The biggest little farm (the biggest little farm) is really a touching documentary. It brings more power and thinking than usual feature films. I would strongly recommend this film to friends who love nature and cherish the environment.
This true story begins with a rescued dog. Organic food blogger Jasmine and wildlife photographer John adopted a black dog Todd with beautiful eyes by a coincidence. They saved Todd's life, but what they didn't expect was that Todd also profoundly changed their lives.
The smart and caring Todd won the hearts of the husband and wife, and there is a bit of bitterness in this joy. Todd has severe separation anxiety. Once you leave the owner, you will bark. They tried various methods to no avail. Finally, the landlord issued an eviction order.
A note of chasing away guests, on the contrary, wakes up Jasmine, who has been yearning for a rural life. Why not find a farm and start traditional farming? In this way, dogs can enjoy themselves, and Jasmine can realize the dream of planting different fruits and vegetables. They began to formulate plans, and through word of mouth from their friends, they found investors who wanted to regain the old farming concepts just like them.
They found a 1,200-acre Apricot Lane Farm. This is the ideal place for Todd, it can be fun. But this farm that used to grow only two kinds of fruit trees has made the soil continue to pay for it but has not been recharged, and some of the soil has become as hard as a rock.
Is there any help? How to bring this large piece of soil back to life? They brought in Allen, an expert who is proficient in traditional farming methods. His goal is to imitate the operation of natural ecosystems, so that organisms can achieve the greatest degree of diversified self-regulation. Allen drastically cut down all the original single fruit trees on the farm, built a large irrigation system, introduced earthworms to loosen the soil, and built ponds and chicken coops. Through the Internet, they have recruited young people from all over the world who are interested in traditional farming. They began to breed cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks. The dung of these animals and plants can introduce a large number of microorganisms into the soil of the farm, and this is the secret of bringing the soil back to life. Allen also surprisingly planted 75 different fruit trees in the orchard, and he insisted that diversification is what traditional farming should look like.
Allen said that such a diversified composition will eventually lead to simplistic breeding, and the entire farm's ecosystem will be self-sustaining and regulating. The farm is a cycle of life. Microbes, wild plants, crops, and livestock will work together to improve the soil and the environment, so that the farm will become a paradise of great biological harmony. At that time, the farm's work will change from complicated to simple, because naturally it will automatically start its wonderful cycle.
In the second year, the superstar of the farm appeared! A pregnant sow was bought into the farm by John and Jasmine and renamed Emma. As soon as Emma arrived at the farm, she began to churn over the land and overturned water basins. She was so overbearing that she lay in the dirty puddles with contentment. She found a real home. It's time to give birth, Emma gave birth to one, two...nine, ten, eleven..., and the heroic mother Emma actually gave birth to 17 pig babies! Two years have passed, and nearly 200 species of animals and plants have been raised on this farm, and the farm has entered the regeneration stage. All kinds of creatures have their own place, and all of them are peaceful for a time.
But peace is not permanent. Emma got mastitis after giving birth and had a high fever. John did everything possible to treat it, and Emma, who was lying motionless, made everyone frown. Just when everyone was desperate, Emma miraculously stood up and began to eat and breastfeed. There is really nothing better than witnessing such a miracle of life.
In the third year, the orchard began to bear fruit. At this time, there was news that Alan was suffering from cancer, and the farm could no longer rely on Alan. But a new problem emerged. A large number of birds began to peck at the fruit, and 70% of the fruit in the orchard was spoiled. The symbiotic snails in the orchard began to reproduce in large numbers, eating the leaves of berry plants and orange trees. It seems that every time there is progress on the farm, the next wave of problems will follow. Just when Alan’s help was most urgently needed, he passed away. To make matters worse, the farm was hit by drought that year. Due to the lack of fresh rainwater, the ecological environment of the pond was destroyed by the feces of ducks, and a lot of toxic algae were born. What should I do with all this?
John noticed Todd. He felt that Todd had been observing the changes in details on the farm. John began to learn to sit down and observe. Finally he noticed a detail and found a win-win solution. He put the ducks in the orchard, and the over-bred snails became delicious food for the ducks. Ducks don’t have to flood the pond frequently looking for food, and the snail disaster in the orchard has been resolved. Not only that, but the snail residue has become a fertilizer that nourishes the soil. From this, John learned to stop and observe when he encounters a problem, and this is what Todd taught him. At this time, the drought, which has not been seen in a hundred years, has passed, and the sky is raining heavily. Other farms have lost a lot of soil and water, and the rich vegetation on John and Jasmine’s farm absorbs rainwater like sponges. After a heavy rain, Xingzixiang Farm was able to store nearly 100 million gallons of water.
Allen once said that the harmony between nature cannot be demanded, it is more like the subtle and slow dance steps. On the farm, Grisch the rooster, who has suffered from being ostracized by the chickens, was put in Emma's piggery, just to accompany Emma, who was in an empty nest because the baby pig was sent out of the farm when he grew up. The harmonious coexistence of a rooster and a sow is just like a graceful dance under a beautiful movement. On the other hand, when John was saddened by the passing of the ewe, the orphan lamb explored timidly among the flock and was able to drink the milk of other ewes. Also, the prairie wolf not only hurts the chickens and ducks, but also makes John and the others a headache. But they also have the beneficial side of helping the farm get rid of gophers. John used the hunting dog to protect the chickens, but the hunting dog Kaya killed the sow Emma's boyfriend Grisch the rooster. The mysterious workings of nature are still inaccessible to people. The sadness and surprises in the life cycle are often overwhelming.
By the seventh year of the farm's operation, everything was in accordance with Allen's prediction. The nature of the farm began to open the web of life, and the biological diversity realized self-regulation, circulation and balance. John and Jasmine no longer need to work too hard. Owls came to catch the fruit-pecking birds, and the prairie wolves came to prey on gophers. The flocks of chickens and ducks are guarded by hunting dogs that do not take chickens and ducks as enemies. The farm has achieved a bumper harvest. Emma stopped giving birth and began to take care of her life. But Todd was old and passed away.
At this time, the children of John and Jasmine were born, wiped away the tears of losing Todd, and new hope was born again in the ebb and flow of life. We cannot understand the growth of plants, the demise of animals, and the mysteries of life. We can't see the vastness of the galaxy, we can't count the cycles of time, and we can't understand the complexity of things. Therefore, we need to stop, take a step back, observe and comprehend. Therefore, we need to respect the laws of nature and allow diverse lives to realize their lives and values in balance and harmony.
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