Following on from Midori's post yesterday, this month's issue of Orion Magazine contains a lovely article by Lisa M. Hamilton on shizen nouhou, natural agriculture, as practiced by the Shumei group in Japan. Hamilton profiles a farmer named Susumu Hashimoto, who explains how his daily work is a means of spiritual devotion. Hamilton asks him what he hopes to accomplish through shizen nouhou's labor-intensive, low-yield method of growing food:
“'World peace,' he replied, then smiled and waited for the next question, as if there were nothing more to say."
Read the full article, "Land, Farmer, Community: A Sacred Trust," on Orion Magazine's website. And while you're there, don't miss the gorgeous poem "Boundaries" by the great Mary Oliver in the same issue. The archive of past issues holds such gems as "Small Wonder" by Barbara Kingsolver (an essay reflecting on miracles, myth, and the nature of war), "The Naturalist" by Barry Lopez (discussing the importance of sitting quietly by a river), "Tumult of Vision" by David Abram (introducing the beautiful photographs of Mathew Chase-Daniel), and a lovely little essay on the humble tortilla by Rebecca Allen.
The painting above is "Seed Saver" by Steven Kenny.
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