After I watched David Wong’s Waianae farm interview, I ordered his moringa oil and started using it on my face and arm to see if it lightens my dark age spots. It had a very green smell which I liked but after a week’s trial, I don’t think it helped my age spots. Perhaps it needs more time but I like a simple morning routine of just applying my daughter-in-law’s olive oil mixture on my face and a dab of sunscreen and be done so I have given up on moringa for that purpose but do believe that it makes a great herbal supplement for good health so I am putting a drop under my tongue every morning.

I was very interested in the “microbe dust” that he used with great success in growing moringa as well as other crops. He does not sell the microbe dust, but for $1300, I could get a 4’x4’x2′ box with the microbial soil and instruction to grow awesome crops of my own, delivered. A bit too steep for me as well as too big for my existing small yard.

Since I was sick with a terrible terrible cold (not Covid), I had hours and hours to look into whatever “microbe dust” was and Korean Natural farming in general. It was like diving into Alice in Wonderland’s rabbit hole and hardly coming up for air. In Hawaii, it began when Hilo doctor Hoon Park (pediatrician) went to Korea to learn from Master Cho Han-kyu about pig farming, which led to learning about indigenous micro organisms (IMO). These IMOs are the bedrock of Korean Natural Farming techniques and SO different from what we normally do to grow our plants. No chemicals, no store bought fertilizers, no soil tilling, nothing harmful, and very cheap because the ingredients are common things such as rice, milk, brown sugar, sea water, etc.

Master Cho is a cute man who does not speak English but he takes great joy in teaching the world his techniques to improve soil conditions anywhere and everywhere. He once went to the Gobi Desert in Mongolia and, using biochar and IMO (the bedrock of KNF), planted tree saplings that usually had no chance to survive because of its high wind and low rainfall conditions. Lo and behold, there now exists an area with trees that have grown and continues to grow. He has come to Hawaii (mostly the Big Island) to visit and teach, using an interpreter. In one of the videos of his visit to Chris Trump’s macadamia nut farm, both he and Chris were over taken with emotion because of their love and respect for each other. Very sweet to see grown men crying.

KNF is so different from conventional ways of planting and maintenance. In conventional farming for a tree or plant, a hole is dug and fertilizer and compost are put in the hole. The plant is inserted in the hole and watered regularly. The plant will do well for a couple of years but when its root system goes past the fertilizer and compost, it hits compacted dirt and more sterile conditions and the plant reaches a peak, and then gets weak and stagnates or dies. A constant application of fertilizer and care is necessary for the tree to survive.

KNF (Korean Natural Farming) does not focus on what the tree needs, but on how to make the soil vibrant and living so plants can thrive. It is long lasting, sustainable, and shockingly CHEAP!

So, what IS Korean Natural Farming?

It is using the natural resources of your own land in your own locale, and growing great plants because those resources are returned to the earth to enrich and continue nourishing your soil, going deeper and deeper. It uses indigenous (your area) micro organisms collected and preserved in sugar (!), fruits, leaves and plants from your area to make “fermented juices”, and simple techniques that big time and small time farmers can use to grow healthy vibrant clean crops. David Wong spoke about using KNF for human health. What Korean Natural Farming does is produce nutrient dense foods without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals, etc. When we eat nutrient dense foods, we get the benefits of food that is good for us, which we all need for good health.

There are several specific formulas, each serving a specific purpose. This is a case where more is not better and a small bottle of formula can last a long time, since the dilution ratio is usually 1:500, or 1:1000 in water.

Several farmers on the Big Island are sharing their knowledge with YouTube videos and online classes. Of note are Chris Trump (not related to the orange man), and Drake. Chris Trump has since moved to Idaho but still teaches workshops around the country as well as online classes. Drake does weekly q&a Zoom meetings that he calls “Office Hours” and has many videos online of Master Cho’s visits to the islands as well as videos on his classes. Spicy Moustache is a young man living in London who shares lessons for planting in the city and several KNF videos. I love his French accent and his tattoos. JohnKNF is a young man with a small farm living in California with video lessons on KNF that he learned at either a Chris Trump or Drake workshop here. He’s cute. Bare Mountain Farm is another grower who is learning and applying KNF theories and he does a good job of explaining the processes with his wife as the camerawoman.

The journey begins

I will be sharing my experiences with Korean Natural Farming. I do things a little differently because I do not have acres of farmland and only a few trees in my small yard. KNF was developed for vast farmland and crops. Most of my plants are in pots and a few vegetables are in a small planter bed or planter boxes. I have small bottles that I store it in, and my bottles all fit in a plastic basket with handle (from Daiso). Some formulas (such as FAA – Fish Amino Acid) takes 6 months to age and some formulas are very easy to do and have benefits beyond gardening. I will share how to make these formulas in upcoming posts.

The bottles are getting used

One of the positives of my diving into this is that my stash of bottles (I just can’t throw away good bottles) is getting used. I am also beginning to make little ceramic jar/jugs at Hawaii Potters Guild to house the IMO2 formulas (more on IMOs to come). It is an exciting time delving into new territory. I tend to go overboard and over spend when I find something that I focus on but this time the only drawback will be an excess of material produced from very inexpensive materials such as brown sugar and brown rice vinegar. The solution to that is to share with friends. And that, in the words of Martha Stewart, is a good thing.