Hey everyone this is my first blog post on organic farming techniques and I am excited to tell you about “natural farming”. This farming technique surprised me because I never thought such simple methods could lead to successful, plentiful, and healthy crops. When people think of farming they generally imagine weeding all day, fertilizing, watering, tilling, and spraying pesticides. The natural farming method tells people to do the exact opposite of what they think they should do to have a healthy crop. No tillers, fertilizers, pesticides, or gardening tools needed. When a crop is very young and vulnerable, some necessary weeding and a small amount of watering is done to ensure that the seedlings will survive into adulthood. After the plants are grown, nothing else is needed besides sporadic rainfall and sunshine which is provided by nature.
Weeds and bugs are welcome as each insect and plant brings its own harmful and beneficial effects, balancing the crop and allowing it to grow naturally with no human intervention. No fertilizers and pesticides are used, meaning this farming technique is very Eco-friendly while also producing food that is healthier for humans. No tillers are used because they would disturb the small animals and microorganisms that break down organic material and produce vitamin rich soil. Watering is stopped after the early stages of the crop because if the crops were consistently watered, they would become dependent on humans. But if the plants are left to fend for themselves, they find ways to grow and flourish without abundant amounts of water.
This philosophy of farming is based on the balance of nature. When fertilizers are used, abnormally large amounts of food are produced, which are then eaten by certain bugs allowing them to reproduce even more and eat even more food. If these chemicals were not used, the size of crops and bug populations would fluctuate until a balance was met, leaving both the crops and the bug populations intact with normal proportions of both. The same would go for “weeds” as they also offer benefits that help the plants counteract the harm that is done.
Overall, this farming method seems to be easier on people and the environment and I feel that this type of farming method should be tested at more farms to see if nature would balance itself and produce crops that are healthier for the planet in a multitude of ways.