How KNF Changed
Moonrise Tea Garden

I owned and ran a commercial tea farm in Hawaii for many years as Moonrise Tea Garden. Besides a commercial tea crop, I also commercially produced eggs. Other commercial crops included herbs, spices, and fruit used in our herbal blends and fusions.

 

We started as an organic operation but switched to Cho Natural Farming after I met Master Han-Kyu Cho, creator of  Korean Natural Farming (KNF).

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Summarize of changes on Moonrise Tea Garden due to KNF:

 

We Saved Money

On Moonrise Tea Garden we went from spending $200 per month on just the tea field to just $20 per month for everything on the farm, including all animals. We completely stopped buying animal feed, fertilizers, and no longer needed the organic pest solutions we had on hand.

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We Saved Time and Labor

After establishing the Nature Farming System, our time and labor was reduced each year. Most effort was spent harvesting and processing. Caring for almost 100 animals took only about 15 labor hours per month.

Increase production & diversity

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Not only did production levels increase, we were able to grow crops such as tomatoes and melons that were previously difficult or impossible to grow.

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We Decreased Weeds, Pests, and Disease

As the soil improved, plant pests and diseases basically took care of themselves. We never had any animal health issues using Nature Farming. Weeds were controlled by using the always-available, inoculated, composted mulch from the animal bedding.

Build topsoil and remediate poor, damaged soil

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Moonrise Tea Garden was created on hard, acidic clay, that had been damaged by 100 years of sugarcane production and all the chemicals that included. Initial soil tests detected zero Nitrogen Phosphorus, or Potassium. Nature Farming quickly changed this terrible red clay into dark living topsoil.

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We Increased Health and Nutrition

My eggs were so strong that they could be cracked open and held in hand without breaking the yolk, so obviously the chickens were much healthier. That meant the eggs were healthier, and so were we.

Nothing is toxic

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All inputs used for Cho Natural Farming are not only safe, but edible by humans. Nothing toxic goes into the food system.

Save and protect wildlife and habitat

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Avoiding the use of pesticides and herbicides protected the beneficial critters in the garden and the surrounding forests. Waste and runoff were eliminated.

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We Helped Save the Planet

Moonrise Tea Garden was a single 20-acre farm with surrounding wild habitat. We did this on a small scale, but the more these practices proliferate, the more wildlife and habitat can be protected and restored. Waste streams will be eliminated. Carbon, nitrogen, and water will be conserved.

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