We have previously introduced pesticide- and chemical-free vegetable gardens, but what we are very interested in now is natural farming. It is different from organic farming, which does not use pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and even if it is organic, natural farming does not use fertilizers. Strictly speaking, there are different types of farming methods, such as natural farming, natural agriculture, and natural cultivation, but here I will refer to all of them as natural farming methods.
Among those Japanese natural farmers, I think Masanobu Fukuoka is the most famous in France. He has published several books translated into French, and I have been asked several times by French people, “Have you read Masanobu Fukuoka’s wonderful books? I have been asked several times by French people. There are some French people who have studied at Mr. Fukuoka’s farm in Japan and came back to France, but unfortunately, no one seems to be practicing it in Paris or its suburbs.
Recently, however, I learned that there is a Japanese couple who practice natural farming in the suburbs of Paris, though not with Mr. Fukuoka’s natural farming methods, and I was given a tour of their farm!
The location was in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, about 30 minutes by train from our house in the center of Paris. The farm is run by Hiroyuki and Asami Saraya.
They settled in Paris in 2006 by chance, both having worked in administrative jobs related to natural farming, so although they had some knowledge of natural farming, they had little practical experience! Even so, they decided to plant their own fields so that they could see firsthand what natural farming looks like and eat the crops they produce.
He had difficulty finding a place, but in 2020 he was able to rent the garden of a French family he found online. He currently uses about 1,000 m2 of the land as farmland, but he does not pay rent to the landlord, as he shares the crops with him. Except for the off-season in winter, he commutes almost every day from Paris, where he lives, to take care of the farm.
What is important in Mr. and Mrs. Saraya’s natural farming method is to adapt to nature and respect nature. The important thing in the Saratani’s natural farming is to learn from nature and to be in harmony with nature. Specifically,
Clean soil: no fertilizers, no pesticides
Clean seeds: Seeds self-seeded by natural farming
Producer’s heart: Gratitude, producer’s love
The pillars of the project are “the environment,” “the environment,” “the environment,” and “the environment. Animals such as snails, slugs, and various insects are not “vermin” or “pests,” but have a meaning in their presence, and we aim to coexist with them or stop them from coming to the farm without killing them.
There are various methods of natural farming, for example, there are those that emphasize “no tilling,” but the Saratani’s do till their land, and they also use compost, which is made from the grass and fallen leaves of the land. However, rather than using compost to fertilize crops, they use it to keep the soil dry, warm, and firm, in other words, to improve the soil.
When the land was first cultivated, the land was covered with tree roots and strewn with stones, but now in its fourth year of farming, with the exception of the pillars mentioned above, it has become a good field, although there have been some failures.
We currently grow about 15 different crops here. The crops produced during the season are sold to restaurants and to individuals as omakase packs. Looking at last year’s photos, the crops are so beautiful that it is hard not to be smitten! There are even a few Japanese vegetables here and there. When I remarked that some of them were even able to produce their own seeds in such a short period of time, he looked at me calmly and said, “It’s all about trusting the power of the soil and the plants,” Hiroyuki said.
Asami also runs a miso and nukadoko (marinade) making atelier, using valuable ingredients produced by natural farming methods. In addition to farm products, Asami also sells products made with natural farming methods, mainly from Europe, such as rice, vinegar, hojicha (from Japan), olive oil, and wine.
When I visited the farm, there were no crops available for purchase yet, but when I bought and ate some of the processed products, I found them to be more powerful and special tasting than the organic products I usually eat! In particular, the naturally farmed rice I most wanted to try was very valuable, as this is probably the only place in Europe that produces naturally farmed Riz Rod (meaning “round rice,” the closest to the rice we eat in Japan). I would also love to try the vegetable omakase packs they sell for the summer. The prices of the crops and products are not much different from those of the organic supermarkets I usually buy from. If I’m going to buy something anyway, I prefer to buy here as much as possible!
Hiroyuki has been traveling to Madagascar on a regular basis to support local natural farming activities. The results are gradually being seen, with teachers and children growing vegetables for school lunches in a field he has created in the schoolyard, and working with a local association to provide food for children who are too poor to go to school in the first place and who have no food to eat.
However, as a consumer, I am interested in the energy of crops that grow only with the power of the soil, without adding anything extra. I am an amateur farmer, but with the rising cost of fertilizers, not having to buy fertilizers and not having to buy seeds from home-grown seeds are very attractive.
I am planning to start a small vegetable garden at home. I am very much looking forward to gradually developing my own natural farming methods, which can be done even with planters, by referring to Mr. and Mrs. Saraya’s natural farming methods as well as other natural farming methods!
© Source travel watch
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