This is an abbreviated edit of the internationally acclaimed documentary “Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness” It was filmed, edited, and produced by an American photographer and Korean book editor who quit their jobs and spent four years... ...in search of those who are learning again how to live with the Earth The film is inspired by the life of celebrated scientist, philosopher, and farmer, Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008) A City as Nature production "Food, Earth, Happiness" Yes, of course The modern society and especially the people that are making money The economics are geared towards everything that 'natural farming' is not. It's exactly going in the other direction supporting the materialistic lifestyle not caring about the degradation of the landscape or what happens to other forms of life. These are all the products of this human world. A film by Patrick Lydon and Suhee Kang natural farm after rice harvest
Hongcheon Province, South Korea SEONGHYUN CHOI
author, natural farmer
Hongcheon, South Korea Historically, farming has been a process
of demolishing nature, and without any reconsideration, the process continues to this day. KAWAGUCHI YOSHIKAZU
natural farmer, teacher, author in Nara, Japan When you plow the land, you kill the lives that were thriving within soil. Once you kill the lives in the soil, you create a world of death. The need for added fertilizers arises because the land is made sterile this way. [Electronic humming and drum tapping] Starting with Fukuoka Masanobu a totally new perspective began. Now to Fukuoka of course He decided there was no need to plow the fields I mean basic stuff. No need to plow the fields No need to do weeding, no need to make compost No need to flood the rice fields like every other farmer in Japan did. You know the usual approach to developing a system is to say how about trying this
and how about trying that He decided to go the opposite direction. How about not doing this and how about not doing that. KAWAGUCHI YOSHIKAZU Anywhere you go on earth, natural farming principles are the same. The basic concepts are:
Don't plow the field. weeds and insects are not your enemies, and there is no need to add anything like fertilizers from outside the farm. Finally, adjust yourself based on the land, the climate, and the crops. If you can do this, you can grow food
pretty much anywhere in the world. The idea is to answer to nature, and to life itself. To follow it and in the end, to let nature take control. That's the basic concept of natural farming. OSAMU KITA
natural farmer, teacher in Tokushima, Japan Humans see ourselves as the lords of all things. Because we see ourselves at the top of some evolutionary process. The smaller creatures, spiders, sparrows, earthworms, they live and eat by moving around the fields where they were born. The plants in the field don't really move their whole life but they still sustain a life. But humans? We are so greedy, taking whatever we please from the world Picking fights with other countries, saying 'Look at me! I am a winner!' What kind of stupid bullshit is that? We can feel it. Everyone is gifted with this natural sense at birth. But we are miseducated from a young age by learning that big money or high social status are the most valuable things in life. We lose our ability to feel and live with our true nature But we can feel again, we just have to remember. All we need to do is stand in the field. Let go of everything else, of all the unnecessary things. Start with the basic thing, start with what you need to eat today. Like Kawaguchi says "stop concerning yourself with what society is doing." Concentrate on yourself first and learn to live as a member of this Earth. KENJI MURAKAMI
Natural Farmer in Fukuoka, Japan Through coming to the field, through coming in contact with plants, insects and birds everyday I noticed that it's very important to learn from the nature directly not only from books and people. KENJI MURAKAMI
Natural Farmer in Fukuoka, Japan Seeing with your eyes. Hearing with your ears. Feeling with your hands. these are the most important ways to learn. [sound of birds chirping] Everyday I politely greet the field twice. At the beginning it was perfunctory, but now I say the words sincerely, with feeling. RYOSOK HONG
Natural Farmer in Yeoncheon, South Korea Before if somebody told me that I was crazy, I would get angry at them. I would promise myself to kick their ass just to make them regret their words. I don't feel that way anymore. I am grateful for what I do in itself. KRISTYN LEACH
natural farmer, namu farm in San Francisco, USA Part of the beauty to me in natural farming is that a lot of it is just based on you’ve a relationship with the place that's under your feet. and you have to make informed decisions that are partially guided by knowledge and research but also equally informed by your intuition and your relationship. Usually westerners refer to that as observation but to me observation implies the viewpoint, it already implies the split the separation because it's the observer and the observed. KAZUAKI OKITSU
Natural Farmer, Teacher in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan I can't say in English... I'm a part of nature. I'm within the workings of nature. So this makes it possible to ‘feel’ nature. It can be said that here is where one can also feel the ‘truth’. 'Truth’ is what you feel in your own body. [laughing] Through whole body. In natural field natural farming field In your working time you can feel truth. Through whole body. ‘Truth’ is what you feel within yourself It is not something to be asked or taught to another. It is within yourself. Yourself must catch it. [Clarinet plays quirky, bug-like music] [A wind quintet plays freely floating melody with the plants] ETSUKO KAGAMIYAMA
author, natural farmer in Fukuoka, Japan This place is like my canvas. Just like drawing I plant green peppers for white flowers or egg plants for purple flowers. Of course this changes each year. I planted egg plants last year so I have to give the soil rest. The Okra grows so tall like 2 meters. So if I draw a picture with it, I'll plant it at back, over there. I want to say “Wow, it's beautiful!!” when I come to my fields
[Laughing] so I plant seeds by imaging a picture, like I am drawing. But I am not really drawing it, the vegetables, plants, and flowers do it. I like it. I see the vegetables I look after and they grow with so much life In the field when I look up into the sky I see the beauty of nature that surrounds us. The clouds up over the mountains, a light breeze crosses my face I see the worms and insects crawling up, the birds and butterflies flitting here and there. I think it’s amazing, this beautiful world we live in. It's not the technique. it's the view. And once you have that view you enter into nature and participate from the inside instead of as a visitor from the outside, then you'll know exactly what to do DENNIS LEE
Namu Gaji Restaurant in San Francisco, USA There will be journalists who are very interested in what we are doing and they come to the farm and they’re expecting: “okay, here's this natural, holistic approach
to farming... ... I can't wait to see it.” “It's going to be this picturesque thing” “with rows of perfect crops... and a shiny red tractor” and whatever... and then they come there, and they're like "woah, this just looks like... ...almost like a wild piece of land.” We human beings, don’t understand how miraculous the Earth is, and we live unhappily here. Furthermore, we haven’t really learned how to “live” here yet. We are always busy fighting against something. If we knew how to live peacefully with insects and weeds, both of us would be better for it. Struggling with the nature has led us to environmental problems, to unhealthy foods, and our table has been polluted. Given all of this, I think the natural way is the best method, not only of farming but of living. [quiet early morning birds chirping in the distance] It’s not that everyone must live a farming life or that everyone must be a farmer. It's more that everyone, especially young children or young adults should put themselves on the field in nature the ocean the mountain In the various subjects and directions people may pursue in career whether it's education art or economics having the understanding of nature and life is extremely important. If you try it I'm sure you will understand it for yourself. Hoe and sickle, it's enough. You know? Hoe, Sickle? [laughing] It's enough. More than twenty years, I did it. I send many vegetables to our customers. It’s easy [laughing] No fertilizer. No pesticide, and no other things. Only nature. We need only nature. It’s very easy. No money. [heartily laughing] [no money farming?] Yes, no money farming. Yes. It's enough. [soft kalimba music] directed, filmed, and produced by
Patrick M Lydon and Suhee Kang learn more & watch the full film
www.finalstraw.org
This was a great little documentary... personally, I think we need to be more ECO and less EGO, thanks for putting up this little gem
Thanks for pointing this out. Beautiful, both visually and morally. I'm off to see the full version at finalstraw.org.