CreatripTeam

In Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do, a natural farming rice harvest became a communal autumn celebration. At Gold Chang-young’s Natural Farm School, volunteers—many new and younger participants—manually cut rice with sickles, sun-dried sheaves on racks, and threshed grain with a small drum thresher (horonggi). The school, modeled on a Japanese natural farming program and now in its 10th year, follows “no till, no inputs, coexistence” principles: no plowing, fertilizers, or pesticides. Plots are given free to participants who learn monthly and keep their harvest. Farmers and newcomers describe how a decade of minimal intervention built soil fertility, increased biodiversity, and deepened their connection to food and nature. For many, rice farming is less about yield than ecological values, community, and the “wild joy” of working barefoot in paddies. The day ended with a shared meal and a sense that hands-on agriculture fosters maturity, acceptance, and belonging to nature.