, antinomies that suppress diseases, yeast fungus that break down saccharide, lactic acid bacteria that break down organic matter at anaerobic condition and the IMO, a mysterious mixture of known and unknown life forms that exercise enormous power.

All Microorganisms must be collected from near the farm, from an open field and cultivated at room temperature then the IMOs will be powerful and adaptable.

Natural Farming is jump toward the future.

Do not use chemical fertilizer.

Sow seeds without base manure. Some farmers think nitrogen is most important. However, when fertilizer is buried as base manure will cut off from oxygen, emitting gas, roots are suffocated.

In Natural Farming, after seeds are treated with the seed treatment solution (SES), they start their new lives on their own. The only essentials for germination are ample oxygen supply and proper temperature. Fertilizers are not given in order to promote the growth of main roots, side roots, and root hairs. Stout, short, broad leaves are good.

3. Do not till the land

If you till the land, the soil becomes soft, but the steel plow breaks soil clusters into particles and after few rains the plowed soil will turn rock hard. Other hand soil clusters have a lot of air and good water drainage. It provides good habitat for microorganisms.

In Natural Farming we do not till the land. We use the nature’s tillers. Aerobic, anaerobic bacteria, fungus, earthworms and mole crickets, moles are mobilized. Miracle will takes place after 2- 3 years. An orchard which the soil used to be rock hard and practiced Natural Farming. The farmer had not tilled the land used IMOs and followed Nutritive cycle, when he stabbed 6’long stick into the soil, it went in all the way like sponge cake.

Using IMOs, your soil will inflate like rubber balloon. This is possible because more space and living creatures have come inside of the land.

4. Do not use herbicides

No tilling is closely related to no weeding. Tilling brings the buried seeds up to the surface. So tilling land is like broadcasting weed seeds. Leave the weeds to germinate and control them before reproduce. Cut them use as mulching or animals feed. Your field surface will be clear of weeds. Use mulching if they haven’t disappeared and do not use plastic mulching. They suffocate the crops.

Rice straw is best for mulching because it has a lot of microbes living on it. Rice straws suppress the weed seeds from germinating and hold moisture, maintain optimum temperature. In Natural Farming we use brown rice vinegar to dwarf the weeds.

For orchard, we leave alone the grass because they have reason to be there. This is called the “wild grass mulching”. The wild grass, rye or clover also holds the moisture; shades soil from the sunlight; provides home for microorganisms and small animals; allows air to penetrate deep into the soil; prevent soil erosion and make nutrients.

Weeds are not removed because they are fertilizer, temperature controller, moisture holder, soil cover, pest controller.

5. Zero emission of livestock wastewater

Natural Farming does not need waste treatment equipment. The livestock feces are fermented on the floor by microorganisms. Livestock pan itself is waste treatment facility, fertilizer producer and feed mixer.

This is done by using the microbes and material circulation is completed.

Possible by utilizing the nature’s powers not men’s.

6. Sow less and reap more

Natural Farming recommends you to plant scarcely. Scarce planting is by no means less productive than dense planting. Natural Farming emphasizes the “formless” nutrients such as sunlight and air. The scarcely located plants can get sufficient sunlight and have good air circulation. Furthermore, they do not have to compete for nutrients.

The nutritive cycle theory


Many Think that the more the nutrients, the better for the crops’ growth. Crops grow according to the Nutritive Cycle not according to the given fertilizer. Stand on the side of the crops, and understand their nature. That will bring out their fullest potentials.

1. Crops also have morning sickness

Like humans, crops also have growth stages such as baby, childhood, teenager, adolescence, adult and old age. They need proper nutrients for the particular stage.

Crops become hungry at 3 or 4 PM in the late afternoon. Feeding the crops at the right time and the right nutrient is crucial.

2. Different stage require different nutrients

In natural Farming, the growth stages of crops are understood precisely. According to the stages of vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting, coloring, and maturing correct diagnosis is given and practiced.

How to comprehend the growth stage

The whole life of plants is divided into the two big stages of the Vegetative growth and Reproductive growth.

Vegetative growth is a stage from the body formation to maturity.

Reproductive growth is from flowering to the ripening of the fruits.

From the vegetative to the reproductive growth does not take place at once. The plant gets ready for reproductive growth carbohydrate increases in their body. The period between the vegetative and the reproductive growth is called the changeover period is flowering stage which is compare to human’s morning sickness.

Vegetative growth is a consuming stage of turning carbohydrate to organic nitrogen by inorganic nitrogen.

The reproductive growth is when the plant does not consume carbohydrate with inorganic nitrogen but stores carbohydrate in fruits or other storage organs (accumulative growth).

With Nutritive Cycle theory we can understand the crops, what, how much they need, what environment shell be provided etc.

Look at the inner conditions of crops

Keep in mind external conditions, this year’s rain fall can change next year. Even the soil fertility is changing constantly.

The inner conditions of crops are also changing according to the growth stages. When they flowering, fruiting, coloring, maturing and dormancy.

The Nutrient cycle will be different for each crops and animals.

Reading this precisely and diagnose accordingly is the biggest secret of Natural Farming.

There are 4 different states of nutrient types in a plant. This information introduced by American scientist, Guross Gureville.

Type1; has lots of water and large nitrogen. Carbohydrate is minimal. The plant has weak vegetative growth and no floral differentiation.

Type2; has medium large water and has medium large nitrogen, also has medium to small C. It has enough carbohydrate for active vegetative growth but floral differentiation is weak. Have flowers and there’s no fruit.

Type3; has medium water and medium nitrogen and medium large Carbohydrate. Floral differentiation is strong and fruit is good.

Type4; has little water and little Nitrogen. No vegetative growth, no fruiting. It went into dormant stage.



Vegetative growth  Cross over period Reproductive growth Dormant

1) Vegetative growthconsumptive, body formation,1st 5-6 leaves, sprout, seedling, growing seedling, grown seedling.

If we compare with human life cycle: sprouting is like birth/Infant. Seedling, growing seedling, grown seedling are like baby/ child/ and teenager. It takes approximate 1& ½ month.

Nutrient needed: Nitrogen (large), Phosphorus (little), Potassium (little), Calcium (little)

2) Cross over periodfloral differentiation, preservative, dissipated storage growth, 2nd 10-11leaves, 3rd 15 leaves, starting stage, middle stage, and final stage. It will take another approximate 1 & ½ month

This period is like adult to early old age period.

Nutrients needed: Nitrogen (little), Phosphorous (large), Potassium (medium), Calcium (medium).

3) Reproductive growthAccumulate growth, maturity, concentrated storage, lowering period, embryo growth, embryo maturity, embryo growth complete and next year seed.

It will take approximately 2 month

This period is like old age to returning home.

Nutrients needs; Nitrogen (little), Phosphorous (medium), Potassium (medium), Calcium (large).



In Natural Farming have 5 primary elements of fertilizer.

Conventional 3 elements of fertilizer are N,P,K and Natural Farming have 2 more elements ,that is Calcium and sea water. They play in high yield and better quality.

Calcium is applied at the later stages of growth. Calcium is helpful when the weather has not been good or when the crops are overgrown. When you have lock of Calcium for fruit and fruity vegetables you can see poor color, immaturity, lock of sweetness in the fruit, softening of meat of fruit, lock of aroma etc. In leafy vegetable we see poor folding of head and root vegetables forms sponge roots and hard body is formed. Also deficiency of sugar content, poor coloring, lack of direction and weakened resistance to diseases and insect occur. Calcium transfers the nutrients initially stored in early stage of coloring period to final storage organs such as fruits and nuts.

Supply minimum necessity of nitrogen

Natural Farming provides the minimum necessity of Nitrogen, so that the crops themselves develop strong photosynthesis. To grow healthy plants, fast acting N should not be used as base manure in the growth stage.

In early and middle stages of Vegetative growth, should give by large amount of N produced by Microorganisms ( that’s way we prepare plot with IMO4 and soil treatment solution 1-2 weeks before planting seed/seedlings). Phosphoric acid and potassium of same amount shall be given once or twice.

In early stage of changeover period when floral differentiation takes place, we use phosphoric acid. And Reproductive stage, in coloring /maturing stage, potassium and calcium are used.

This is the essence of Nutritive Cycle. The farmers should manage ratio of nutrience accordingly condition of the crops and livestock.



Few examples of Natural Farming input material, like Fish waste for making N, animal bones for calcium phosphate, sesame stems for phosphorous, tobacco stems for potassium, eggshells for calcium and seawater etc.

Most important input is Indigenous Microorganism (IMOs)

Why indigenous? No other microorganism adapts with same strength and effectiveness except for the indigenous microorganisms that lived in the local area long time.

IMO is the basis for making fertile soil. What is a fertile land?

The number one priority is making fertility land. In the nature 700 Kg of microorganisms are found to live in 0.1 hectare of land for non-contaminated field.Although it varies depending on how much organic material is contained in the land. With this consumption 70-75% is fungus,20-25% bacteria and 5% small animals.

100 million-1 billion numbers of various microorganisms live in 1g of soil. In the size of 1 human foot print,3,280 aphids, 479 fleas, 74,810 nematodes and 1,845 small earth worms live in harmony; helping the growth of plant on the surface of land. When you make successful environment for the soil condition you will see your land is soft and it will expend upward, right condition and food for the microorganisms and small animals is essential. When you cover hard land with straw mats or straws for 7-10days, you will see white fungus and the land become soft and wet. These environments never fail to attract earthworms. Simply by providing environments for the microorganisms to live in, the land will recovers strength on its own. Proper environment the fungus (IMO) grows first. Then all others will follow. These organisms and animals, in harmony improve the soil condition and help the growth of plants. 90% of the microorganisms those are beneficial to plants lives 3 inches of surface. Best environment for IMO to live are 7 shade 3 light ratio, 65% moisture so to provide that condition. Then water is kept from evaporation and the land is protected from direct sunlight. In order to form these conditions do straw, leave mulching, wild grass mulching and rye sowing. In the nature the land become fertile from top to bottom, not bottom to top.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Making Brown Rice Vinegar

1. Rinse twice and soak approx. 500g of grain and soak for 12-24 hours.
2. Cook in rice cooker.
3. Place in wide bowl and Mash; pour 250g of rice malt and mix well.
4. Make into porridge consistency with 2 liters of natural water,then apply 2g of dry yeast and mix.
5. Fill in the container( If you have Korean clay container that is the best) to 2/3 of volume,then cover with 2 layer of gauze. Put a coin on top to weigh down the gauze.
6. Keep in an environment outside of the sunlight,external temperature should be 75-85F. it is best not to move the container around.
7. After 6 month, the coin will turn bluish green. Continue to ferment 4-6 month to completion.
8.Filter and collect clear solution in a new container. Approx. 1.6 liters of vinegar is produced.
9. Seal and store in cool area.

Watercress

Watercress