Using only top ingredients
Okamoto Farm makes unique vegetable. Their ”sweet corn” and ”tomato berry” are of the highest quality, and they only use ingredients that are good for your body. Their vegetables have been written up in Women’s magazines and sold at Select Shop in Ginza. They are expanding their sale to the Kanto and Kansai regions. Takahiro Sakaki, Managing Director commented, ”When I think about the expansion for Okamoto Farm, I place importance on expanding the brand name one step at a time by differentiating the product.” Since Heisei 23, they started producing processed foods. Corn Soup made from their sweet corn is a flagship product and is very popular.
Handmade with care, creamy thick corn soup
When we asked about the difference between the vegetables and processed foods, he replied, ”We are a farm, so vegetables are the main product. However when we started making processed foods, we realized that processed foods are easier to spread widely, so if we can establish a great reputation based on our processed food items, we are able to increase sales for our fresh produce as well.” The famous corn soup uses high quality sweet corn as the main ingredient, and each batch is handmade. Nakata takes a sip and shared his praise commenting, ”it is rich and delicious.” It is such a luxury to eat something freshly made by hand.
Field of colorful Tomato Berries
Another item produced on the farm is the Tomato Berry, which won 3rd place in a competition in Germany. It is a Japanese species that can be enjoyed like a fruit with a bright color and small size. They have a box with only selected delicious Tomato Berries, perfect for gifting. Sakaki comments that ”They are very nutritious. I consider them the lord of tomatoes.” The brand is popular at restaurants, used as a topping on pizza for example. As for techniques in cultivation, ”You create somewhat of a strict environment, and they become sweeter. We try to use very little pesticides and chemical fertilizers, to create products that can coexist with nature. When considering the future of agriculture, ”There will be a time when food items and eating ’shoku’ becomes important. We want to continue to think about what we can do toward sustainability and being environmentally conscious.”
