A 21-nautical-mile stretch of water could trigger a global famine. The Strait of Hormuz controls up to half the world’s fertilizer. The Ukraine war is also a major disruption, and we’ve hit Peak Fertilizer. Cheap, mined minerals are over, and our food system is fragile. What if you could opt out without buying a single bag of fertilizer? It’s a method where you become the supply chain by harnessing the biology already on your land. We’ll get to the solution in a moment. But h

People tend to assume that plants need fertile soil in order to grow well. But that’s not really how nature works. The place where conditions matter most is right around the plant’s roots, the small zone of soil where roots, microbes, and nutrients interact. This zone is called the rhizosphere. Essentially, the rainforest's amazing output isn't due to nutrient-rich soil. It comes from a living biological system that constantly cycles nutrients right where plants need them, ar

Yes, KNF is cheap & easy. In this article, I am showing how little is required to practice KNF, not what it looks like when you do everything. Success does not depend on using every input or technique. Each point here shows how KNF can be simple and cost-saving, challenging the belief that it is complicated or expensive. I also commented on what it looks like if you do want to do everything in the system. KNF was designed for people with little to no money or resources. It ha

As a grower, deciding how to feed plants can make everything better or make everything worse. Many people follow conventional wisdom, not understanding what they have decided or even that alternatives exist. This knowledge can directly affect the bottom line. Modern growing techniques offer prescriptive solutions, directives really. The grower does not need to make many decisions, only to follow directions. • Fertilizer Rates • Soil Test Recommendations • Nutrient Deficiency

In Nature, plants grow abundantly without applied fertilizers. They do so through circular, self-reinforcing systems that recycle nutrients, build organic matter, and make minerals biologically available. These systems run on living soil. When they are intact, fertility is generated internally rather than imported from the outside. Farmers who grow food without fertilizers, whether on small plots or broad-acre land, share this same foundation. They begin by establishing biolo

How are minerals used in KNF if soil amendments are not a regular part of crop establishment and management? In a word, the answer is Seawater. This is not the only source of mineral elements in KNF, but it is the most important. There was a pasture in Hawaii that was doing poorly, with a lot of weeds, but very little edible grass and forage. A livestock expert and KNF practitioner had the rancher apply seawater to the pasture. Nothing else was done, but everything changed. G

Noni flower and forming fruit These seven Core Elements summarize the practice of Korean Natural Farming (KNF) as a comprehensive system...

1. Soil Foundation using IMO Technology Establish a living soil by using cultivated Indigenous Microorganisms (IMO) that restore and sustain natural soil function and fertility. This allows plants to live in their Natural State, drawing nutrition on demand through symbiotic relationships with soil biology. As in Nature, balanced nutrition leads to fewer pests and disease, improved health, quality, nutrition, and increased yields.

To practice Natural Farming, the goal is to have a solid Soil Foundation with high concentrations of local soil biology. And while IMO is the best technology to achieve that goal, there are other methods. Leaf mold is fallen leaves in a composting state. It is the natural state of a forest floor. Leaves can be used directly, but it is better if they are already in a composted or composting state, such as leaf mold. Leaf mold can be added directly to planting soil. It is best

In addition to using Indigenous Micro-Organisms on the outside of animals, it can be used on the inside as well. Introducing IMO into the digestive system of animals promotes gut health by populating their microbiomes with locally adapted, beneficial microbes. This supports improved digestion, nutrient absorption, immune function, and overall animal vitality. IMO-fed animals produce less odor, show more resilience to disease, and yield higher-quality manure that is better su

embracing for example, the “pigness of the pig.” For this reason, when building the bedding system for pigs, they need an extra layer of logs that other animals do not need. We will look at the construction of an Inoculated Deep Litter System (IDLS) for pigs, then discuss how to build the system for other animals. Ideally, all bedding systems should be installed on a dirt floor. This provides minerals for both animals and microbes and a connection between Nature and the barn

Just like we use IMO to inoculate soil, we can install IMO into the bedding of barns and other animal enclosures to create living floors. The concept is to install a floor that mimics a healthy forest floor made of leaf litter and spongy soil, which composts all organic matter quickly and efficiently. It’s easy to make. We build a bedding system with sufficient organic matter and inoculate it with high concentrations of soil biology, IMO, taken from healthy local soil. The

IMO, Indigenous Micro-Organisms, is the foundational technology of Korean Natural Farming. It is the application of high concentrations of soil biology taken from healthy, local soil. It is installed as a complete ecosystem. MO is efficient because: 1. Soil biology is installed in high concentrations. 2. The soil ecology is installed as a complete, intact ecosystem. 3. A single application can be enough. It allows plants to live in their Natural State and acquire their own nu

IMO Culture KNF CULTIVATION OF IMO-4 & IMO-5   WHAT IS IMO-4? In Korean Natural Farming, the product known as IMO-4, or simply IMO...

Water is divided into two solutions: one for diluting and activating the IMO-2 and the other for diluting the Liquid Nutrient.

IMO-3 is the step most people have the most trouble with. The keys to success are cultivating it in a proper location, with the proper mediu

You will build revive dead soil and build topsoil. Your plants will be able to self-fertilize and be resistant to pests and disease. Your an

We are collecting a full ecosystem of soil biology. In order to do this, we need to consider the medium, which ideally is medium grain, whit

Besides leaving one-third airspace so that the culture can breathe properly within the collection box, airflow into and out of the box is al

Master Cho used his corn method to turn solid lava rock into planting soil. I have used it to overcome weeds and turn overgrown pasture/lawn