Seen as the father of modern day natural farming, Masanobu Fukuoka (1913-2008) was the author of The One Straw Revolution, a fundamental volume in the environmental movement, and a guide for understanding how human beings can live together with this earth.
Produced independently by City as Nature, this three part film series features previously unreleased interviews which we conducted with Larry Korn (1947-2019). After a decade of studying soil, plants, and Eastern culture, Larry spent two years living and studying with Fukuoka in the 1970s, and was instrumental in bringing his ideas to the world.
Part I – The Natural Mind
Part II The Natural Farm
Part III The Natural Life
About The Interviews
When Larry Korn left Japan, he carried the Japanese manuscript of Fukuoka’s book with him to California, with the determination to get the book published in English. His work in helping to translate and edit this book would bring the ideas of Fukuoka and Natural Farming to millions of people worldwide. Today, the book has become a cornerstone of the alternative food movement.
These interviews were filmed at Larry Korn’s home in Ashland, Oregon in 2012, during production of the documentary film Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness. They tell the story of Fukuoka from the perspective of a man who spent much of his life dedicated to bringing ideas of East and West together by finding truth within soil, plants and in turn, within humans.
It is impossible to understate how fundamental Larry’s work was to the establishment and growth of the worldwide sustainable farming movement. More than just a scholar of the soil, he was a man filled with wisdom, who exercised deep care, humility, and love for this earth. His work set the scene for a journey that changed the course of our lives in a beautiful way. We hope the moments with Larry in these simple films, might help do the same for others.
More Resources
- A full transcript of the Larry Korn Interview — Final Straw
- A free 20-minute film featuring Larry — Food, Earth, Happiness
- Larry Korn’s book ‘One Straw Revolutionary’ – Chelsea Green Publishing
Production
This film was independently produced by City as Nature art and media studio with previously unreleased archival footage from our feature length documentary, Final Straw: Food, Earth, Happiness.
We would like to thank the following supporters, whose donations made this interview series possible:
Andrew Sblendorio, Johanna Fredenberg & Omstallning Pargas, Janine Lydon, Syanne Cole, MISS D E A SMITH, Peter Brandis, Cenk Rullas
How to Support Our Work
These projects can only continue with your support. To help create more works like this, you can donate to City as Nature directly. 100% of your donation goes directly into the production of free, publicly available resources and projects to further environmental wellness.
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