permaculture

[venaurafarm <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net>]

On 10/2/2012 11:05 AM, Dieter Brand wrote:
> There is something about the idea of NF being elitist.  NFers

The writer was not referring to NF as being elitist..see below.

> certainly don't have the idea of feeding the people very close to
> their heart.  Anyways, calling it feudalistic is stretching things a

He was not referring to NF as feudal. He was addressing another issue,
within a flamewar, unfortunate circumstances. I extracted this snippet 
because I liked it and thought it to be a gem of wisdom, showing the 
potential of Iyo as a thinker and NF advocate.

Are you still subscribed to the fukuoka_farming list? It progresses slow 
and steady with much good information, great writing and excellent 
links. Linda Shewan submits useful and interesting posts..

Do you read the Fukuoka subforum at Permies? I recommend it. Read the 
input from Larry Korn and watch his video. This will inspire you about 
NF and Fukuoka in many good ways. Here's the link:
permies » forums » growies » fukuoka
http://www.permies.com/forums/f-104/fukuoka

And this forum started by Jamie Nichol. I see you are a subscriber.
Mediterranean Natural Farming
http://groups.google.com/group/mednf?pli=1

> little.  Most of all, NF is NOT a "concept".  Thinking of it in terms
> of a static concept will lead you into the wrong direction.  It is in
> its very essence dynamic, IF it does exist.  And that is a big if.

It is certainly that. I must have been practising NF, natural gardening 
and natural landscaping for most of my life. Many concepts, practices 
and disciplines merge within NF.

> Attaching Buddhist or other labels to it doesn't help either.  Linda
> was right about the idea of "design" distinguishing NF most clearly
> from Permaculture.

They are part of one another, inextricably linked as I see it. NF could 
be considered subjective while permaculture is objective. Permaculture 
seeks to design and implement systems that emulate Nature and become 
natural or NF in their most basic elements.
NF gives direction to those designs and installation of them. 
Permaculture does not just "seek to emulate Nature" is seeks to be 
nature, harmonious with on site and off site ecosystems, a dynamic 
process, continually changing and self-stabilizing (sustainable, 
regenerative). Permaculture leads to NF and NF provides timeless and 
essential design criteria, not to mention inspiration.

I am going in a new direction with my farming and web development.
Whereas before I ignored NF, now I am seeking to convert most of my farm 
to that state while using raised beds and employing minimum as well as 
no till methods.

Here are my latest online resources. I am excited about developing these 
along with my investigations of soil quality, nutrient balancing and 
nutrient dense cropping and nutrition. Sounds like MF to me.
I will spend more time on the Google+ page and the Blogger Blog to begin 
with. Maybe you would be interested in joining one or more of these.

Fukuoka Natural Farming

New Google resources on Masanobu Fukuoka Natural Farming

fukuokanaturalfarming site
fukuokanaturalfarming
http://sites.google.com/site/fukuokanaturalfarming

fukuokanaturalfarming group
fukuokanaturalfarming
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/fukuokanaturalfarming

fukuokanaturalfarming blog
fukuokanaturalfarming
http://fukuokanaturalfarming.blogspot.com/

Fukuoka Natural Farming Google+ page
https://plus.google.com/b/110283802853538126401/110283802853538126401

> Aside from that, it could be pretty much
> anything.  It presupposes a "dialogue with nature" that will not be
> confined into the straightjacket of any preconceived "design".
> Nature is always different, in each place, at each time, for each of
> us.  There is no one-fit-all solution to it.  That is uncomfortable.
> That is the challenge.

That is classic, Dieter. Credit to you. May I use this in my various NF 
webites/groups/blogs?
> --- On Mon, 10/1/12, venaurafarm <venaurafarm@bellsouth.net> wrote:

This is the portion of his message that I thought was well written and 
important, uniquely expressed.

> > Original Message -------- Subject: [fukuoka_farming] Natural
> > Farming From: iyo_farm <iyo.farm@ymail.com>
> >
> > This is a genuine question which has been on my mind.
> >
> > Agriculture for most is not a hobby or elite indulgence, it is a
> > necessity. It is a necessity for all.
> >
> > Farming is done by farmer. Farmers live in communities and have to
> > organize those communities to work. They have to work collectively
> > and deal with issues that arise.
> >
> > The concept of Natural Farming goes further than just food
> > production or business consulting. It is said to be the perfection
> > of the self and by extension the perfection of the community and
> > by extension the perfection of the planet.
> >
> > Actually, this is one of the Buddhist essences of Fukuoka's work.
> >
> > Therefore, how do we visualize and realize our perfect farming
> > community?

That is an open question.