Recently, with the gradual easing of the epidemic, life has gradually returned to normal, and everyone can go out for a walk, go shopping, and eat again. Except that they dare not take off their masks easily, everything seems to have returned to the original appearance.
After living in the city for a long time, I have to say, there will be an urge to escape the noise and enter the rural life.
Of course, many people, just thinking about it, do not dare to act lightly.
But for the documentary I want to introduce today, they not only thought about it, but also worked hard to realize this dream——
01. When the dream starts
John (the director and protagonist of this documentary) is a renowned photographer photographing wildlife around the world; and his wife Molly is a private chef and food blogger specializing in traditional cooking methods to extract nutrients from food.
They have decent jobs, live in a small apartment in New York, and in their spare time, they go to the farmers market to buy some natural ingredients and grow vegetable gardens on their balconies.
But then they escape the comforts and conveniences of city life, and it all begins with a dog, Todd.
When John met it, it was a stray dog that was about to be euthanized, but the dog's eyes were so attracted to John, the two adopted it and promised it would be its last home.
However, the good times did not last long. Because he had not been well taken care of before, Todd was very clingy. As long as there was no one at home, it began to bark more and more. John and Molly tried all kinds of comfort and training to no avail.
John and Molly were eventually given an eviction order by their landlord.
When the two were in a dilemma, Molly came up with a bold idea. They could build a natural farm that would not only realize their pastoral dream, but also give Todd a free-running grassland.
And what Molly wants is a farm like a fairy tale book, with all kinds of fruit trees, all kinds of flowers, all kinds of small animals, etc. The whole ecology is harmonious and beautiful.
After John heard it, he was also moved. The two hit it off and immediately sold their business plan to relatives and friends, but they were greeted with ridicule.
Fortunately, although this bold idea was ridiculed by the group, after being spread by relatives and friends, they actually found investors who were willing to realize their dreams.
They're about to own a 1,200-acre farm --
02. Trouble comes one after the other
It would be a bit naive to think that they would live a happy farm life from now on, raising flowers, planting trees, and entertaining cats and dogs.
After all, there is no free lunch!
First of all, a farm of 1,200 mu is about the size of 120 football fields, which means that if you want to go from the east to the west, it is estimated that you have to drive in a car.
Then, due to the previous overdevelopment of this farm, the entire soil became dry and barren, and even iron rods could not shovel.
All you can see here is industrial waste that has been placed for a long time, and even the water pipes for watering can basically be scrapped.
For the husband and wife of little agricultural white John and Molly, it was like a dream that had already hit the rocks when they set sail.
But they didn't give up, and through the Internet, they actually invited a world-renowned traditional agricultural expert, Allen? York.
He agreed with Molly's idea that he wanted this land to be resurrected, and there was only one key word: diversity.
However, as soon as he took office, he ordered people to chop down trees, burn land, and spend huge sums of money to build a large building dedicated to collecting insect excrement. In just 6 months, the budget for a whole year was spent.
It's like a big fool who doesn't know where to come out, and keeps drawing big cakes for you:
With this kind of farming, one day, it will be like surfing
Time will tell everything.
Allen's seemingly crazy action is going on. After a year of upside-down, the yellow-brown wasteland full of gravel can really grow fruit trees and flowers, and small animals are also living in the farm one after another.
The vegetation is lush and vigorous.
I thought I could rely on this mentor to continue the active operation of the farm. However, Allen really fooled them once. As early as he promised to help, he was actually suffering from terminal cancer.
Without a mentor, they seem to be exploring in the dark, and on a harmonious and beautiful farm, troubles quietly follow—
Excessive duck droppings lead to eutrophication of ponds;
Fruit trees are often eaten by wild birds and cannot be sold on consignment;
The snails were almost a disaster, and even the sheep's heads were covered with snails;
Coyotes sneaked in, killed chickens and ducks, and lost dozens or even hundreds of them;
Uninvited gophers gnawed a lot of tree roots;
With more and more animal feces, a large number of maggots are also constantly breeding
...
But if couples were asked to treat snail infestations with pesticides and hunt coyotes, they refused.
They are the same as the mentor Allen thinks——
"All the complexity and variety in this farm will eventually support and reinforce each other, reducing complexity into an ecological web."
They decided to give nature a little more time to slowly digest these issues.
03. The cycle of life
When you see the back, you will really be amazed. The so-called ecological balance has the meaning of the existence of every creature.
They raised chickens near the cowshed, and the excess maggots and mosquitoes were also eliminated to a reasonable control range;
The ducks were driven to the pond, which solved the problem of eutrophication in the pond, and the snails that were almost flooded could just be a delicious meal for the ducks;
annoying aphids on vegetable plants, eaten up by their predator ladybugs;
They tried to build a birdhouse on the roof, and it turned out that they were attracted to the owl, the natural enemy of the gopher, and the coyote also diverted the target to catch the gopher;
Train dogs to fight coyotes when they arrive, and become bodyguards for the flock;
It is because of their perseverance, year after year of groping and trying, that they finally learned to solve problems in a natural way. The food chain is the key to governing the farm.
Poultry and wild animals are not natural enemies, and those who hurt themselves are regarded as enemies, and they will probably hurt themselves as well.
Natural creatures are inherently balanced against each other. Just give them a little time to find their own balance.
04. Write the last
This film was made after ten years of shooting. It not only recorded the whole process of turning the wasteland into an oasis, but also felt the light of life.
A sow named Emma fell ill after giving birth to 17 piglets in one go. For several days without a drop of water, John thought she was going to die, and sent the little piglet back to her as a final farewell.
But at this moment, a miracle happened. Emma, surrounded by piglets, actually stood up slowly and walked to the dining trough to eat.
A newborn lamb lost its mother and thought it could only fend for itself or artificially feed it, but found that it was accepted by another sheep mother and was willing to feed it with her own milk and take care of its growth.
There is no shortage of warm stories on the farm, and the flora and fauna here welcome more "guests", owls, eagles, cranes...
In "The Biggest Little Farm", John and Molly not only maintain a farm, but also rebuild the balance of life, a perfect closed loop of ecology, and a home where man and nature coexist in harmony.
After reading it, I often feel that as a human being, the greatest help to nature is: to disturb less. The farm has become so beautiful, not only because of the persistence and dedication of John and the volunteers, but also because they let nature call the shots and let the ecology restore its balance.
Nature will give or hurt, depending on whether we are equally kind
In John's words, "Our kindness to nature will not save us from its impermanence, but its inexhaustible drive and hope will breed great luck."
Today's topic: How do you get along with nature?
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