Several oxymorons abound in life: jumbo shrimp, only choice, walking dead, and random order. Oxymorons are like cliches. We have them for a reason. On first glance, the Lazy Farmer does not make sense. When we imagine a farmer, we often imagine someone waking up with the roosters as the sun peeks over the horizon. The day begins with feeding animals and then progresses to a host of chores, such as plowing, turning over the land, weeding, and harvesting. I have a full-time job. Ain’t no one got time for that. Enter the Lazy Farmer.
Based on a set of restorative and sustainable agriculture practices, the Lazy Farmer designs his or her land in a thoughtful fashion which promotes a rich harvest of perennial fruits, nuts and seeds. Swells contoured with the land absorb water instead of allowing run-off so that plants and trees have access to what they need. Densely planted crops symbiotically work together, crowding out weeds. Embracing natural predators, such as harmless to us black snakes, sets up a system where pesticides are unnecessary. There is enough food for all to eat. We can sacrifice an apple to a pest when we have hundreds more growing on our trees.
The Lazy Farmer embraces these concepts. Sure, there is work to do. Oxymorons are comparative. A lobster dwarfs a jumbo shrimp. Lazy farming involves designing and contouring the land, planning the crops, accounting for growing seasons and sunlight, planting, harvesting and waiting. Compared to the traditional farmer, the lazy farmer does so much less work and yields diverse abundance. Different varieties mature at different rates, so the Lazy Farmer is only harvesting for a fraction of the time. An hour here, an hour there. Gone are the weeks of harvesting all food at once. The Lazy Farmer allows the land to water his crops, does such little weeding it is laughable, and limits the harmful pesticides.
Lazy Farming gives us abundance and time. The work is on the front end with thoughtful design and initial installation. After that, the system does much of the work and the Lazy Farmer reaps the rewards.