Self-seeding to ensure species survival
In the past, it was common for farmers to collect rice and vegetable seeds. In modern Japan, seeds are purchased with an emphasis on efficiency, and 90% of seeds are imported. Furthermore, commercially available seeds may have been genetically modified or bred in ways that would not occur in nature. Furthermore, the seeds themselves may be treated with pesticides (i.e., seed disinfection), making them extremely dangerous.
At Purely, we encourage our contracted farmers to harvest their own produce. The more they continue to harvest seeds, the more the seeds will evolve to suit the soil, and the soil will evolve to suit the seeds. As a result, the crops will be delicious and resistant to pests and diseases, suited to the climate and environment.
Learning from nature to create soil
In nature, it takes 100 years for 1 cm of soil to form. And soil is made from the residue of plants that are already there. Right now, most of the soil in Japan's fields is "hard and cold" due to the use of fertilizers and pesticides.
In natural cultivation, where the seeds grow naturally without the use of pesticides or fertilizers, oxygen and water are supplied by the roots of the plants, and the cooled, hardened layer is then cultivated. This creates "warm, soft soil that is well-drained and retains water." Each farmer uses nature as a model to deepen their observations, "putting themselves in the shoes of the crops," and humbly works hard to create soil.
Honest. Straightforward. Natural cultivation
Natural cultivation respects nature as a teacher, learns from it, and lives in harmony with nature.
It is a farming method that applies the laws of nature to fields.
The basic principle is to return the soil to its natural state and keep it that way. For this reason, we do not use any fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. We also do not use seeds that contain these substances.
Unleashing the potential of Mother Nature in the fields without relying on fertilizers or pesticides, and focusing on the natural way plants live - this is what we call "natural cultivation."