Cultivation method

The cultivation of foodstuffs at Prout Village is done in parallel with two methods: natural farming and hydroponics.

Natural farming is a method of cultivation without the use of pesticides and fertilizers that are harmful to the body and the land, and is already in use. The advocate of this method is Masanobu Fukuoka, who believes that land untouched by humans and inhabited by a variety of plants, insects, and other living things is fertile, and from this land, crops rich in nutrients can grow. Mr. Masanobu Fukuoka's rice fields have not been plowed, chemically fertilized, composted, or treated with disinfectants in over 30 years. With this, he said, he was able to harvest nearly 10 bales (600 kg) of wheat and rice per 33-meter square area.

The depth a man can plow with a hoe is 10 to 20 centimeters. However, the roots of grasses and green manure can plow 30 to 40 centimeters or more. The deeper the roots go into the land, the more air and water will penetrate into the ground along with the roots. With the death of those roots and microorganisms, the soil becomes fertile and soft. Eventually, earthworms increase and moles also burrow into the soil. In this way, nature provides a nutritious growing environment, the soil is permanently fertile, and there is no element of pollution. The principles of natural farming are no tilling, no fertilizer, no weeding, and no pesticides.

And indoors, hydroponics is used. Instead of using soil, the roots of the plants are immersed in water containing fertilizer, and the necessary water, nutrients, and oxygen are absorbed by the roots. This produces insect-free, healthy, pesticide-free plants and allows for systematic cultivation regardless of the season. Plants can be grown vertically to save space and allow for more plants to be grown in a residence.

Seeds are collected from the crops grown in this way, cleaned, dried, and stored in containers in the refrigerator.