We have come to the point at which there is no other way than to bring about a 'movement' not to bring anything about

I started natural farming after the war with just one small plot, but gradually I acquired additional acreage by taking over surrounding pieces of abandoned land and caring for them by hand.

Speaking biologically, fruit in a slightly shriveled state is holding its respiration and energy consumption down to the lowest possible level. It is like a person in meditation: his metabolism, respiration, and calorie consumption reach an extremely low level. Even if he fasts, the energy within the body will be conserved. In the same way, when mandarin oranges grow wrinkled, when fruit shrivels, when vegetables wilt, they are in the state that will preserve their food value for the longest possible time.

Left alone, the earth maintains its own fertility, in accordance with the orderly cycle of plant and animal life.

Since I turned the fields back to their natural state, I can't say I've had any really difficult problems with insects or disease.

The simple hearth of the small farm is the true center of our universe.

By raising tall trees for windbreaks, citrus underneath, and a green manure cover down on the surface, I have found a way to take it easy and let the orchard manage itself!