Some words on natural farming

Hello, friends. You all know where we are and some of the work we're doing, but I'd like to tell you more about why we do what we do, and why we think a more natural approach to farming is important.

First, natural farming cannot be 100% natural. There is no field in nature that will grow you organized rows of rice, or carrots, or anything. To have a commercial farm is to grow and sell a commodity, which takes constant care, tending, and quality control. Without the input and encouragement of the farmer, plants organized and cared for so as to create a quality product would revert to true nature, that is, wilderness. The 'natural' part of natural farming is in the nonuse of chemicals and machines that disrupt the balance of local and global biosystems far into the future.

There is a world of bacteria, earthworms, algae, fungi, arthropods, and nematodes living on and beneath the soil, constantly breaking down nutrients and organic matter and recycling them into simple elements that are available to be reused by new and existing plants. It is a fragile system in that an overabundance of certain parts of this cycle means detriment to the others. Sometimes it can take many years to restore balance.

The use of pesticides and herbicides may control pests and unwanted plants effectively, but they are expensive to the farmer and take a toll on the health of the soil. They must be reapplied frequently, causing a buildup of certain toxins in the plants and soil that can find their way around the world in food chains we barely understand. Pesticides like DDT used on crops in the last century found its way quickly into penguins in Antarctica, where there are obviously no crops to use it on.

Herbicides can quickly eradicate certain unwanted plants, but they also destroy habitats for pest predators and deprive the soil of the nutrients contained in those 'weeds' that could otherwise be used to improve the overall health of the system. Without the added chemicals of pesticides they can exacerbate pest problems. Many insects that injure crops live in or on the plants themselves, but the predators that keep those populations in check need a place to live too. By leaving fields bare except for whatever crop is being grown, a valuable source of nutrients and a valuable means of pest control is lost.

Natural farming also shuns techniques like deep tillage that disrupt the natural layers that healthy soil has. Old crops and weeds that are buried deep in the ground cannot impart their component energy to the next crop because they need the flora and fauna that reside in the top few inches of soil to break them down. Earthworms are natural tillers and aerators of soil. The tunnels they leave help bring oxygen deeper into the earth and improve water drainage. Soil that has passed through an earthworm contains more nutrients than before. Some say earthworms excrete plant growth hormones. Breaking up their patterns of movement and the tunnels they leave is bad for the soil and for the farmer.

The fertilizers most farmers use, even natural ones, can cause problems too. Most plants that use them will become dependent on them, making further growth without constant influx of chemicals difficult. Fertilizer also settles over time to create a layer underneath the soil that acts as a barrier. Nutrients from below cannot move up, and plant roots cannot break down through them. Natural farming attempts to avoid these problems by avoiding fertilizer altogether.

The farming we do on the tea farm is even more dependent on soil quality than the kind done for annual crops. Tea plants are delicate and fickle. The soil they live in must drain well, as accumulation of too much water in the roots will stunt growth and cause rot. This is why tea is traditionally grown on hillsides. Modern tea farms on flat surfaces have extensive irrigation systems and miles of pipes underground just to drain the water which naturally flows downhill on terraced farms. Tea plants also take many years to mature before they produce marketable product, so their growth from seed or cutting must be carefully monitored.

Everything we do on the farm is designed to give new and existing tea plants the healthiest soil conditions. To do so without use of fertilizers and other chemicals is a challenge, but one worth taking. I see my computer time is almost up for the day. More to come on tea and natural farming...