This page will expand as we receive questions concerning Natural Agriculture and answer them. If you have a question concerning Natural Agriculture, please send it to Messages@Shumei.org. The choice of questions that appear on this page and their editing are solely done at the discretion of the web site editors.

Q: Because Natural Agriculture stresses the purity of soil in its indigenous location, is it true that soil should never be imported from other areas?

A: No. While the Natural Agricultural method lays great emphasis on the purity of soil as found in its native place and on the integrity of location, the practice of Natural Agriculture demands a realistic approach to growing crops. Where the soil is so polluted by industrial chemicals that recovering it would either be impossible or create too much of a hardship, soil from other locations should be introduced. The key is to import soil that is both pure and will work at least as well in its new location as the native soil once did.

Q: What about seeds? Can seeds be imported to new locations?

A: Yes, if the seeds adapt well to the soil and climate to which they are introduced. The seed is the best judge of where it should grow. If it grows well in its new location it can be cultivated by the Natural Agriculture method.

Q: Can plants be grown in greenhouses using the Natural Agriculture method?

A: It is possible to grow plants in greenhouses so long as no industrial chemicals are used and the plants are grown in local soil or its equivalent. However, one should be very careful, because plant diseases are common in a hothouse environment and these diseases cannot be treated with chemicals as is often necessary in conventional greenhouse cultivation.

Q: Is there anything that can be used for pest control when employing the Natural Agriculture method?

A: First, there are no "pests" in Nature, just as there are no weeds. What most of us call "weeds" and "pests" are merely plants and animals that are out of place in a particular environment. In the particular environment of modern industrial agriculture, weeds and pests are living organisms that do not fit in with industrial agriculture’s method; they are any organism that gets in the way of producing high yields for the most profit.

In Nature there is no animal or plant that does not have its place and function. In Natural Agriculture it is important to come to an understanding of how all of Nature’s elements work with each other. And it is important to work with all the elements of Nature, including the "pests" and "weeds".

No, pest control is not used. Most insects are attracted to plants when chemical fertilizers are put in the soil. Since no chemical fertilizers are used, insects are less likely to attack these plants. Also, over time the plants cultivated by way of Natural Agriculture become stronger and more resistant to the damage caused by insects and other organisms. There may be infestations, yet we feel that this is a minor problem compared to the harm done by using pesticides.

Q: What is the difference between Natural Agriculture and organic agriculture?

A: The difference is sometimes foggy and imprecise. A basic difference is Natural Agriculture’s emphasis on the spiritual basis of agriculture. Yet, some practitioners of organic farming also strongly believe that what they do has spiritual implications. Part of the problem with answering this question is that there are many forms of organic farming. Some employ techniques that are similar to those used in Natural Agriculture, others do not. Also, neither organic farming nor Natural Agriculture are closed systems. Both are evolving. And the two may learn from each other.

But, technically, there is at least one clear and discernable difference: Natural Agriculture uses compost comprised of only leaves and grass. Most organic farming uses many organic materials besides compost to give nutrients to the soil, control insects, and prevent disease.