Subject: Re: One-Straw Revolution
From: garlicgr@pond.com (The Tetrad)
Organization: St. John's Organic Community Garden, Mont Clare, PA
Date: Mon, 04 Aug 97 12:49:31 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$970804.9396@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$970731.5548@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$970804.6666@rec.gardens.ecosystems>



>Bill Robinson wrote:
>>
>>Pete Moss posted an article stating that he has been reading
>>Masanobu Fukuoka's, "One-Straw Revolution" which lists
>>four principles of gardening:
I would really love to hear more about these techniques -- I've only heard
bits and pieces and like most new techniques, when they get boiled down to the
bare essentials, they don't *seem* to make a lot of sense -- I think we need a
bit more background about what these 4 principles *really* mean.

For instance,

J.S.Andrews@exeter.ac.uk (J.S.Andrews) wrote some very funny comments such as:
>>1.) NO CULTIVATION
>So you just bung in the plants and hope for the best eh?
I believe, based on a sustainable ag web page I saw, that one actually plants
a cover crop where you plan to put your veggies in, let in die as a mulch and
then put the plants in. So you *do* cultivate the cover crop -- it seems to
be more like "growing your own mulch" instead of cultivating and then carting
a mulch in.
>
>>2.) NO CHEMICAL FERTLIZER OR PREPARED COMPOST
>
>thats the chickens out of a job then
The "no prepared compost" I don't understand *at all* -- can anyone explain?

>>3.) NO WEEDING BY TILLAGE OR HERBICIDES
>
>hang on a minute...hand weeding is allowed but no hoes???
>sounds like a fast route to a bad back to me
I agree with JS here. . . any comments?
>
>>4.) NO DEPENDENCE ON CHEMICALS
>
>I think you'd need a pint ( or something ) after all that hand weeding
I also agree with JS here, too -- I mean, *really,* isn't #4 one of the
*definintions* of sustainable ag?

If anyone knows more, I hope they will comment. I always like hearing about
new techniques.

Dinara, the garlic grower
Sustainable agriculture takes root with your support! <*>