from Wikipedia:
"The essence of Fukuoka's method is to reproduce natural conditions as closely as possible. There is no plowing, as the seed germinates quite happily on the surface if the right conditions are provided. There is also considerable emphasis on maintaining diversity. A ground cover of white clover grows under the grain plants to provide nitrogen. Weeds (and Daikons) are also considered part of the ecosystem, periodically cut and allowed to lie on the surface so the nutrients they contain are returned to the soil. Ducks are let into the grain plot, and specific insectivorous carp into the rice paddy at certain times of the year to eat slugs and other pests.
The ground is always covered. As well as the clover and weeds, there is the straw from the previous crop, which is used as mulch, and each grain crop is sown before the previous one is harvested. This is done by broadcasting the seed among the standing crop. Also he re-introduced the ancient technique of seed balls (粘土団子,土団子,土だんご,Tsuchi Dango (Earth Dumpling). The seed for next season's crop is mixed with clay, compost, and sometimes manure, and formed into small balls. The result is a denser crop of smaller but highly productive and stronger plants.
Fukuoka's method and philosophy is about small scale farming, yet he claims "With this kind of farming, which uses no machines, no prepared fertilizer and no chemicals, it is possible to attain a harvest equal to or greater than that of the average Japanese farm." (The one-straw revolution page 3)."
What it doesn't say is that this is the easiest, laziest form of farming and Fukuoka did achieve greater yeilds than conventional japanese farms (using chemicals, machines, etc.). And of all things with orange trees-supposedly so hard to grow!
I always thought to myself, if all this stuff is so hard to grow how do they/did they survive in the wild?? Fukuoka once said "ninety-nine percent of human activity is unnessisary, ego driven". And he's right, but I don't need to feel so important that even plants can't grow without my supreme omnipotense, I know they can and do without me, though I do want more food plants than non-food thats as far as my need to feel special goes, especially when being 'unnessisary' saves me so much work. Who wants to labor endlessly in their garden??
May you be reborn in the dharma Fukuoka
RIP February 2, 1913 – August 16, 2008, a true zen buddhist prophet
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