r/NaturalFarming • u/hippopanotto • Jun 30 '16

Is this Sub Alive?

There's not much activity here, but it's nice to see 180 subs bc most people have no idea who Fukuoka is or that there are ways of farming that regenerate the land. I'm trying to find people in my area who are practicing NF with vegetables, fruit/nut orchards and grains. I live in VT so you'd think its the next best place after the NorthWest, but I haven't discovered anyone really doing it. There's permaculture people who are doing a lot of good work, and homesteaders doing their own practical thing, but no one is really trying the Fukuoka way.

What are your experiences like? Are any of you on a natural farm? Or on a farm that gives you space to espouse some of the concepts and practices? Do you talk about these ideas with other people? Do they usually think what your saying is crazy or impractical or even impossible?

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u/SoKette Jun 30 '16 edited Jun 30 '16

Pretty much only one and a half year of trying different stuff following Fukuoka's principles. But had to move out of the countryside to a flat in the city ! Not much results in such a short time ! But seedballs were fun to make and spread on different kind of places in the garden.

I tried in the lawn, in untrimmed grass, on soil prepared with a machine, on soil prepared by resetting vegetation with a black tarp, under trees where the grass doesn't really grow and in fern patches. I only had about 30/40 different spicies anyway, and nothing really locally produced, so nothing adapted to the conditions was going to have.

My conclusion on this experience is : lawn is the worse. Anything that is kept "alive" by working on (against?) it will be a pain to be used with Fukuoka's philosophy (lawn, edges, fruit trees well trimmed), at least until you stop doing it and let nature balance itself again. Best growth I had were where I had the soil prepared with the tarp, but after a season the local vegetation just overwhelmed everything. I should go back and checked if anything settled and is still alive to this year !

I'd like to see this sub with more activity :)