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501(c)(3) · Hawaiʻi · Est. 2019

We teach people to grow using what nature already provides.

The Pure KNF Foundation is a small nonprofit with a big belief: that Korean Natural Farming — a practice where farmers make their own biological solutions from local materials — can feed the world without chemical dependency. We run education programs, support research, and build community around this work.

Our Roots

Korean Natural Farming was developed by Master Cho Han-Kyu over more than sixty years of research and practice in South Korea. His approach is simple but radical: farmers can make their own biological inputs — from indigenous microorganisms, plant extracts, and fermented solutions — using materials found in their own environment. No factory, no supply chain, no dependency.

Master Cho's work spread across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, reaching millions of farmers. But English-language resources remained scarce and scattered. In Hawaiʻi, a small group of practitioners who had studied directly with Master Cho began teaching his methods through community workshops and weekly office hours.

The Pure KNF Foundation was established in 2019 to preserve this knowledge and make it accessible to anyone who wants to learn. What started as informal gatherings at the Komohana Research & Extension Center in Hilo has grown into a structured education, research, and certification program serving practitioners worldwide.

We carry forward Master Cho's vision: that farming should be simple, self-reliant, and in harmony with life.

Who we are

Drake Weinert
President
Founder. Based in Papaikou, Hawaiʻi. Tech infrastructure, drone program, Growbot & Tech.
Jennifer Weinert
Treasurer & Grant Liaison
Financial oversight, grant compliance, HCE registration.
Erik Degunther
Research Chair
Published author (UH CTAHR). Leads the Research Committee and field study design.
Full board & committees →
Founded
2019
Status
501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Based in
Papaikou, Hawaiʻi
Members
Open to all growers
Annual budget
~$43,500 (2026)

This work happens because people believe in it.

Every program is volunteer-run and member-funded. Join the Foundation and help us get KNF knowledge into more hands.