Masanobu Fukuoka

I spoke to my brother on the phone the other day.  He told me that he had just started reading, "One Straw Revolution" by Masanobu Fukuoka.

He was completely taken by the book, and although I have never read it, I'm familiar with the theme.  I am familiar that he worked with nature to create an abundant landscape.

My brother gave a few snapshots of his understanding of the book from the first 30 pages.  He mentioned that Fukuoka had gotten an education but had a realization that he didn't need anything to be.  Essentially he gave up everything, and tried to show others by the way he lived that nothing was needed to be done, life takes care of everything if allowed.  At least this was my understanding.  

Fukuoka decided to go back to his father's farm and to start farming, but less farming and more creating the conditions for life to just take care of providing food.  It took him 10 years to build up his farm to an ecological success story! Using principles of nature -- no tilling, pesticides or fertilizers, pruning or weeding.  And although he attained much recognition for it, no one really adapted the principles.  He travelled the world and gave lectures everywhere, yet what happened?

Well his work, has indeed inspired many people to try some of his methods.  Mostly home-owners and others who have small plots of land or those who wish to start natural farms-- typically smaller in scale.

For the majority of farmers who are commercially growing, these kinds of transitions are almost too far away to seem reachable.  Even for a conventional farmer to convert to an organic operation is a huge risk.  They have to risk low or limited yields for a few years while their soil organic matter can build up in the soil, they won't be allowed to spray their fields in the case of a bad pest outbreak-- potentially risking their whole yield.  The transition process to an organic operation takes 3 years.  It's an investment and it can be scary for a farmer.

The good news is, there are ways to ease the transition so the farmer doesn't have to risk so much.

Organic agriculture is unfortunately very far off from the method that Fukuoka taught.  For the already alternative farmer, Fukuoka's methods may be totally doable.  But for our mainstream farmers, we need a little bit of patience.

I attended a toastmasters meeting on Wednesday.  It definitely was a little bit out of my comfort zone.  I have a tendency to be quiet and reserved in new social situations, especially when it involves more people that I can count on one, let alone two hands.  But I decided that it's good for me to regularly stretch myself and do things that I normally wouldn't.  

In a toastmasters meeting they start off with, something they call, "table talk"  where each person in the meeting has to talk for 2 minutes on one subject.  A random subject.

Since I was a guest, I didn't have to, but I decided to go for it anyway.

The subjects they were giving out, were cliches -- so basically the first thoughts and impressions that came to the mind once the cliches were read, those impression would then be talked about by the person for a couple of minutes.

I got the sentence, "There is an exception to every rule"  

This is something that I can totally relate to, so it kind of seemed easier than the other questions given out.  But there is of course even an exception to that rule ;)  

According to Fukuoka he had deemed science as useless because it focused too narrowly on one very small aspect of the whole.  And it's impossible to understand the whole in only knowing one piece.  

Since I am currently in the sciences, yet coming from a bit of a mixed background, an education in environmental policy and thereafter an inner calling to just work with the land, and having few experiences that can't really be explained by science as of yet.

I can totally relate to what Fukuoka says. I totally agree with him.  Yet... there is an exception to every rule.  It seems to me, that an education can teach people how to relate to mainstream.  And afterwards, those individuals have greater tools in linking mainstream with alternative practices.  For those who find alternative practices first, and never go to school -- sometimes they do form bridges between modern science and alternative practices, but it seems to happen less-- at least from my observation.

Work hard, learn the system, and then do what it takes to absorb as much alternative into the status quo as possible.  How can we create a more compassionate world if we refuse to understand and work with those who run society?  

I think about all of the doctors, who have delved into plant based nutrition, and because of them have linked so many people-- me included -- into a new world of health.  Their dedicated studies have really brought plant based nutrition alive and have allowed so many people to trust this way of life.  

Professionals of all disciplines forge new paths for all of us.  It's how we grow, it's how we evolve.  Of course, there is always the exceptions to the rules.  :) 

May we all become bridges, linking stagnant ideologies in our systems to new more compassionate evolutionary models.  Unfolding peace, beauty and integrity on planet earth.