Larry Korn talks future farming in library
AMERICAN academic Larry Korn shared his insights on the philosophy and practise of natural farming at a packed Wexford Library recently.
Oregon-based Larry Korn is an iconic and influential figure in the world of natural farming. His passion for the methodless approach to farming developed back in the 1970s when he spent time living and working on the farm of Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka. Larry’s primary reason for being in Ireland was to launch the new book, ‘ The Garden Awakening’ by Wexford gardener Mary Reynolds and edited by Larry himself.
In his presentation Larry spoke about his experiences in Japan with Fukuoka and how Fukuoka ended up taking the natural farming route.
Larry Korn encouraged his audience to always seek out open-pollinated seeds from the likes of Irish Seed Savers and Brown Envelope.
He also spoke briefly about the principles of permaculture, a concept developed in the 1970s. Originally taken to mean permanent agriculture it subsequently morphed into permanent culture. It involves observing and studying nature and working with rather than against it, considering all the factors involved and working out the optimal final design.
Larry finished with a slide containing a Fukuoka image entitled The Cave of the Intellect’ whereby ‘ he councils a humbleness before nature, a cessation of the materialist drive to understand and control’.
The talk was the last in the current series the library has been running with Future-Proof Wexford.