Shumei Natural Agriculture

Attend this unique gardening program and learn basic methods of Natural Agriculture from Shumei Natural Institute on Saturday, October 23rd, 2010. The event will be held at the Archuleta County Extension Building in Pagosa Springs, Colorado from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. Whether you are an avid gardener or someone who is interested in healthy eating for you and your family, this presentation will provide hands-on demonstrations and inspirational education.

At this free event, Shumei Crestone gardeners will teach participants how to achieve sufficient, healthy and safe food production. Families with children are welcome. Children’s activities held in an adjacent room throughout presentation.

Developed in Japan by Mokichi Okada, Natural Agriculture helps gardeners and farmers grow plants in a healthier, more environmentally sustainable way while the natural capacity and wisdom of nature are respected. This respect leads to minimum intervention in the growing processes and greater benefit in working in partnership with natural forces.

Research has shown that the natural agriculture approach leads to crops that are healthier, stay fresh longer and are better tasting than those produced by conventional agricultural methods. Furthermore, the use of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides and other conventional farm and ranch procedures has led to a series of health issues among our society. To that end, the presentation will help consumers know how to make healthier choices when shopping as well.

As a sponsor of the event, Growing Spaces embraces the principles of natural agriculture through their permaculture gardening practices, energy-efficient Growing Dome® and holistic teachings over the past 20 years. Growing Spaces was introduced to Shumei through one of their clients, the Rodale Institute, who just recently built a Shumei Natural Agriculture demonstration site at their Pennsylvania facility, which includes a Growing Dome©. Shumei also maintains and promotes Natural Agriculture farms and gardens through the world including Crestone, Colorado. You can find out more at: http://www.shumeicrestone.org.

Growing Spaces’ staff members, Richard and Janet Miller, just returned from a trip to Japan and recently attended the 8th anniversary celebration of the Shumei International Institute at Crestone Center. “As a long time organic gardener, the most unique aspect of Shumei NA, to me, is the interconnectedness between soil, seed, gardener and consumer. This relationship contains an energy that nurtures both body and spirit, thus making it truly life sustaining,” said Richard Miller.