Kahua Paʻa Mua was recently featured in an Overstory article, “Hawai‘i Farmers Turn to Korean Natural Farming to Revive Soil and Strengthen Local Food Systems.” The story highlights how farmers across the islands are using Korean Natural Farming (KNF) to build healthy soil and strengthen local food systems.

What Is Korean Natural Farming - and Why It Matters

Korean Natural Farming is a form of regenerative agriculture that focuses on working with nature instead of against it. It emphasizes cultivating indigenous microorganisms in the soil and creating nutrient-rich inputs from local, organic materials rather than relying on imported synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.

In the article, Executive Director David Fuertes shares that, guided by ancestral knowledge, we understand the soil as alive. When we feed the soil with natural materials that support microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, our local ecosystems can thrive.

Kahua Paʻa Mua, a nonprofit based in Kohala, blends traditional Hawaiian farming practices with Natural Farming, aquaponics and other contemporary methods. Our goal is to help local families and keiki cultivate their own food and move toward greater self-reliance.

We are humbled to be included alongside farmers, educators and advocates across Hawaiʻi who are caring for ʻāina and reimagining how we grow food here at home.

If you’d like to learn more about Korean Natural Farming and read the full story, you can find the article on Overstory’s website.