Every decade is defined by its engineering breakthroughs. Mechanized agriculture has enhanced productivity for many decades in the past centuries. In the recent years, sustainable agriculture and organic farming has been the alternative, subsequent to a backlash against the external environmental effects of mechanized agriculture.
In par with the concept of sustainable agriculture, Yoko Farming is the resolution for the future.
I have heard of Yoko Farming almost as long as I know about the Mahikari Organisation. However, I have never given much thought about the activities or any matters related to it. I have thus never participated in any of the Yoko Farm activities organized officially. Often, I wonder why of all the trades, the Mahikari Organisation is emphasizing on agriculture activities.
The best way to understand is to participate. In order to have a better understanding of Yoko Farming, I decided to take part in the annual Yoko Farm Training. My initial intention was just to be a passive participant, because I thought I had enough on the practical sides of farming, and farming is never something too new to me; I was brought up in a farmyard.
All these while I have been associating Yoko Farming to organic farming; something sound very technical and mechanical. This is also one of the reasons I was not trilled about Yoko Farming. However, the introductory speech given by The Yoko Farm Chief has proven me wrong. There are much more perspectives to consider beyond just physical aspects or technical exercises. The essence of Yoko Farming lays on associating spiritual aspect in farming practice.
After the training, I did some reading on the history of agriculture and was amazed by what I read, and about the trade that I have been over looked all these while.
According to my findings, agriculture is the earliest trade on earth:
i. The history of agriculture is in par with human history.
ii. It is the root and the beginning of all trades.
iii. Agriculture success is the basic indicator of nation wealth and societies well being.
The justification is very simple:
“When farmers became capable of producing food beyond the needs of their own families, others in their society were freed to devote themselves to projects other than food acquisition. “
There is also a statement like this:
“Historians and anthropologists have long argued that the development of agriculture made civilization possible.”
Isn’t this statement implies that the rise and fall of a civilization is determined by the advancement of agriculture activities?
Generally, conventional organic farming is part of the effort under sustainable agriculture and aims at three main goals:
i. Environmental stewardship
ii. Farm profitability
iii. Prosperous farming communities
On the other hand, Yoko Farming emphasizes on producing produce of the highest spiritual energy, in order to cultivate the growth of quality people. The practice integrates these three important aspects:
i. God Centered: awaken to God’s supremacy
ii. Nature Interaction: work harmony with nature
iii. Soil sustainability: revive soil to its original state
It is the noble intention of producing clean and pure foods that Yoko Farming is striving for, as part of the effort to promote spiritual reformation of the world. Therefore, Yoko Farming is far beyond just organic movement. It is about building a spiritual civilization.
