All are invited to come celebrate the summer harvest at the Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden Open House from noon to 2 p.m., August 11. The afternoon will include a vegetable tasting and refreshments, a guided garden tour and A New Agricultural Paradigm to Feed Future Generations, a lecture by Dr. Diana Jerkins of Legacy Farm, in Gordonsville, Virginia.

The Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden at the Rodale Institute showcases a small homestead on about an acre of land cultivated following the principles of natural agriculture, as developed by Mokichi Okada, a Japanese spiritual leader and farming pioneer. Natural agriculture is an approach to agriculture in which the natural capacity and wisdom of nature are respected. The natural agriculture method emphasizes the integrity of nature and the purity of soil and seeds. It encourages the minimum intervention with the growing process and does not use any fertilizers or additives, including manure. This garden has the potential to support a family of four with food during most of the year and features energy-efficient components such as a solar geodesic dome greenhouse and a green roof building.

The Shumei Natural Agriculture Garden is located at 611 Siegfriedale Rd., in Kutztown. For more information, call 610-683-1400 or visit RodaleInstitute.org.