Zucica+Angkrit

Chotto

ComPeung has a number of shelters and houses, but not many trees yet. To change this we would like to plant some trees at ComPeung, applying an environmental friendly technique. Our tree-planting activity is inspired by Masanobu Fukuoka's concept of The 4 Principles of ‘Non-invasive Agriculture’, which in a contemporary sense can be called ‘Minimalist Farming’. In his book ‘Revolution with a Single Grass’ Fukuoka explains the 4 Principles:

“The First Principle, no plowing. For over hundreds of years, farmers have believed that plowing is a necessary part of farming. However, non-plowing is a principle of natural agriculture. The soil itself already contains natural plowing elements from plants roots, active bacteria, bugs and worms.

The Second Principle, no chemicals or any other man-made fertilizers. Humans have always interfered with nature, resulting in problems that despite enormous efforts cannot be truly fixed. Irresponsible farming destroys rich soil every year. Yet if we let the soil do its own process, with the help of the natural circle of plants and animals it would maintain its natural healthiness.

The Third Principle, no insecticides or pesticides. Weeds play a vital role in maintaining the soil's richness. They also guarantee a balanced ecological system. Henceforth we should not destroy weeds but rather control them. Ways to control weeds are to cover the soil using dried grass or to plant beans alongside other plants and to restrain from excessive regular watering.

The Fourth Principle, no chemical fertilizers. Due to unnatural human interference such as plowing and using chemical fertilizers, plants become weak and are prone to plant diseases and bug infestations. In natural agriculture plants are allowed to live their natural life spans in a balanced system. And although plant and bug diseases also occur in a naturally balanced system, they never reach devastating levels to justify the use of chemical products. A suitable way of controlling pests and diseases is to plant strong healthy plants in diverse environments.”

Our planet has a natural diverse ecology, and nature maintains the balance. We are planning to plant different kinds of plants at ComPeung. We hope our plants will grow there without too much interference from humans. We love weeds as much as we love flowers. Real beauty derives from uniqueness and the balance of diversities.