That’s the core idea behind Korean Natural Farming. Instead of purchasing expensive fertilizers, pesticides, and biological products, you make your own — from rice, fruit, leaves, fish, and the microorganisms already living in your local environment.
It sounds too simple to be real. But farmers on every continent are doing it. From backyard gardens in Ohio to commercial coffee farms in Hawaii to reforestation projects in the Philippines. The methods work because they’re based on something fundamental: nature already knows how to grow things. KNF just helps you work with that process instead of against it.
KNF was developed by Master Cho Han-kyu in South Korea over decades of observation and practice. At its heart, KNF teaches farmers to:
1. Collect indigenous microorganisms (IMO) from your own land — the beneficial bacteria and fungi that are already adapted to your local soil and climate
2. Ferment natural inputs into powerful biological solutions using things you can find anywhere — rice wash, leafy greens, unripe fruit, fish scraps, seawater, eggshells
3. Apply these solutions at specific stages of plant growth to support root development, flowering, fruiting, and disease resistance
The result? Healthier soil, stronger plants, fewer pests, and dramatically lower costs. No corporate supply chain required. Just you, your environment, and a few buckets.
As you learn KNF, you’ll encounter these foundational inputs:
Don’t worry about memorizing all of these now. Every KNF practitioner started exactly where you are — curious, maybe a little skeptical, and ready to try something different.
We gather on the second Tuesday of every month at the Komohana building in Hilo, Hawaii. The first hour covers a KNF solution in depth — experienced practitioners share, newcomers learn. The second hour is a community potluck with one rule: you have to sit with someone you don’t know.
Can’t make it to Hilo? Meetings are also available via Zoom. Join our next meeting →
Years of KNF Office Hours recordings, articles, and resources — all free. This is one of the deepest English-language KNF knowledge bases in the world. Browse the Library →
Our member chat at chat.pureknf.org is where practitioners ask questions, share results, troubleshoot problems, and geek out about microbes. Everyone from complete beginners to decades-long practitioners. Jump in and say hello.
We’re producing a professional instructional video series — 9 to 12 episodes, each walking you through a core KNF solution from ingredients to application. Coming soon →
Join a global community of KNF practitioners. Members get access to our chat, monthly meetings, research participation, and more. Your dues directly support KNF education. Join now →
The Foundation’s Research Program lets members participate in structured KNF experiments. Document your results, contribute to the science, and help prove what practitioners already know works. Learn about Research →
Our Certification Program establishes standards of excellence in KNF practice. Demonstrate your knowledge, earn your certification, and join a network of verified practitioners. Certification details →
The Foundation runs on volunteers. Whether you’re into technology, research, community building, or video production — there’s a committee that needs you. Get involved →
Master Cho dedicated his life to developing and sharing Natural Farming. His methods have transformed agriculture across Asia and are now spreading worldwide through practitioners and organizations like ours.
The Pure KNF Foundation preserves Master Cho’s teachings through our extensive Office Hours archive and the Spirit of Master Cho — an AI-powered knowledge base trained on years of KNF instruction. Ask a question in our chat, and get answers drawn directly from the master’s wisdom.
His legacy isn’t locked in a textbook. It’s alive in every farmer who makes their first batch of IMO, in every garden that comes back from depleted soil, in every community that shares solutions instead of buying them.
The hardest part is starting. Everything after that is nature doing what it does.
You don’t need a degree. You don’t need expensive equipment. You don’t need permission. You need rice, some brown sugar, a bucket, and a willingness to trust that billions of years of evolution got a few things right.
Welcome to KNF. We’re glad you’re here.
