“The more people do, the more society develops, the more problems arise. The increasing desolation of nature, the exhaustion of resources, the uneasiness and disintegration of the human spirit, all have been brought about by humanity’s trying to accomplish something. Originally there was no reason to progress, and nothing that had to be done. We have come to the point at which there is no other way than to bring about a ‘movement’ not to bring anything about.”

- Masanobu Fukuoka, The One-Straw Revolution, 1978

Natural Farming, Natural Learning and Natural Living
January 27- February 1, 2007
Amrawati, Maharashtra

What would it mean to live by Nature’s way?
To grow our food in Nature’s way?
To heal ourselves, connect with one another and learn by Nature’s way?

For centuries in India – and around the world – people have been trying to live their lives as an answer to these questions. From these experiences, we have gained deep insights into our spirits, into our relationship to nature and into the possibilities of harmonious, just, balanced and meaningful living. These insights are perhaps more necessary than ever before – given the tremendous ecological, cultural and social crises we are facing, as a result of dominating systems and mind-, body- and soul-controlling institutions.

Over the last several years, inspired by Fukuoka and others, friends around the country, both in rural areas and in big cities, have been practicing natural farming and natural learning. What we share is a commitment to connection: to weave together healthy food, physical work, loving community, natural healing, creative expressions, simplicity, upcycling, laughter and fun, all into a seamless whole. We are also trying to explore the meanings of ‘natural’ – how does it work practically, especially in the places we live in, in these times? How is it different from just ‘organic’, and why does that matter? Many of us feel like it is time to meet face-to-face, to share our current understandings as well as raise new questions together.

We see this event as a way to enhance the conversations we are already having daily – to connect people from around the country, working on similar initiatives, but who don’t always get a chance to meet. Also, to bring some of the less ‘usual suspects’ – artists, up-cyclers, eco-builders, eco-businesses, healers, etc. – into the conversation around farming, learning and living. It will also be a space for the curious – for those who want to delve more deeply into natural farming and natural living, but haven’t tried much by their own hands yet.

We hope to provoke ourselves and each other, to find our next growing edges and jump off into the unknown. And, of course, we want to discover companions and friends for each of our learning journeys.

Such is the thinking-feeling behind this invitation. We are planning to meet from January 27-February 1, 2007, on Vasant and Karuna Futane’s farm in Maharashtra as a first step. We hope this will be followed by more gatherings at other farms around the country.

We see the program of the event as a combination of working together and sharing our experiences. In the mornings, we will try different practical farming experiences on the Futane family farm. In the afternoons, we can host small workshops for one another. Topics can include: cultivating indigenous grains; seed-saving; mulching; grafting for fruit trees: farming in city spaces; regenerating forest-farms; etc. In addition, we will have some time to share our other interests and skills, like music, jewelry-making, clay work, cooking healthy food, etc.

We know that it may be difficult for some to take so many days for a gathering, especially those who are running their own farms. But we hope that most can join for the majority of days, so that each day can be a vibrant and full learning exchange.

Please share your thoughts and ideas for this gathering, and confirm your participation with Shilpa <shilpa@swaraj. org>. Also, feel free to pass it on to others who might be interested.

Looking forward to hearing back from you soon –

Best wishes and love,
Vinay Futane, Krishna McKenzie, Sangeetha Sriram, and Shilpa Jain
Swapathgami Network Organizing Team