Contour hedgerow systems using nitrogen-fixi ng trees have been widely viewed and promoted as important components of soil c onservation in Southeast Asia to minimize erosion, restore soil fertility, and improve crop productivity. Although positive results have been observed and reported in a number of experimental and demonstration sites, farmer adoption is poor. This low adoption is associated with constraints of high labor requirements in establishing and managing hedge rows. However, the concept of contour hedgerows was a popular idea. We saw that so me farmers experimented with the concept by placing crop residues in lines on the contour to form “trash bunds”. These rapidly revegetated with native grasses and weeds and soon formed stable hedgerows with natural front-facing terraces. Other farmers tr ied laying out contour lines but didn’t plant anything in them. These lines evolved into natural vegetative strips (NVS), which we later observed were superb in soil erosion control and reduced maintenance labor to a minimum. We examined each component of the process of establishing and maintaining low –labor hedgerow practices. The establis hment of natural vegetative strips (NVS) requires only a fraction of the needed labor compared to the conventional contour hedgerow of tree legumes. The only labor re quired is the laying out of contour lines (about 2 person-days per hectare). A loca lly-led Landcare Association evolved to develop and share more effective ways of achieving a sustainable agriculture in the vicinity where the NVS practice was spr eading. Landcare took responsibility for technology dissemination. The approach developed into a dynamic movement that now has 56 self-governing chapters, over 2000 me mbers, and a municipal federation in Claveria. Currently over 600 farmers have in stalled NVS on their farms. It is quite uncommon for an effective soil conservation st ructure to be adopted by large number of farmers without public subsidies. Thus, we took note that perhaps we are witnessing the kind of low-labor, zero-cash-cost alternative th at might have widespread applicability in other parts of the tropics where farming systems are similar.