Man Creates INCREDIBLE Small-scale Sustainable NATURAL FARM

Thomas has created an incredible small-scale sustainable natural farm in Japan. The small-scale sustainable natural farm that Thomas Kloepfer started after the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, and which he runs together with his wife Kaori in Hiroshima, Japan, is proof that growing food using natural farming principles can be hugely productive AND environmentally sound.
In this video, Thomas shares the story of his small-scale organic farm, describes his experience with natural farming, and shows how growing food naturally is working on his farm. This video is for anyone interested in how a homestead and abundance can be created through lots of intelligent design, hard work, goodwill, and careful observation of the natural environment. There's a bunch of valuable insights into how food systems can truly be made sustainable in this video! There's valuable info also related to permaculture techniques, organic gardening more generally, ecological orchards, Masanobu Fukuoka, the state of organic food in Japan, abandoned farmland in Japan, seed saving, using sheep and goats as helpers on the farm, polyculture, interplanting, intensive organic market garden, etc.
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[@Huuond]

“We really had no experience with farming beforehand” - couldn’t help but say out loud “teach me your ways bro!”. Awesome content, you got a new follower :)

[@bla9803]

Thank you jacob ! i just found your Channel and it's AMAZING !

[@shamekiajenkins2646]

This is such an inspiring and beautiful story and so sad at the same time. The dying out of generational farmers is so heartbreaking and the lack of knowledge that doesn't get passed down for various reasons just flat out concerns me in regards to the future. But I remain hopeful ❤️

[@victorkreig6089]

What are you talking about? This has been the natural cycle of farms for literally 3 centuries now, industrialization made children leaving farms for different career opportunities a thing a very long time ago it's nothing new

[@CityasNature]

Great work Thomas and Kaori san! Keep spreading the good food and good inspiration. We need it more than ever!

[@schweizermadel3810]

Danke für deine inspirierenden Berichte über wunderbare Menschen!

[@GrowingSmall]

Danke für deine tolle Unterstützung!

[@patrickjanssen6652]

Absolutely inspiring! Thanks for sharing!

[@Reciprocity_Soils]

Marvelous to hear your hard work is attracting more beneficial insects and people who like what you are doing. Great that cover cropping and other regenerative techniques are spreading and neighbors are sharing the benefits. I would certainly like to hear more about those families with farms who don't have any else to do the work.

[@user-zlxelaZz]

Fantastic video and great job Thomas/Kaori!

[@jpoornakumar5262]

Very inspiring video brother. Growing our own food makes life better. Thank you🙏🙏🙏

[@theamazingmg6947]

Very nice farm my dear friend you are doing a great work my dear friend ❤

[@wishhousefarm]

amazing farm! incredibly encouraging for fellow farmer within Japan doing natural farming!

[@betterlivingonabudget]

Loved seeing Thomas' small-scale farm, so had to sub, thanks!

[@Christine-nj3kl]

Many thanks .. for the knowledge and wonderful story...

[@DorHeledMusic]

Beautiful story, thank you for sharing. Masanobu Fukuoka would be proud 😇

[@andrewbojanich8003]

I scouted the comments just for this start a revolution

[@victoriaman117]

What a beautiful life. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished sir.

[@mariewintzer2245]

How wonderful. I'm in awe....

[@melisboregard]

This channel should have more subscribers than this. Very interesting videos.

[@theoffgridway]

this is so inspiring. we just moved off grid a year ago an quickly realized seed saving is one of the most essential for us to be sustainable. thank you for sharing this video

[@werteimwandel]

Beautiful work 👌 thank you 🙏

[@benjaminklenner4310]

Love it! I've been playing around with a lot of these concepts, it"s great to see a farm establishing itself with natural farming principles.

[@christineabedini3765]

This is beautiful I’m going to share this

[@xue5767]

A super inspiring story!!

[@abetgoto5499]

thank you so much for sharing this very useful and practical tips on farming, new subs here from Philippines...

[@utvc3687]

Fantastic content, thanks a lot

[@naturalflow157]

Thank you for sharing such a beautiful, soothing and inspirational video. I have always admired Japan and its culture. Really enjoy watching your videos, especially after a long and stressful day at work, this brings me joy and peace, so thank you friend for creating. Sending you much love and wishing you the best :)

[@GrowingSmall]

Thank you so much for your kind comment, I'm grateful the videos let you relax!

[@emmahardesty4330]

Big thank you for healing, so very well, a spot on our planet. In many ways your land is connected to all land, and it's of healing importance. You're bringing back old knowledge that was lost.

[@growingwithfungi]

Absolutely love it! 😃🌱💚🙏✨🍄🪱🙌🙌🙌🙌🧬

[@gilleslaviolette8147]

Keep up the wonderful work!

[@mmotsenbocker]

Great video, would like to see more ...

[@soniatriana9091]

Thomas & Kaori are doing a wonderful job!! Thomas’ presentation was so honest & genuine - I really enjoyed learning from him!! I wish them much continued success & happiness!! It’s sad to learn that amazing well established farms are being abandoned by the elders!! What use to be handed down to the next generation is now lost, this is the cost of their educated children moving to the big cities for job opportunities & higher incomes!!

[@vedicapproach8105]

Great to get a closer look at your farm and work, Tom! Warm wishes from your American buddy in Kerala.

[@uncleweed]

really fantastic project - so many interesting lifestyles available in Japan now, the future is unwritten!

[@robertlemoine3500]

Thankyou

[@stewartthomas2642]

Love your stuff kick on love it

[@jannisbille5161]

Inspiring!

[@idabergmann5270]

beautiful 💚💚💚

[@willm5814]

No work is more important than what you are doing - best wishes from Canada 🇨🇦!!

[@lindapaxman7788]

VERY AMAZING, AND SO TRUE!! KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON!! ✨️ From So. Alberta, Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️

[@kolapyellow7631]

Like his farming idea.

[@simontenkate9601]

Very good philosophy and practice. Be strong and healthy!

[@shephusted2714]

more solid content

[@suzannecrowe5701]

Magnificent 🌸

[@elementalfitnesslab]

Thanks for this. We are going to be doing a smaller scale up north of Tokyo in Ibaraki and hopefully slowly spread the example.

[@pressedearth9492]

God bless you and prosper your labors.

[@nancynahnigoh3550]

Awesome farming , congrats

[@oby-1607]

Always love to see the diversity in the growing as it goes far away from the word sterile.

[@Ichigo2058]

"volunteer crop". learned something new today :D

[@CassTrashPuppy]

I'm obsessed 🙏

[@petersterling5334]

This is So Exciting to me and Millions of others around the World! It gives me Hope for the World again!!

[@stephaniewoodson7655]

Excellent work, Sir. Hope your enthusiasm and strength holds up

[@jamesryanpael5187]

i love permaculture. i wish i can visit this farm someday in japan.

[@jamesryanpael5187]

thank you for sharing.

[@OnSiteTrav]

This is a great video!

[@GrowingSmall]

Thank you!

[@miguelrodvel1548]

Que buen canal, me encanta. He visto dos vídeos y son geniales. Saludos desde México. Gracias por compartir estos bellos testimonios de gente buena que le aporta mucho al mundo. Mi esposa y yo estamos por comenzar a emprender el proyecto de una pequeña granja, estoy muy emocionado y la información que nos muestras nos ayudará mucho. Gracias, gracias, gracias.

[@GrowingSmall]

Gracias, Miguel, estoy muy contento que estos dos video han llegado a su casa y su computadora (o móvil). Me encanta saber que los videos que yo hago se ven en muchas países como México. No me fui ya a su país pero sé que hay muchísimos proyectos de permacultura y buen vivir en por allá. Espero que el proyecto suyo también va a transformar la granja en un lugar dónde todos los animales y insectos y microorganismo se pueden expresar naturalmente, dónde la producción (para la gente) y la ecología (de la madre tierra) están igualmente importante. Gracias por compartir sus sentimientos conmigo, es muy importante para mi saber que estos videos son importante por personas en todos los lados. Gracias.

[@infiniteadam7352]

i would love to move there, and care for the land, I can imagine there is great opportunity in permaculture in Japan. Im watching from Florida USA, who knows what my life story may become! I just might end up in Japan!

[@ozbloke202]

I'm also farming in countryside Japan. I'm just finishing my second year. It's a big job, lots to learn. And the pressure of doing things the "Japanese way". I'm slowly improving the land and figuring out what works and what doesn't. It's enjoyable but it's hard work and it's not profitable.

[@highergroundtk]

Keep it up, it’s possible but depends on how you grow and access to your best market

[@calebfuller4713]

Another Aussie out in the Japanese countryside here. Those first few years are the hardest because you really have to re-learn everything for that climate, and also find what works for you in your particular place, plus the modifications and improvements needed for that land. The pressure to do "The Japanese Way" will go away after a while. There is one Australian thing I really wish I could get that just doesn't exist here, and thats a large Aussie style rainwater tank - the sort of thing measured in tens of thousands of litres. With the amount of rain here we wouldn't even have needed to connect to the mains water! 😂

[@societenaturelle9005]

Love what these ppl r doing 😇👏👏👏 I too have been trying to do similarly even though I have no background in farming 🙄 Thanks for sharing such videos ... am sure they will inspire and educate many. Do keep up the good work 👏

Thanks

[@GrowingSmall]

Your support means a lot

@@GrowingSmall I wish I could support you monthly but at the moment that's not possible :( but maybe in the future. Wish you all the best and hope you can continue to make these fantastic videos for a long long time. Love your work and the people you filming.

[@shawnlivers2757]

This story is so very exciting, and my hope is that it spreads globally and that I may be a part of it. I sincerely believe that God is involved as to why it was and still is able to be accomplished 🙏🏽❤️.

[@siegerane]

Let me apply to him, love to work on those farm!

[@thisorthat7626]

@Thomas, what is the seed seperator called? Made of wood, with a diagram many people could build their own if we had plans. Great work and your farm is in a lovely location.

[@letsrazzledazzle]

Yeah where the plans at yo!

[@wishhousefarm]

It's callesd TOMI

[@rosslote1895]

How are all of these people moving to Japan and starting farms? I was under the impression that Japan had pretty strict immigration policies. I'm starting a farm in central Portugal and find these stories very inspiring.

[@Melicoy]

Awesome Channel. Where have you been !

[@ohcrapwhatsnext]

i miss the moisture in the air. My hobby farm is in the high desert, but i grow plenty of food... Love your methods...

[@matyaskoves]

Congratulations for your beautiful farm! Thank you for sharing! On how many m2 are you working? Greetings from Hungary

[@thepeopleplaceandnaturepod8344]

❤❤❤

[@harlandburr1637]

I lived in Japan. I'd go back in an instant. I am a permaculturist.

[@rakdurrre]

First time I came across pitchfork farm was more than 10 years ago. I was going to Onomichi some times and the locals were telling me about it. Never had a chance to go though

[@Rosakru]

You may be familiar with the farming practices and The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming book by Masanobu Fukuoka.

[@resolutionarybeing1885]

I sure wish you folks would tell us just how big your propety is so other small land holders could gain more usable information with out having to plow through soooo many sites. I do appreciate what you are sharing and can accomplish on your land. thank you for what you are sharing.

[@highergroundtk]

We have have about a half an acre in production that is land we own. We occasionally put sheep in land we rent from neighbors. In total we manage 2-3 acres included the land we do not own. Recently we were given another parcel and have not done anything with that space put have plans to put our animals there. The land is on a hill side and we are unable to use large machines to get to the property and our home attached to the land is not accessible by cars. Hope that helps.

[@zoey6983]

@@highergroundtk hi Thomas , so inspiring . About how much money would a 55 year old single australian man need to do what you are doing please ?

[@elijahsanders3547]

Got some touch points with David The Good :)

[@desireeguidry3754]

Would be a good time to set up a program to find future farmers who would love to inherit (w/clauses) properties/lifestyles in Japan with products/lands ready to take over and cultivate.

[@fafafarmlife]

Xin chào bạn tôi đến từ Việt Nam ❤

[@thatguychris5654]

Japan is the first powerful nation to experience this type of population aging and decline. Farms, houses etc will be left abandoned and cheap/free for the next, smaller, generation. Soon, more countries will go thru this as well. It's a bit sad to see abandonment but it is an excellent opportunity for the next generation to take over with an ideology such as this featured farm. Fingers crossed 🤞

[@itzakpoelzig330]

That's a great way to look at it! So many people only want to see the doom and gloom aspects of this change, but you're absolutely right that it also provides an opportunity for beautiful progress.

[@pressedearth9492]

Yes yes and yes!

[@frederik0014]

@@itzakpoelzig330 Our planet is extremely overpopulated. Population reduction seems to go in a very natural and peacefull way in Japan, I doubt the rest of the world will be so lucky. Wish I could live in Japan and be a part of this beautifull proces!

[@ThatBritishHomestead]

such a lovely enviroment there! i wish we could have larger animals. We have had turkeys, meat, egg chicks and ducks but there is just something about sheep that make me happy.

[@pressedearth9492]

Did I mention that I love your farm?

[@inthegarden6556]

wow! they're give you their land ? I would love a piece of land to do the same thing.

[@alexanderdavis3591]

Beautiful story, your accent is different in a video about central America?

[@stevenwintersnight1036]

Id love to hear a breakdown of the hours spent per day in labor.

[@floriswou]

I would love to see a design of that seed separation tool :)

[@GrowingSmall]

Thanks for noticing that, it's a beautiful tool indeed and quite common across Japan, I've seen it at other places that I've shot as well. Won't be able to draw up a design, though it's probably available online somehow if you look hard. Otherwise, contact Thomas and I bet he can tell you more about how it works!

[@denisesilvaart]

@@GrowingSmall Where are the links to follow Thomas?

[@GrowingSmall]

@@denisesilvaart Instagram @pitchforkfarms

[@joselucci5375]

Wonderful project. Really the way to follow. I have one question, I want to know which weed is that you grow to attract aphids. I do not know what to control those insects, specially trips. ☺️. Wishes

[@highergroundtk]

I notice that some pea species and golden rod attract red aphids. I have heard to that too much nitrogen increases aphid pressure so when we apply certain fertilizers we could see an increase there

[@wanderer.antonio]

What I find funny is that the mainstream is lead to believe farming is this great difficult endeavor. Reality is, if there is green stuff growing naturally in your area then any seed you plant will grow. Now, whether it grows well, or large depends on many factors. But for most people not needing to 'maximize' yield with "pure bred' seed, then the regular stuff will just grow. After that, you can simply choose what plants grew best and plant those seeds next year!

[@mrMacGoover]

That's a shame that those elderly Japanese people do not have a children or grand children to pass the farm down to. I would gladly leave Canada to live and work there if someone would give me land to call my own.

[@laresilience5829]

Forget Japan Eastern Europe have cheap land and will welcome European looking people more than Japan

[@calebfuller4713]

Most of the time, they do have children, it's just that the children have absolutely no interest in the farm. They have quite probably moved to a larger city, and often do not even want to pay the property tax on it. (Let alone the inheritence tax)

[@davidschmidt270]

Yeah like Caleb was saying...they probably don't even live nearby and have zero interests in farming....I think the old way is poised for a come back

[@Democraticcivilization]

the point is agricultural permit from officials ,you can do gardening but its just a hobby

[@cozumel8286]

Didnt know Edward Norton was into organic farming

[@Knowledge-College]

But where can we find these peoples KZbin channels?

[@Fvejo]

0:10 and 1:52 intrigued by what seems to be a cemetery there. Is it inside the property?

[@highergroundtk]

Yes there is a cemetery around the property and can be a common feature in rural Japan. Some of the graves are still maintained and managed by my neighbors, however, many go unmaintained as relatives have passed on or are no longer living in my area.

[@gcxred4kat9]

Please someone answer... I'm American, my wife is Canadian and we're dual citizens of both countries. How hard is it to immigrate to Japan? I've always admired Japanese people and their culture and the Japanese countryside, especially along the coast is so beautiful. I would love to have about a one acre permaculture farm there.

[@shawnlivers2757]

This story is very exciting me, and my hope is that this very thing may spread globally. I sincerely believe that God is involved 🙏🏽.

[@bennjeri1886]

Amen

[@pressedearth9492]

God is very much involved.

[@wendyburgess2962]

❤️

[@TranVanHieuBDCDT]

Incredible!, i wonder how you deal with rats. Can you share your method. thank you so much

[@highergroundtk]

We have field mice, but have not had to deal with rats in our property. I also see snakes in certain times of the year.

[@AmanSharma-jd7xk]

This is what he is doing and creating video.. is common practice in Himachal Pradesh (India). They way of living in villages.

[@scottpilgram696]

This guy have a channel?

[@lisiusabok4534]

I think it is good if those city people staying on the streets, under the bridges doing nothing to reconsider going back to nature - farming etc..

[@peternilsen5134]

He sound like Shea Lebouf

[@Tom-fz6pe]

What was the plant he was using to attract aphids?

[@highergroundtk]

Aphids are attracted golden rod and a flowering pea species

[@Mothernaturer]

Please find a property and I’ll go there . No joke❤

[@frustrated181]

Il will take a farm and work it I wish they would let me buy property in Japan, last I herd foreigners can't

[@powerofthemind1568]

How do I get a farm please 🕉️🙏😇

[@ghhg2655]

Is there a translation at least CC for Nihon-Jin to enjoy????

[@GrowingSmall]

Not for this film yet. If you could volunteer I'd be more than happy to send you the transcript :)

[@mamamoofficial6404]

wait what how a banana tree grow in there?

[@highergroundtk]

Bananas were planted in 2019 and are forage and shade around the garden. They flower and fruit but are much smaller and less likely to ripen.

[@MrMonero]

I wish there were opportunities like this here in the Highlands of Scotland. Sadly land is unobtainable by most people. Its either all stolen by the Royals or has been passed down through generations of rich land owners just so that they can have their oversized estates. Can not even get an allotment here whilst old men have hundreds of thousands of acres each being used for nothing other than hunting. The land situation here is the definition of insanity!

[@scottamaral5073]

What’s the land cost to buy?

[@calebfuller4713]

Probably fairly cheap. A very very rough ballpark figure might be around $50,000 or so but if you watch the video he says people around there are literally giving it away just because they don't want to bother maintaining it anymore.

[@stormhawk31]

Because of Japan's population collapse and the movement of the young to the cities, it is a PRIME place for people to move and take over land in the countryside, practice the regenerative agriculture techniques developed in the West, have families, and renew Japan...IF the government would only allow more immigration!