The first bite is rich and creamy; the second is smooth and refreshing. “Milkoro Aging Yogurt,” a two-layer bottled yogurt, is a popular product that has won numerous awards, including the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award. Yusuke Oyabu, the mastermind behind the product and a dairy farmer himself, is creating a place where cows’ lives shine through “product development that wins consumers’ hearts.”

Hearing my father express his vulnerabilities for the first time, I decided to take on the family business.

Koshishi, a bedroom community of Kumamoto City, continues to see population growth. “Ooyabu Dairy Farm” is located in one corner of the city.

Founded in 1975, the farm began by raising Holsteins—a breed that accounts for more than 90 percent of Japan’s dairy cattle—and milking and shipping the milk. Yusuke Ooyabu, the current president, took over the family business and began farming in 2001. However, it wasn’t simply a matter of being forced into the family business; rather, he was inspired to become a farmer after meeting a dairy farming couple who traveled abroad every year for training in the United States. He was deeply moved by their way of life—one in which they used “dairy farming” to enrich and shape their own lives—and this encounter became the catalyst for his decision to enter the industry. He had long harbored doubts about the traditional dairy industry structure, but upon witnessing firsthand a standardized industrial system that no individual could possibly change—even if he were to rise to a high position within the industry—he gradually lost motivation and spent his days in a state of frustration.

What dealt the final blow to Mr. Oyabu’s morale was the nationwide production adjustment of raw milk. Production adjustment is a government policy implemented—for example, when dairy product inventories become excessive—that requires producers to curb raw milk production. It takes two years from the time a calf is born until it can be milked. Once the number of dairy farms or the herd size is reduced, it becomes difficult to restore production levels in the short term. For this reason, rather than limiting herd size, inventory levels are adjusted by requiring producers to discard raw milk.

The emotional state of producers who work tirelessly to raise their cows, only to be ordered to discard large quantities of the raw milk they have finally managed to produce, is not something others can easily put into words. Moreover, production adjustments are repeated multiple times depending on inventory levels, and each time, producers bear not only a psychological burden but also the heavy financial burden of declining profits.

In fact, in 2006, a massive surplus of raw milk occurred, and in Hokkaido alone, the equivalent of 900,000 cartons—approximately 900 metric tons—of raw milk was discarded.

That said, cows must be milked every single day; otherwise, they develop mastitis and, in the worst cases, die. It is precisely because of their sense of responsibility and love for these animals that farmers continue to care for them and milk them daily, even when they know the milk will be discarded.

Furthermore, it takes about three years from a calf’s birth until it can be milked for the first time. If we were to limit herd sizes now—for example, by culling cows—simply because there is a surplus of milk, there is a risk that supply would fall short in a few years if a nationwide heatwave were to cause milk production to drop across the country.

Furthermore, dairy farming is a “capital-intensive industry” requiring initial investments ranging from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of yen—covering barn construction, milking robots, tractors, and the dozens of cows themselves. Much of this is financed through long-term loans, so simply saying, “It’s too hard—I’m quitting tomorrow,” is rarely an option.

Overwhelmed by despair, Ms. Oyabu heard Masakatsu voice his frustrations for the very first time. It was a moment when her father’s figure seemed small to her. And she realized that, without even noticing, she had been averting her eyes from the harsh realities of dairy farming.

Ms. Oyabu decided to confront the family business head-on. There was no future in continuing with the same methods. In a dairy farming system where milk is simply shipped to the agricultural cooperative, they have no control over either the price or the volume of their shipments. If they remained trapped in a system where their efforts went unrewarded, it would be difficult to support their family or pass the farm on to the next generation. Feeling a strong sense of crisis about the farm’s current situation, Mr. Oyabu decided to make a major shift—moving away from a dairy farming model focused solely on shipping milk to one where they would create value on their own.

Original Yogurt That Only Dairy Farmers Can Make

What, exactly, could they do? How could they ensure that the lives of the cows born at “Ooyabu Daily Farm” were not wasted, but instead allowed to shine? As he searched for an answer, Mr. Ooyabu arrived at the idea of creating highly original dairy products under the farm’s own brand. Around that time, the farm had also begun raising Jersey cows, which have higher nutritional value than Holsteins and whose raw milk is relatively rare. Mr. Ooyabu learned yogurt production techniques from experienced dairy farmers and bacterial testing methods from a technical support agency in Kumamoto Prefecture. In 2012, he built a small, 2.5-meter-square processing facility on the farm grounds and began producing yogurt using raw milk from his own herd. This is how “Milkoro Aging Yogurt” was born.

“Milkoro Aging Yogurt” has only two ingredients: raw milk from our own Jersey cows and beet sugar. Generally, raw milk undergoes a process called homogenization to uniform the milk fat and stabilize quality, but at “Ooyabu Dairy Farm,” we do not homogenize the milk; instead, we use it as is. As a result, the fat separates and rises to the surface as a layer of cream. Because Jersey cow’s milk is high in fat, the cream layer becomes thick, resulting in a two-layered yogurt—one layer of cream and one layer of yogurt. Believing that this uniqueness adds to the product’s value, they chose raw milk from Jersey cows rather than Holsteins. The two layers have distinct flavors: the cream layer is rich and velvety, like a rare cheesecake, while the yogurt layer offers a smooth, refreshing taste. It possesses such complex aromas and umami that it’s hard to believe it’s made with just two ingredients. Furthermore, the cream layer acts as a lid, allowing fermentation to continue daily within the yogurt layer, where lactic acid bacteria multiply and the flavor evolves over time. That is why we call it “Aging.”

But these aren’t the only features of “Milkoro Aging Yogurt.” Jersey cows are raised on a diet primarily consisting of flaxseed—which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, an essential component for various bodily functions—and their raw milk naturally contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, through repeated selective breeding on the farm, the Jersey cows at “Ooyabu Dairy Farm” have been bred to produce beta-casein A2 milk. Beta-casein A2 milk is said to have a structure similar to that of human breast milk; it is easily absorbed and less likely to cause inflammation in the digestive tract, so it is said to be less likely to cause stomach rumbling when consumed.

“Ooyabu Dairy Farm’s” product development capabilities, which leverage the unique characteristics of its milk, have been recognized nationwide, earning the farm numerous awards, including the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award at the 2019 Sixth Industry Awards. The farm has significantly expanded its sales channels, with its yogurt now served at breakfast on JR Kyushu’s luxury train “Seven Stars in Kyushu” and at some of Japan’s leading luxury hotels.

I don’t want to turn a blind eye to the fact that there are lives whose births are not celebrated.

It goes without saying that cows have genders. Female dairy cows produce milk, while males do not. Therefore, males are raised for beef. However, male Jersey calves are often culled shortly after birth because they are smaller in stature and grow more slowly than Holsteins, resulting in lower profitability.

The probability of a male calf being born is about 50%. Mr. Oyabu had long been troubled by the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to feel truly happy from the bottom of his heart when he learned that a calf born on his farm was a male. He didn’t want to turn a blind eye to the reality that there are lives whose births are not celebrated simply because of human convenience. Since they had been born anyway, he wanted to create a place where the lives of male calves could shine. Driven by this desire, he began an initiative to raise male calves until they were one year old—just barely within the break-even point—and then process them into meat. By incorporating this meat into the menu at “MILK’ORO LAB.”—a new café opened on the ranch grounds—he has created a system that carries the baton of life forward.

It was discovered that by raising male calves on a diet primarily consisting of flaxseed—which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, just like the female calves—the meat contains “ALA (alpha-linolenic acid),” a type of unsaturated fatty acid that aids in anti-aging. Furthermore, the meat is tender and has excellent flavor. If it is not only functional but also delicious, that becomes a reason for consumers to choose it. These efforts have attracted attention even outside the industry, and in June 2025, the farm won second place at the “Japan’s Treasure Legend Grand Prix,” an event held at the Osaka Expo venue to honor outstanding regional foods.

“Developing Products That Stand Out” Will Be the Key to the Future of Dairy Farming

At “Ooyabu Daily Farm,” we actively conduct food education activities centered around “MILK’ORO LAB.” We offer hands-on experiences—such as milking and dairy processing—that allow participants to feel the warmth of life and understand the cycle of food, welcoming approximately 2,000 visitors annually, primarily local children.
Through dairy farming experiences, we hope visitors will feel the warmth of life, and through manufacturing experiences, we hope they will realize that we all depend on others for our survival. However, even if such complex concepts don’t immediately sink in, Mr. Ooyabu believes that simply stepping onto the farm and seeing the cows with their own eyes will allow visitors to feel something meaningful. He also believes that, so that children who develop an interest in cows and the farm will see dairy farming as a promising career, it is crucial for “Ooyabu Dairy Farm” to first establish a sustainable business model. To that end, “developing products that consumers choose” will be the key to the future of dairy farming. As he spoke passionately about his future vision, his eyes were filled with the determination and strength needed to carry the reality of life on the farm into the future.

The post “My mission is to create a place where the lives of cows shine.” Yusuke Oyabu of “Oyabu Dairy Farm” / Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Cows stroll leisurely across a small hill where the reddish-brown soil lies bare. Their lean, muscular builds, which exude a sense of wildness, are the result of being raised entirely on free-range pastures in the mountains. The ranch owner, Nozomi Yano, is a former engineer. After leaving her corporate job, she spent 10 years developing a plot of land roughly three times the size of Tokyo Dome, where she now raises 30 Jersey cows.

She entered the mountains penniless, cleared the land, and started a dairy farm

Tamana City, located in northern Kumamoto Prefecture, is blessed with abundant natural beauty—including the Ariake Sea, Mount Kodai, and the Kikuchi River—and enjoys a mild climate. It is an agricultural town where rice, vegetables, and fruit cultivation thrive. It was around the year 2000 that Yano took her first steps in this region.

Originally from Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Mr. Yano had been working as a plant engineer designing equipment for a local steel mill, but he suddenly felt a sense of unease about continuing his life as a company employee. Having suffered from allergies since childhood, he began to fundamentally reevaluate his lifestyle and diet. During this process, he met a farmer practicing natural farming methods that use neither pesticides nor fertilizers, and his interest in food and agriculture deepened.In his late 20s, he left his corporate job and decided to settle in the mountains where his current ranch is located, aiming for self-sufficiency and sustainable agriculture.

“Settling” refers to entering uncharted territory and starting a new life there. Mr. Yano came across the site of a former ranch, now overgrown with mixed woodland at an elevation of about 200 meters, and was convinced that here he could pursue a form of mountain dairy farming unique to Japan. In 2000, he decided to move there penniless, bringing with him one cow, one pig, and one dog.He built a small hut in a corner of the land, cut down and thinned out the trees, cultivated the barren soil, and established Tamana Farm.

It wasn’t until seven years later, in 2007, that Mr. Yano was able to begin dairy farming in earnest. While selling milk, he also started processing and selling cheese to break even, gradually building the kind of ranch he envisioned. The ranch is named Tamana Ranch, after the local area. It took a full decade to expand the ranch to its current size, all while making a living by selling rice, vegetables, and eggs raised using natural farming methods.

A farm where vigorous, nature-oriented farming thrives

Thirty dairy cows live on the vast 15-hectare property. The cows are of the Jersey breed. Compared to the Holstein breed, which accounts for over 90% of the domestic herd, Jerseys are about 200 kg lighter and produce less milk. However, this makes them less prone to knee and hoof injuries caused by their own weight, making them well-suited for grazing on hilly terrain.

Beyond their suitability for this environment, we chose Jersey cows because the milk they produce is exceptionally rich in fat and protein, giving it a rich, creamy texture—a key factor in setting our milk apart in terms of taste.

Incidentally, Tamana Farm does not feed the grain or mixed feed typically used in conventional dairy farming. When the cows are hungry, they eat the grass that grows naturally in the mountains; when they are full, they take walks or doze off.

While most farms have barns to house and manage their cattle, Tamana Farm has no barns; the cows spend the entire year roaming freely on the mountain pastures. Naturally, they defecate and urinate in the mountains, but the manure from cows that eat only grass looks just like a clump of soil. It’s not watery, and it doesn’t have that pungent, nose-stinging odor.Mr. Yano picked up a piece, and it looked fluffy to the eye; it crumbled between his fingers and blended right into the mountain soil. Watching this, it’s easy to imagine how it returns to nature without human intervention and circulates within this land. There are only about 20 dairy farms nationwide that practice free-range grazing like Tamana Farm.

The cows at Tamana Farm have visible spines and faintly visible ribs. If you imagine the Holsteins kept in barns, they might seem thin, but Mr. Yano says this is a state closer to the wild.Since they do not feed the cows high-protein, high-calorie feed to accelerate growth and maximize milk production, the cows remain slim, and their milk yield is less than half that of typical Jersey cows. Yet, this is precisely why they are healthy. Because they eat a diet that does not strain their bodies, get moderate exercise, sleep well, and live stress-free lives, they do not become obese and are less prone to illness. The cows breed naturally in the mountains, and calving occurs without human assistance—the cows give birth on their own.

Tamana Farm is alive with a vigorous rhythm that follows the laws of nature. Mr. Yano believes that this cycle represents the ideal form of dairy farming, and that mountain dairy farming is the best choice for producing the finest milk.

Tamana Farm’s Dairy Products Reflecting the Seasons and Local Climate

The milk from cows raised in this environment is characterized by a creamy color with a faint yellowish tint. While the average milk fat content of commercially available milk is around 3% for Holsteins and 4% for Jerseys, Tamana Farm’s milk reaches 5%. This high milk fat content creates a rich, full-bodied flavor, yet the aftertaste is surprisingly refreshing.Another distinctive feature of Tamana Farm’s milk is that its flavor subtly changes with the seasons, influenced by temperature and the condition of the pasture grass. While high-temperature pasteurization—heating milk to 120–130°C for 3 seconds—is the standard in Japan, Tamana Farm uses low-temperature pasteurization at 65°C for 30 minutes, resulting in minimal protein denaturation. This preserves the raw milk’s natural, clean flavor and the seasonal nuances, giving it a smooth, light mouthfeel.There is no heaviness from proteins or fat clinging to the tongue; instead, it leaves a lingering aftertaste that fades away cleanly.

Made from this milk, Tamana Farm’s signature product—the original chèvre-style cheese “Lumière”—first surprises you with its aroma. A refreshing, faintly sweet scent reminiscent of fresh grass gently wafts up. When you take a bite, a rich depth and umami slowly spread across your tongue, yet you also sense a crisp freshness like mountain air. As it ages, the flavor gains depth, and the way it melts smoothly is another highlight of Lumière.Developed by Mr. Yano after searching for a production method that perfectly suited the quality of the milk he produces himself, this cheese encapsulates the natural environment where the cows live and the changing seasons. It is a masterpiece that won the Grand Prize at the Kumamoto Food Science Research Association Awards in 2011.

Passing on sustainable dairy farming that supports a livelihood to the next generation

Tamana Farm’s dairy products—including milk, cheese, and butter—are sold directly to the public and enjoy strong support from chefs, pastry chefs, and natural food stores both within and outside the prefecture. However, Mr. Yano’s goal is not to increase production beyond current levels, but to maintain quality.

The ranch, developed on a mountaintop, has many slopes, and grass struggles to grow in shaded areas. Furthermore, due to the frequent torrential rains in recent years, soil erosion has become a reality, making it increasingly difficult to secure enough grass within the ranch itself. While they currently make up for the shortfall by growing grass on separate fields, securing sufficient land for the ranch remains an immediate challenge.

Mr. Yano also feels a sense of responsibility toward the next generation of dairy farmers. While there is a constant stream of visitors coming to observe and train with the aim of adopting farming methods like those at Tamana Farm, it is not uncommon for them to face obstacles related to funding and land.Mr. Yano believes that agriculture is only sustainable when it not only produces food but also provides a livelihood. To achieve this, he believes it is important not only to pass on know-how to the younger generation but also to create an environment where they can take on new challenges with confidence. He also notes that to address these issues, consumers need to change their criteria and mindset when choosing food.

To this end, Tamana Farm actively conducts farm tours and events aimed at both consumers and producers to encourage them to think about food and its production environment. Perhaps as a result of these efforts, consumers, producers, chefs, and even local governments who resonate with Mr. Yano’s vision have begun voluntarily promoting the appeal of Tamana Farm’s products and the excellence of its initiatives.In this way, the seeds sown by Mr. Yano are gradually bearing fruit, and the circle of his activities is expanding—deepening understanding of the potential and value of mountain dairy farming in Japan, where approximately 70% of the land area consists of mountains and plateaus.

The name of the cheese into which Mr. Yano has poured his heart and soul is “Lumière.” Just like this cheese, whose name means “light” in French, the small light born from life in the mountains has now reached maturity and is beginning to illuminate the next generation.

The post Mountain Pastoral Farming: A Vision for the Future of Dairy Farming. Nozomi Yano of “Tamana Farm” / Tamana City, Kumamoto Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Pig Yume Farm Co., Ltd. has consecutively won the Champion Award at the Miyagino Pork Carcass Competition, where experts evaluate the meat quality of Miyagi Prefecture’s brand pork, “Miyagino Pork.”Located in a quiet town in northeastern Miyagi Prefecture known for its thriving agriculture, the company operates its pig farm on a vast 16,500 square meter site. Their “Miyagino Pork Minori” is highly regarded for its tender, juicy meat and sweet fat. What is the secret behind its deliciousness?

Miyagino Pork Minori: Miyagi Prefecture’s Premium Original Brand Pork

“Miyagino Pork” is a branded pork developed in Miyagi Prefecture. It is bred by cross-breeding the Shimofuri Red boar, resulting in a finely textured meat, a soft and rich flavor, sweet fat, and a refreshing taste. Among these, pigs fed rice during the finishing stage before shipment are called “Miyagino Pork Minori”.Its fat has no cloying richness, so when enjoyed as shabu-shabu, it produces no scum and leaves a refreshing aftertaste, making it highly popular.

Producing pork suited to Japanese culinary culture by feeding domestically grown rice

According to President Sasaki, the proportion of feed rice varies by farm. At Pig Yume Farm, they mix a fixed percentage of domestic rice into the compound feed from the Zen-Noh Group. This increases oleic acid, enhancing flavor and texture while improving the quality of the fat. The result is melt-in-your-mouth, smooth texture.Overfeeding leads to excessive fat and an overly plump finish, making the feed ratio crucial for flavor. He explained that using domestic rice stems from a desire to produce pork suited to Japan’s unique food culture.

They also pay meticulous attention to the feed mixture. Sasaki states, “Breed is important, of course, but feed is equally crucial.” He recalls a time when they altered the feed ratio and consumers pointed out a decline in flavor. After much trial and error, they settled on the current feed. Based on data like protein content, they have a custom feed made for their farm, primarily composed of corn and soybean meal.

Raising pigs healthily in a stress-free environment

Farm manager Yamato Ishikawa, who has been involved in pig farming for 15 years, says, “Raising pigs is still very challenging,” while highlighting disease prevention as his top priority. If the herd contracts swine fever, culling the entire flock becomes unavoidable. Therefore, strict hygiene management is essential. Particular attention is paid to minimizing stress for the pigs.Since interaction with humans causes stress for pigs, staff avoid entering the pig pens except for farrowing or nursing. Furthermore, they pay close attention to the space allocated per pig. Too little space causes stress, while too much space can lead to uneven growth and increase accident rates. Therefore, accurately judging the space needed according to the pig’s growth stage is crucial.

Raising piglets properly is essential for producing quality meat pigs

Many pig farms use veterinary drugs like antibiotics, synthetic antimicrobials, and dewormers for disease treatment and prevention. However, at “Pig Dream Farm,” they raise pigs without using such drugs as a basic principle, so they maintain strict hygiene management in the pig barns.To raise disease-resistant pigs without relying on drugs, it’s necessary to boost their immunity from the piglet stage. This involves ensuring piglets consume sufficient colostrum from their mothers and limiting drug use for illnesses, relying solely on vaccinations.

Consistent management since founding achieves top-level pig farming in the prefecture

Did you know that pigs also have a grading system, similar to the A5 ranking for beef?The Japan Meat Grading Association assigns five grades—”Superior,” “High,” “Medium,” “Standard,” and “Below Standard”—based on quantified criteria like fat thickness, meat firmness, and grain fineness. While beef grading combines “yield grades (A, B, C)” and “meat quality grades (5 to 1)” into a 15-tier system, pork grading is simpler.

While top-grade meat is extremely rare, Sasaki explains, “We aim for pork that is delicious and accessible to the average person, not just a luxury item for a select few.” At Pig Dream Farm, grades of Superior (including Top) and Medium account for over 90% of their output. Though this grading isn’t directly visible to consumers, it serves as a crucial benchmark for measuring quality within the distribution chain.

Thorough Management to Deliver Delicious and Safe Food

Maintaining this high grading requires careful judgment on shipping timing. While the average rearing period is 180 days, some pigs ship as early as 160 days, based on thorough observation of weight and body condition. While many farms rely on visual weight estimation (“meikan”), Pig Dream Farm measures each pig daily before shipping, factoring in yield.

This management approach results in grading performance and shipment volume that rank among the top in the prefecture. At the annual Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Festival (Miyagi Prefecture Comprehensive Livestock Exhibition: hosted by the Miyagi Prefecture Livestock Association), the farm has won numerous “Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Awards” for nearly 20 years (excluding periods when the event was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic).The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Festival is a celebration aimed at deepening public understanding of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food, while also boosting producer motivation. Originating from Japan’s traditional harvest festival, the Niinamesai, the farm is invited to participate each autumn by the Chief Priest of Meiji Shrine.

Generating Profit Through High-Quality Pig Farming

The current annual shipment target is set between 8,500 and 9,000 pigs. Much of the corn, soybeans, and wheat used in feed relies on imports. Although feed prices have surged due to the weak yen, passing on these costs is difficult.

Shipments decrease in summer due to reduced pig appetite, while winter shipments increase due to the breeding cycle. Increasing summer shipments is expected to boost sales. Therefore, Pig Dream Farm implements countermeasures against summer heat, such as cooling pads that use evaporative cooling to lower air temperature and lime application to reduce roof surface temperatures.

While currently distributing to supermarkets in Miyagi Prefecture through the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, they are also considering sales in Tokyo. Following a highly successful event at the Tokyo Meat Market, they reportedly received requests from wholesalers asking, “We want to carry your products too.”

Production Challenges: Animal Welfare and Aging Facilities

We asked about future challenges. Mr. Sasaki stated, “Animal welfare standards are becoming stricter, particularly in Europe, and methods like free-stall housing are increasingly demanded in Japan too. However, ‘stall housing,’ where sows are kept individually in pens, also has benefits, preventing fights between pigs and the crushing of piglets.” He added that they will continue to closely monitor the government’s animal husbandry management guidelines.

Animal welfare refers to the concept of ensuring livestock are physically and mentally healthy while minimizing stress and suffering, also translated as “livestock management considering animal comfort.”

He also notes that “disease prevention and facilities present challenges.” Over 20 years have passed since the company’s founding. While they continue to use not only the pig barns but also manure processing facilities and machinery, performing repairs as needed, defects due to aging are unavoidable. This remains an ongoing management challenge.

Future Focus: Maximizing Production Value Through “Sixth Industrialization”

When asked about future plans, the response was: “We want to rebuild the farm and create an integrated system handling everything from processing to sales.” The goal is not merely to strengthen production but to pursue “sixth industrialization.” By completing the entire process—from production to processing and sales—in-house, they can enhance added value and more easily maintain brand strength. This approach is expected to offer benefits such as reduced vulnerability to market price fluctuations, building a loyal customer base, and contributing to the local economy.

Miyagino Pork Minori—take one bite and its rich flavor fills your mouth. You’ll be amazed by its light yet sweet fat. We urge gourmet fans nationwide to try it at least once.

The post “Miyagino Pork Minori” enriches your dining table. “Pig Dream Farm” in Tome City, Miyagi Prefecture, aims for sixth-sector industrialization in the future. first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture is relatively mild and snowfall is rare. However, on the day of my visit, it was a silver world. Inside a cattle barn, Japanese black cows were exhaling white breath as they slowly ate rice straw. The cattle were not just livestock, but also a long-standing tradition. They are not mere livestock, but have been nurtured by the skills and passion of craftsmen over many years.

The Stature of Black Wagyu Cattle Encountered in a Snowy Barn

Producer Daiki Kawamura’s cattle, which won honorary awards two years in a row at the National Beef Beef Cattle Carcass Kyoyokai in 2016 and 2017, are raised in this barn. Instead of being raised on pasture, where they roam freely in vast pastures, they are raised in a barn that provides an optimal environment under thorough management. From the creation of a stress-free space for the cows to the feed they are fed, which is the result of years of trial and error, to the thorough health management, no compromises are allowed.

The starting point of cattle breeding and commitment to bloodlines

Kawamura Farm is a fattening farm started by Mr. Kawamura’s grandfather. A fattening farmer is a farmer who buys calves and raises them. On the other hand, breeding farmers are those who raise calves by raising mother cows.

Fattening and mating farmers are often separated because they each have different expertise in raising cattle. Some farmers are both fattening and mating farmers, but especially in Miyagi Prefecture, fattening and mating are separated, Kawamura said.

Kawamura Farm started out as a cattle farmer, raising Holsteins, but gradually shifted to Wagyu black cattle. At that time, each of the neighboring farmers had a cow, and through the so-called “livestock dealer” business of buying, selling, and brokering livestock, the number of cows at Kawamura Farm was increased.

By the way, it is said that the quality of beef brands such as “Sendai Beef,” “Matsusaka Beef,” and “Kobe Beef” is largely dependent on pedigree. Mr. Kawamura says, “When I look at the great cattle that win champions at fairs, like Deep Impact in the case of horses, I think it is the pedigree of the cattle. I myself believe that 70% is determined by pedigree,” he says. He says that he sometimes purchases calves from all over the country that are born to bulls that have excellent pedigrees and provide their sperm. When asked what makes up the remaining 30%, he laughed and said, “I would like to say arms, but…” He went on to say that it is important to bring out their abilities without accidents, and to grow cows that eat, sleep, and eat repeatedly.

Ideal Meat Quality Achieved by Cattle Barn Raising

Mr. Kawamura’s cows are raised in a barn, and there is a clear reason for this.

The greatest advantage of barn-raising is that the environment can be closely controlled. Cattle are sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, and a cold can affect meat quality. In a barn, the heat of summer and the cold of winter can be properly controlled, and a comfortable environment can be maintained at all times for the cows.

In addition, it is easier to manage feed. With pasturage, what cows eat depends on the natural environment, but with barn rearing, it is possible to systematically provide nutritionally balanced feed. As a result, ideal marbling is formed and meat quality is stabilized.

In addition, by properly designing the barn space, “too much movement and muscle build-up” can be avoided. In addition, thorough barn hygiene and observation of cows will help prevent disease and ensure healthy growth.

Inquiry into feed and an environment set up with music

Kawamura Farm has a total of four barns, and each barn has a different method of raising cows.

Each barn takes into consideration the environment and the sensitivity of the cows, which are greatly affected by it. The most important factor is feed, which is one of the most important factors in determining the taste of Wagyu beef.

After 20 years of farming, Mr. Kawamura has tried various feeds and self-formulations, and says, “After trying many things, I came to a simple solution. Instead, he says, “I experiment in one of my four barns by trying different things. Simple” means that the feed is procured by the cooperative from the manufacturer, and what used to be a “trade secret” among the farmers is now shared among them. Kawamura Farm also uses three different types of feed depending on the growth stage of the cows, and plays music to help them relax and eat more.

Honorary Award Proves Kawamura Farm’s Strength

The barn where Mr. Kawamura’s cows are raised is more than just a breeding facility. The high quality of the meat produced there is proven by the fact that, as mentioned earlier, the cows were awarded the “Honorary Prize,” the highest prize, out of approximately 500 cattle selected from all over Japan at the National Beef Cattle Carcass Promotion Association, a gathering of Wagyu beef producers from all over Japan.

The National Beef Beef Beef Carcass Competition is an opportunity for outstanding Wagyu beef producers from all over Japan to compete in the meat quality of the cattle they have raised themselves. At this competition, not only the amount of marbling, but also the tightness of the meat, color, fat quality, flavor, and other factors are evaluated in a comprehensive manner.

Mr. Kawamura’s cattle received overwhelming evaluations for the beauty of the marbling, tenderness of the meat, and sweetness of the fat. I actually had the opportunity to taste the meat, and the quality of the fat was not only sinewy, but also outstanding, with a texture that melted in the mouth and a rich flavor.

This prestigious award is not something that can be acquired overnight. It is the result of many years of trial and error, meticulous management in the barn, selection of the best feed, and careful attention to each cow.

Toward a Sustainable Future for Sendai Beef

Mr. Kawamura raises Sendai beef, which is the pride of Miyagi Prefecture, and only A5 grade beef is allowed to claim the name. Among the A5 ranks, there are three grades of marbling (fatty crossbreeding): 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The higher the number, the more marbled the meat, with 12 being the most marbled. Mr. Kawamura’s goal is to always produce Sendai beef that is 10 or higher. As he raised his cattle, he was no longer satisfied unless they were 10 or higher. Prices also vary according to this rank, but he has noticed a change in food preferences when customers who have tasted 12 beef say they prefer the leaner cuts. Mr. Kawamura will continue his pursuit of the “12” beef, which is light, clean, and well-seasoned.

The environment surrounding Wagyu beef production is becoming increasingly severe year by year. Soaring feed prices, the effects of climate change, lack of successors, and declining demand for meat are just a few of the challenges. Besides, the price of calves rises with the competition when pedigrees are emphasized, and it becomes “not worth it” considering the length of time required to raise them. However, in order to overcome these difficulties, Mr. Kawamura is exporting beef overseas, where domestic consumption is becoming more and more difficult.

Furthermore, he is struggling to keep Sendai beef production going by buying or renting barns from farmers who have quit due to lack of successors at Kawamura Farm.

As a young farmer leading the industry, Mr. Kawamura’s challenge continues.

The post Daiki Kawamura, the third generation of Kawamura Farm, the finest Sendai beef raised by a young farmer / Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

In 1984, Mr. Zensaku Yoshida, who had been working for a company in Tokyo, started a dairy farm in the Kibi Plateau in Okayama Prefecture to make cheese. He raised healthy cows, and the cheeses he made from their milk, such as Camembert, Ricotta, and Caciocavallo, were highly praised by chefs at famous restaurants and spread throughout Japan.

Starting out as a “cow farmer” making cheese

Yoshida Farm is located in the Kibi Plateau in central Okayama Prefecture, near Okayama Airport and about an hour’s drive from Okayama City. The farm is located on a rugged terrain at an elevation of about 370 meters above sea level, where about 60 Brown Swiss cows graze and a cheese factory is set up on the premises. It is a pioneer in Japan of “Fermier cheese,” which is made exclusively from the milk of its own cows.

Mr. Zensaku Yoshida, who started Yoshida Farm in 1984, was born in Okayama City in 1955. After graduating from the Faculty of Agriculture at Hokkaido University and working for a company in Tokyo for about five years, he decided to pursue his passion for manufacturing and started making cheese. Knowing that cheesemaking meant raising cows, Mr. Yoshida spent the first six months of his life training in dairy farming, and started making cheese three years after opening a dairy farm at his current location.

Making cheese from the milk of Brown Swiss cows

Mr. Yoshida says, “My parents were complete amateurs when it came to cow husbandry, but after five years of working together 365 days a year without a break, they felt they had stabilized the business. When you think about it, it is amazing that they were able to grasp the know-how of dairy farming and start making cheese in just five years,” says Zensaku Yoshida. Mr. Harano Yoshida, the son of Mr. Zensaku Yoshida, says, “I am very proud of him. He is the current leader of Yoshida Farm.

European farmers raise livestock suited to the climate of each region, and the cheese made from their milk is a specialty of each region. Gouda cheese, for example, is made from the milk of large, stout Holstein cows, which are perfectly suited to the plains of the Netherlands, and has become a representative product of the town of Gouda. Roquefort, one of the world’s three great blue cheeses, is made from the milk of sheep raised in the cool mountains of the village of Roquefort-sur-Surzon in the limestone region of southern France and aged in huge caves in the village. Also, in the mountains of northern Italy, goats that can climb up and down cliffs are raised, and “Caprino” made from their milk is famous.

Mr. Yoshida chose Brown Swiss beef, which is native to Switzerland, for its suitability for the Kibi Plateau. These cows are suited to go up and down mountainous terrain, and their milk has a good yield, which means that casein and other proteins, which are necessary solids for cheese making, remain in the milk after the production process. Currently, about 30 cows are milked daily at Yoshida Farm, and 550 to 600 liters are milked per day by machine. Compared to Holstein cows, the milk production is considerably lower, but the number of cows is kept to a level that allows the family to take care of the cows without strain.

Milk quality affects cheese 90%.

About 90% of cheese production is determined by the quality of milk, and humans can only compensate for about 10%. We may be able to bring it to an average, but if the raw milk is not good, we can never bring it to a satisfactory level,” says Harano.

Health management is carried out by paying the utmost attention to what the cows eat, such as hay, and to the rearing environment. While grazing, the cows eat grass outside, but they are also given plenty of “timothy,” a top-quality hay similar to that given to racehorses. This is crispy, dry hay with a good aroma, high protein and fiber content, and easy to break down in the body, so it does not put stress on the cows’ stomachs. Each cow receives at least 100 liters of water per day. Cows that walk around outside in this environment have their legs and backs strengthened, so they are able to give birth naturally without human assistance. Mr. Harano believes that the most important thing in cheese making is to keep the cows healthy, so he calls himself a “cowherd.

He grew up watching his parents, who never took a day off from taking care of the cows. Even so, he decided to take over Yoshida Farm because, “My parents seemed to be happy every day. They were blessed with good customers and were always busy, and it never seemed to be hard for them at all. It wasn’t until I actually started working with them that I realized how hard it is to be a cow farmer.

Learning cheese making from Mr. Pinna at the Italian Embassy

When his father, Zensaku Yoshida, started making cheese, there was only one small farm in Hokkaido and one in Nagano that combined dairy farming and cheese production, like Yoshida Farm. At a time when cheese was generally a processed cheese made by major dairy companies, Zensaku began making three types of cheese: Camembert, raclette, and fresh.

One day, Yoshida Farm’s Camembert cheese was discovered by Salvatore Pinna, a counselor at the Italian Embassy. He was impressed by the cheese he purchased at a bakery in Tokyo and said, “There is a Japanese man who makes cheese like this. I want him to make more cheese. In the past, Mr. Pinna worked for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, where he was involved in foreign aid, including agricultural development cooperation. He is so passionate about cheese that he is looking for someone who can make delicious cheese wherever he goes in the world. He immediately contacted Yoshida Farm.

In 1990, Mr. Pina visited Yoshida Ranch and spent several days with Zensaku, teaching him how to make caciocavallo, mozzarella, and ricotta cheese. Mr. Zensaku worked hard to follow his instructions, and when he sent the finished cheeses to the Embassy, Mr. Pina responded, “You passed. Later, Mr. Tsutomu Ochiai, the first head chef of the Italian restaurant “Granata” in Akasaka, Tokyo, and now the owner chef of “La Bettra da Ochiai,” fell in love with Yoshida Farm’s mozzarella cheese and started selling it to other restaurants, and it spread to other restaurants as well. It was significant that the chefs at the restaurants supported the cheese in the early stages of its production. Later, people who learned about Yoshida Farm’s cheese at restaurants began ordering it directly from us.

Expressing the taste that can only be achieved in this region

Currently, Yoshida Farm produces about 10 types of cheese, including Caciocavallo, Raclette, Parmigiano type “Kodaka,” Comte type “Majiyakuri,” Camembert, Mozzarella, and Italian Ricotta. Cheese is divided into natural cheese and processed cheese. Processed cheese, which is made by heating natural cheese and adding various ingredients, is made by first determining the flavor, as the lactic acid bacteria die and the cheese does not ripen during storage. Yoshida Farm’s cheeses are all natural cheese, and the taste changes over time as the raw milk is solidified, fermented, and aged by the action of microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria. I think the change in taste is fun for the people who eat it,” says Harano.

If you have livestock, a pot, fire, and salt, you can make cheese. The lactic acid bacteria are a major factor in determining the taste of cheese. Yoshida Farm has been using lactobacilli for a long time, creating and passing them down from generation to generation. Since lactobacilli exist in nature, if milk is left outside at a temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius, the bacteria will come and multiply and make yogurt-like products. In order for the lactobacilli to work well, the speed at which the whey is released, the temperature, and the amount of water are adjusted during the cheese making process. This also leads to a crunchy texture.

Milk quality changes daily, and the fermentation and ripening of cheese depends on the temperature, humidity, and environment in which it is stored. It is interesting to make new discoveries in areas over which I have no control and over which I cannot control even if I wanted to,” says Harano.

Yoshida Farm’s cheese aging room is a semi-subterranean structure carved out of a slope. Two types of cheese are aged here: a Parmigiano type and a hard type called “Majakuri. The young cheeses are white, and a hard rind forms on the surface as the cheeses are repeatedly turned over daily by wringing out a towel dipped in salt water to wipe off the mold that naturally grows on the surface. This process is repeated daily, and a hard rind is formed on the surface. In the process of increasing the amino acid tyrosine, umami ingredients such as glutamic acid also increase. The product is left in the aging room for two to three years before shipping.

Building on Challenges While Having Fun

In the year that marked the 40th anniversary of Yoshida Farm’s establishment, a building was completed that serves as a storage room to preserve cheese while controlling its maturation, as well as a sales office and multipurpose space. The building was designed by Yoshifumi Nakamura, an architect who respects the beauty of natural materials and aging, and the impressive exterior walls are made from the feces of Yoshida Farm’s Brown Swiss cows. The building is constructed like a straw bale house, with blocks of straw piled on top of each other and hardened with soil and other materials. The name “FUN” is a play on the words “fun” and “feces,” which are synonymous with the enjoyment of a multi-purpose space.

The farm also faces the inevitable problem of cows that cannot be milked, which is an unavoidable part of running a dairy farm. Most of the male calves are entrusted to “Kajioka Farm” in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. This ranch handles everything from the production of cattle feed to breeding, fattening, and management of restaurants that serve the cattle they raise as meals. The cows that can no longer give birth to calves are sold to Sakaeya, a butcher store in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture. Sakaeya is connected with producers at 10 ranches across Japan, and is able to process the cattle in the most appropriate way based on its knowledge of how the cattle were raised and with what kind of feed. These are two companies that Mr. Yoshida places great trust in. The cow hides are delivered from “Sakaeya” to “cornelian taurus by daisuke iwanaga,” a brand of made-to-order leather bags based in Kobe. I can raise them without any worries because I can entrust the end of their lives to someone I can trust,” says Yoshida Harano.

We can trust the end of our lives to people we can trust, so we can raise them with no worries,” says Yoshida. We don’t plan to make and sell many more. What I am focusing on is whether or not my family can continue to enjoy it. Dairy farming and cheese making are the same thing that we do every day, so whether or not we can continue to do it properly will make the difference between a better future and a worse one. I think that the challenges we find as we continue, even if they are small, will add up, and then we will finally be able to see the path we need to go down.

After passing on the cheese-making business to his son, the father, Zensaku Yoshida, is now growing wheat in the fields and taking up the challenge of baking bread as a hobby. Yoshida Farm’s style is for the family to enjoy each day’s accumulation, and to pursue their ideals through repeated discoveries.

The post Yoshida Farm,” a pioneer of Fermier cheese in Japan / Kaga-gun, Okayama Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Okinawa’s proud brand of pork, “Agu,” is characterized by its tender, high-quality fat and sweet flavor. Matayoshi Farm actively raises 100% purebred Agu pigs. The secret to its special flavor lies in the stress-free environment in which the pigs are raised, the high quality feed, and the commitment of the young successors to Agu.

Agu, the brand pig that bears Okinawa’s food culture

Agu, the pride of Okinawa, is a brand of island pig. It is characterized by its tender meat, rich fat, sweetness, and rich, elegant flavor. It is offered at high-end shabu-shabu restaurants and is gaining recognition both inside and outside Okinawa Prefecture as the meat of choice.

Agu pigs are a difficult breed to produce because they are smaller than most pigs, produce less meat per pig, and produce only a small number of offspring. This makes it a rare and highly prized brand of pig.

The origin of Agu pork is said to date back to the 14th century, approximately 600 years ago, when it was introduced to the Kingdom of Ryukyu from Ming Dynasty (present-day China).

After World War II, the number of Agu pigs decreased drastically to about 30, but a research institute at the Hokubu Agriculture and Forestry High School in Nago City took the lead and succeeded in restoring the original breed in 1993 through backbreeding. In 2013, Nago City declared itself the “Home of Agu” as the place where the Ryukyuan native pig, Agu, was revived.

By the way, did you know that there are two types of Agu pigs?

The katakana notation “Agu” refers to pigs born from the crossbreeding of pure-blooded Agu pigs.

In contrast, “Agu” in hiragana refers to farm-raised pork that meets JA Okinawa’s standards, and is a crossbreed between a male Agu pig and a female Western pig, in essence, a “half-Aguu pig.

The smaller Agu gives birth to less than half as many pigs per litter as the Western breeds. By crossbreeding with larger, faster-growing Western breeds such as Landrace and Yorkshire, they are able to produce “Agu pigs” with high meat production while taking advantage of the superior meat quality of “Agu”.

There are 13 farms in Okinawa Prefecture that are designated as “Agu” brand pork producers, and each farmer uses a different crossbreeding pattern, resulting in pigs of different sizes and meat quality.

Matayoshi Farm, a livestock producer and farmer in Nago City in the northern part of Okinawa’s main island, has focused on crossbreeding close to the original breed in its uncompromising pursuit of “100% purebred x purebred” Agu pigs.

Matayoshi Agu” raised in a stress-free environment and on carefully selected feed

Matayoshi Farm is located at the foot of Mount Awadake in Nago City, where as many as 400 Agu pigs are raised. The land, which is a quarry area, was originally owned by the Matayoshi family and used to be a tangerine farm. Although Okinawa is hot and humid throughout the year, it is surrounded by forest and cool in the shade, making it a comfortable environment for the pigs.

One of the characteristics of the “Matayoshi Agu” brand pigs is that they are raised in an environment where they can run around freely from one month after birth. The pigs are raised in a spacious and stress-free environment, which leads to better meat quality and tenderness.

They also do not use any hormones or antibiotics, and are additive-free.

Founded in 2004, Matayoshi Farm was incorporated in 2013, and in 2021, the main members, led by sales leader Asataro Matayoshi, were replaced by young members in their 20s.

Under the management philosophy of “continuing to bring peace of mind to the community through food,” the company is focusing on increasing the rarity and brand value of its “pure-blooded Agu pork.

The Agu pig is half the size of a normal pig and produces half as many pigs as a normal pig, making it a difficult breed from a business model standpoint, but its superiority in taste is outstanding. We would like to continue to take on this challenge by carefully preserving the original breed,” says Matayoshi.

While Western breeds are fattened up in about six months, it takes about 10 months to fatten up an Agu pig. Because of the cost of feed, the unit price is maintained by branding the pigs.

The problem is that the production volume is limited. We can increase the quantity by fattening the pigs up quickly, but the biggest fear is that the meat quality will deteriorate. Every time we ship, we look at the actual product and check the amount of fat on it,” he says. The desire to preserve the original Agu breed by sticking to pure blood can be clearly felt.

He is also particular about feed, feeding two types of feed, adjusting the balance and quantity according to the stage of growth.

The white feed is the staple food for the pigs and is a formula feed in accordance with JA’s regulations for Agu pigs.

The brown one is Matayoshi Farm’s original fermented feed containing beer lees, rice bran, and pineapple lees. The nutrients in the lees contain lactic acid bacteria and are expected to improve the intestinal environment.

The farm changes the content and quality of the feed according to the growth stage of the piglets, for example, feeding more grain and protein at first and increasing the amount of fermented feed when fattening up piglets to increase their flavor.

While the cost of feed has skyrocketed in recent years and they are struggling, they are negotiating to be able to wholesale their brand as “Matayoshi Agu” at a higher unit price, more than double the price of regular pigs.

He has been negotiating with his customers, including a shabu-shabu restaurant in Naha City, to sell their products at more than twice the unit price of ordinary pigs, under the brand name of “Matayoshi Agu.

The young members of the group are impressive for their straightforwardness: “We frankly tell them about the rising cost of feed and the low productivity of Agu pork, but we also let them taste it and decide if they want to do business with us or not.

Sweet and melt-in-your-mouth Agu pork served in shabu-shabu

Matayoshi Agu” is beautifully fatty.

Agu pork is characterized by its tender meat, rich fatty flavor, and low fat melting point, which makes it melt in the mouth. It is rich in oleic acid, which gives it an aromatic and flavorful taste.

Agu is also high in linoleic acid, which has an almost animal-like sourness and odor, but it also has a wild flavor and is commonly associated with umami.

In addition, Agu has the advantage of having a low melting point of fat, so its “fat is not too sticky. The proof of this is that even when it is cooked, it does not easily become soggy.

The most popular parts of Agu pork are the belly and shoulder loin, and shabu-shabu is said to be the best for enjoying the flavor of the ingredients.

The sweet and easy-to-eat loin is recommended to be served with ponzu (Japanese sauce made of citrus juice and soy sauce) or sesame sauce.

The belly, which has a strong flavor of fat, is tender and does not become hard even when cooked. It goes well with a squeeze of freshly caught shikwasa (citrus fruit) ◎.

Agu’s unique marbling contains many tasty ingredients, and both the lean and fat parts have a rich flavor. The most important point that differentiates Agu is that its flavor is so strong that western varieties seem bland.

Aiming for Livestock Production and Agriculture Rooted in the Local Community

We asked the young trio of sales leader Mr. Matayoshi (center), Mr. Sotoma (left), who is in charge of the processing department, and Mr. Miyagi (right), who is in charge of public relations, about their ambitions for the future.

They said, “With the aging and decline of the farming industry becoming an issue, we want to go against the grain and raise the occupational status of agriculture. We want to raise awareness by actively promoting the production of rare and valuable agu, make the company a place where young people want to try farming, and protect the culture, lifestyle, and scenery of the region.

We would like to strengthen our business model to protect and increase the number of agu seeds we have, based on our “commitment to pure blood.

We want to strengthen our business model, which is based on our commitment to pure blood, while protecting and increasing the number of agu seeds we currently have.

The young successors of the farm, each with his or her own passion, are putting their heart and soul into raising Agu pigs.

They will continue to earnestly pursue the essence of the product without losing sight of its true nature, and will continue to convey the attractiveness of Agu from Okinawa to Japan and the world.

The post Matayoshi Noen,” which delivers high quality agu pigs that are made from pure blood / Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Nakahora Farm is a pasture-farming dairy farm of mainly Jersey cows in the vast mountainous area of the Kitakami Mountains. The milk is pasteurized and non-homogenized at the company’s own milk plant, and is highly praised both inside and outside of the prefecture for its “rich flavor with a clean aftertaste.

Aiming for mountain dairy farming in his hometown

The Kitakami mountain range covers approximately 60% of Iwate Prefecture, with gently sloping mountains stretching from the center to the periphery. Nakahora Farm is located in a hollow 700 to 850 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 120 hectares, about 25 times the size of the Tokyo Dome. Here, 110 dairy cows, including calves, graze.

Nakahora Farm was established in 1984 by Tadashi Nakahora, a native of Iwate Prefecture, who settled in the Arigei district of Iwaizumi Town. While a student at Tokyo University of Agriculture, Mr. Nakahora learned about “Yamachi Dairy Farming,” a style of dairy farming advocated by Dr. Kyoji Naobara, a plant ecologist, and was shocked by it. In order to provide large amounts of milk at low prices, many dairy farmers in Japan today do not pasture their cows, but keep them in barns and feed them nutritious foreign grain feed. In contrast, “mountain dairy farming” is to plant wild buckwheat on mountains and let cows, which are herbivores, graze on the grass, thereby effectively utilizing the mountains, which cover about 70% of Japan’s land, for dairy farming and turning them into green grasslands. Furthermore, when one hears the word “grazing,” one tends to think that flat, wide grasslands are necessary, but cows can easily walk on slopes as long as they have grass, their favorite food. Thinking that this would make dairy farming possible even in the mountain forests of Iwate, where there are many steep slopes, Mr. Nakadora returned home after graduation and purchased his current farm, which had been put on the market by the “Kitakami Mountain Range Comprehensive Development Project. The project was to attract dairy farms to 17 cities, towns, and villages in eight regions of the prefecture, and the farm was a “build-to-order farm” that included a 50-hectare plot of land, various facilities, barns, and housing. Some of the equipment, such as a manure disposal machine, was unnecessary for mountain dairy farming, where cow manure is used to fertilize pastureland, and the farm was heavily in debt, but he made the decision to pursue his dream of “practicing pasture-based dairy farming in my hometown.

Why he chose Jersey cows

After settling in the area, Mr. Nakadora first cut down trees, put up fences around the farm to prevent the cows from escaping, and put 11 dairy cows out to pasture. The cows roam around and eat underbrush and leaves, which they eat up, leaving the soil bare. The cows’ manure and manure then became fertilizer, and eventually native wild grasses, such as wild buckwheat, began to grow. By repeating this process little by little, the pastureland with wild grass grew and the number of dairy cows increased. Dr. Naohara’s idea of the right balance between enough food for the cows and enough wild grass not to disappear due to overfeeding is “1.5 adult cows per hectare of pastureland,” and Nakahora Pasture follows this scale.

Making the Most of the Original Flavor of Raw Milk

Cows at Nakahora Farm are pastured day and night throughout the year. They enter the barn only twice a day for milking. The rest of the time, from spring to fall, the cows are fed on wild grasses and wild oats in the pastureland, and in winter, when the pastureland is covered with snow, they eat silage made from fermented pesticide-free grass from their own pastureland and Japanese hay. Mating and birthing are done in a natural way. Breeding and births are done in a natural way. Even after giving birth, cows are breast-fed for up to two months, so both mothers and calves are stress-free. They are healthy both mentally and physically.

Pasteurization at 63°C for 30 minutes

Nakahora Farm processes raw milk from such healthy cows into milk at its own milk plant and sells it. Mr. Nakahora shipped raw milk to an agricultural cooperative for seven years after settling in the area, but in 1987, the raw milk trading standard was changed to “fat content (percentage of fat in raw milk) of 3.5% or more,” and the purchase price of raw milk that did not meet the standard was reduced by about half. Nakahora Farm’s raw milk was not high in milk fat content due to the high amount of pastoral exercise, but from spring to fall, when the milk is fed on green grass with high water content, the milk fat content is even lower. Mr. Nakahora therefore felt a sense of crisis, saying, “I can’t run a business under this standard,” and decided to launch his own brand. With a loan from a bank, he built a milk plant and began producing milk. Incidentally, the dairy has since increased the ratio of Jersey cows to increase the fat content of its raw milk, which now ranges from 3.6 to 3.8% in summer and 4.3 to 4.5% in winter.

The ranch’s milk is characterized by its full-bodied flavor with a clean aftertaste. This is due to the fact that the milk is pasteurized at 63°C for 30 minutes. The pasteurization temperature and time change the proteins in the milk, causing it to lose its original taste. After much trial and error, we arrived at the legal limit of ’63°C for 30 minutes,'” explains Toru Makihara, who will replace Mr. Nakahora as head of the dairy farm in 2021. According to Makihara, the milk takes on a “matured flavor” as the days go by, and some customers enjoy the change in taste from the day of purchase to one week later.

Enjoy the “fresh cream” on the top of the bottle!

Another feature of Nakahora Farm’s milk is that it is non-homogenized milk. Homogenization” refers to the process of crushing the fat globules contained in milk into small pieces. The fat globules must be crushed before pasteurization in order to avoid scorching during the high-temperature pasteurization process (120°C for 2 seconds, etc.) for mass-distributed products from major dairy companies. On the other hand, the crushing of fat globules has the disadvantage of losing the original flavor of raw milk, so Nakahora Ranch chooses to use “non-homo” milk, saying, “We want our milk to taste close to raw milk. That is one of the reasons why our milk is said to have a rich taste. Also, as the days go by, the fat content floats to the top of the bottle, but this is fresh cream, so it is delicious eaten as is, and some customers even put it on bread,” says Makihara, proudly.

Aiming for “stable management” that can be passed on to the next generation

In addition to milk, Nakahora Farm’s milk plant also produces processed products such as ice cream, yogurt, butter, and pudding. Sales have expanded beyond Iwate Prefecture to Kanto, Kansai, Shikoku, and Kyushu, but business is still tight.

It is important for people to understand the value of our products.

Mr. Makihara’s family used to be a dairy farmer raising 600 cows in a barn in the neighboring village of Tanohata, but the family later went out of business. He came to Nakahora Farm 13 years ago, and felt that he wanted to raise cows in this way. However, it is not possible to run the farm at a loss of more than 100 million yen a year, as is the case now. We need a management structure that can feed the family and be passed on to the next generation of young people,” he stated clearly.

To stabilize the business, Makihara believes it is necessary to increase sales by having consumers understand the value of the products. For example, some customers do not know that the fat content is what floats to the top of our milk bottles. The price of our milk is more than five times the price of regular milk, so unless they understand why, that is, that we are a pasture-based dairy farm that feeds mainly grass, pasteurized, and non-homo, they will not buy our milk. On the other hand, if they understand, they will buy it,” says Makihara. Together with his young staff and trainees, he shares his wisdom and aims to develop the dairy farm under the motto, “For the cows, for the mountains, and for the health of the consumers who keep our dairy products.

The post Pasturing Jersey cows and delivering “pasteurized, non-homo” milk throughout Japan. Nakahora Farm / Iwaizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Kitagawa Chicken Farm’s “Plincesse Eggs,” a regular winner of the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, the highest award at the Chiba Prefecture Chicken Egg Quality Improvement and Promotion Fair, are also used at the famous sukiyaki restaurant Imahan in Asakusa, and are known as eggs that have the approval of food professionals. What is the secret of the chicken raising business of Mr. Takaki Kitagawa, the third generation of the family, who has persisted in his belief of “being a craftsman for craftsmen”?

Be a craftsman for craftsmen

Less than an hour away from central Tokyo via the Tokyo Bay Aqualine. On a hilltop in Sodegaura City, adjacent to Kisarazu City, is Kitagawa Chicken Farm, which produces eggs that are in constant demand from three-star restaurants in Tokyo and confectionary stores in various regions.

Kitagawa Chicken Farm was started by Takamoto Kitagawa’s grandfather in Yokohama in 1955 with 500 chickens, and moved to its current location in 1967, where it currently raises about 35,000 chickens. This is not a large number for a poultry farmer, but the strength of Kitagawa Chicken Farm is its ability to take advantage of its small scale to improve egg quality and actively expand sales channels to professional restaurants.

Plincesse Eggs,” which emphasize the strength of the egg white

Kitagawa Chicken Farm’s main breed of chicken is called Sonia. Some retailers have asked us to switch to a white egg breed because these reddish eggshells don’t stand out on the sales floor,” says Kitagawa, “but we have no intention of changing at all. This is because the strong elasticity of the egg white of Sonia’s eggs is very attractive.

In addition, Kitagawa Chicken Farm brands eggs laid by young hens, which have more elastic and firm egg whites, as “Plinth Eggs. Young hens lay more plump eggs, but as they get older, their eggs become runny. That is why we select eggs from young hens. The plump eggs do not fall apart when cracked and dropped onto a plate, but rather maintain their firm shape and glide across the plate.

When we think of eggs, we tend to focus on the color of the yolk, but why are we so particular about the strength of the egg white? This is the result of responding to the demands of professional restaurants and confectionery stores that are our customers. For example, when baking cakes, strong egg whites hold more air when meringue is made, making a clear difference in the puffiness of the sponge. A sushi restaurant wanted to produce a crispy sponge cake egg, so they decided to introduce the Plinth Egg.

Of course, Kitagawa Chicken Farm is striving to improve the flavor of egg yolks with its own feed formulated by a feed designer, but Mr. Kitagawa also makes no compromises in the quality of egg whites, which are demanded by food professionals. Behind this attitude is an experience he had when his business was in crisis.

Realization from a business crisis

Around 2000, when Mr. Kitagawa took over the family business, Kitagawa Chicken Farm lost a large client due to price competition. With the business in a slump, Mr. Kitagawa desperately tried to make inroads into the market. He repeatedly visited stores that seemed to treat eggs as foodstuffs, only to be turned away at the door, but he recalls his feelings at the time, “I didn’t want to just sell at a discount. The price of eggs is all set by the market price,” he said. But for us, we want to sell our eggs at a fair price that reflects the hard work we put in every day on the farm.

As he continued his business without giving up, a confectionery store finally decided to use Mr. Kitagawa’s eggs. The pastry chef at the store complimented me on the strong egg white and the fluffy, delicious sponge it produces. At that time, I realized the importance of egg whites. Since then, Mr. Kitagawa has deeply engraved “Be a craftsman for craftsmen” as his farming philosophy.

Healthier Chickens in the Aozora Chicken Coop

Kitagawa Chicken Farm’s chickens are raised on corn, soybeans, and rice-based feed and fed mineral-rich groundwater. There is one method of raising chickens that has been followed since the first generation in order to make them stronger and healthier. This is the “Aozora Chicken Coop.

Mr. Kitagawa explains that in a typical poultry farm, chickens are raised in an environment without light and air, as they are less subject to external stress and require relatively less feed. On the other hand, “This Aozora chicken coop is located outdoors, so it is a stressful environment for the chickens. We believe that this, on the contrary, will help raise strong and healthy chickens,” he says.

Separating chicken houses according to the number of growing days

The most distinctive feature of the breeding method is that the chicken coops are separated according to the number of days the chickens are kept alive. Generally, a farm of Kitagawa Chicken Farm’s size can be kept in a single coop, but Mr. Kitagawa dared to set up 12 coops.

It is relatively well known to consumers that egg quality is affected by freshness, but in fact, the degree of growth of the hens also has a significant impact on egg quality. The question is how to keep young hens’ eggs taut and elastic, rather than old hens’ watery eggs, so that they are always ready for shipment. The answer to this question was the multi-house method of raising chickens.

The answer to this question was the multi-house method of raising chickens. However, for example, a cake shop may prefer eggs laid by the youngest hens, and we are able to quickly and consistently deliver eggs that meet the needs of such a client. This is the reason why we have gained such a high level of trust from our customers.

We want to make this an industry where the next generation can dream.

Mr. Kitagawa is enthusiastic about his future plans to produce puddings and other products. I think it will be even more difficult to run a business just by shipping to the market,” he says. I want to make it an industry where we have the right to determine prices, and where the next generation will want to do the same. Kitagawa Chicken Farm, which has successfully recovered from the crisis of a quarter of a century ago, continues to take on challenges for the future.

The post Be a craftsman for craftsmen: Takamoto Kitagawa, the third generation of “Kitagawa Chicken Farm,” produces eggs / Sodegaura City, Chiba Prefecture first appeared on NIHONMONO.

北上山系の広大な山地で、ジャージー牛主体の放牧酪農をしている「なかほら牧場」。野草を食べながらのびのびと過ごす健康な牛の生乳を、自社のミルクプラントで「低温殺菌･ノンホモ」に仕上げた牛乳は、「コクはあるのに後味がすっきりしている」と県内外で評価されている。

故郷で山地酪農を目指す

岩手県の県土の約6割を占め、中央部から周辺部に向けてなだらかな勾配の山地が広がる北上山系。その標高700〜850メートルの窪地に、なかほら牧場はある。面積は、東京ドーム約25個分の、およそ120ヘクタール。ここで子牛も含め110頭の乳牛を放牧している。

なかほら牧場は、1984年に岩手県出身の中洞正（なかほらただし）さんが岩泉町有芸地区に入植して始めた牧場だ。中洞さんは東京農業大学在学中に、植物生態学者の猶原恭爾（なおばらきょうじ）博士が提唱した酪農スタイル「山地（やまち）酪農」を知り、衝撃を受ける。現在日本の多くの酪農家は、牛乳を大量に安価に提供するために、牛を放牧せず、牛舎につないで栄養価の高い外国産穀物飼料を食べさせている。それに対して「山地酪農」は、山に野シバを植え、草食動物である牛を放牧して草を食べさせることで、日本の国土の約7割を占める山を酪農に有効利用し緑の草地に変える、というものだった。しかも、「放牧」と聞くと平らで広い草地が必要と思いがちだが、牛は好物の草さえあれば傾斜地でも難なく歩くという。「これなら急傾斜地が多い岩手の山林でも酪農ができる」と考えた中洞さんは、卒業後に帰郷し、「北上山系総合開発事業」により売り出されていた現在の牧場を購入。この事業は県内8地区17市町村に酪農を誘致する事業で、牧場は、50ヘクタールの土地のほかにさまざまな設備や牛舎、住居なども付いた「建て売り牧場」だった。設備のなかには糞尿処理機など、牛の糞尿が放牧地の肥やしとなる山地酪農では不要なものも含まれており、多額の借金を抱えるものだったが、「故郷で放牧酪農を実践する」という夢のために決断したという。

ジャージー牛を選んだ理由

入植した中洞さんは、まず木を伐採して、牛たちが逃げないように牧場の周囲に柵を打ち、11頭の乳牛を放牧した。牛たちは歩き回って下草や木の葉などを食べるので、食べ尽くされて土壌がむき出しになる。そこに日が当たり牛たちの糞尿が肥料となって、やがて野シバなど在来の野草が生えるように。この作業を少しずつ繰り返すことで野草が生えた放牧地を拡大し、乳牛の頭数を増やしていった。ちなみに猶原博士は、牛が十分に食べられる量且つ、過食により野草が消滅しないちょうどいいバランスとして、「放牧地1ヘクタールあたりの牛の頭数を成牛に換算して1.5頭まで」としており、なかほら牧場でも、それに準じた規模で放牧を行っている。

生乳本来の風味を生かしたい

なかほら牧場の牛たちは、通年昼夜問わず放牧されている。牛舎に入るのは、一日2回の搾乳時のみ。搾乳時には、国産のビートかすと大豆かす、小麦を混ぜた「おやつ」が与えられるが、それ以外は、春から秋までは放牧地内のノシバや野草を、放牧地が雪で覆われる冬は、自社採草地の無農薬牧草を発酵させた「サイレージ」や国産の干し草を食べながら、広大な放牧地でのびのびと過ごす。交配も出産も自然のまま。出産後も2か月までは母乳哺育なので、母牛･子牛ともにストレスがかからない。心身ともに健康そのものだ。

「63℃で30分間」の低温殺菌

なかほら牧場ではそんな健康な牛たちの生乳を、自社のミルクプラントで牛乳に加工し、販売している。中洞さんは入植してから7年間は生乳を農協に出荷していたのだが、1987年に生乳の取引基準が「脂肪分（生乳に含まれる脂肪分の割合）3.5％以上」に変更になり、基準に満たない生乳の買取価格が半額程度となった。なかほら牧場の生乳は放牧で運動量が多いため、乳脂肪分が高くなかったが、水分量の多い青草を食べる春から秋にかけては乳脂肪分がさらに低くなる。そのため中洞さんは「この基準では経営が成り立たない」と危機感を感じ、自分のブランドを立ち上げることを決意。銀行から融資を受けてミルクプラントを建設し、牛乳の製造を始めた。ちなみに同牧場ではその後、ジャージー牛の比率を増やして生乳の脂肪分を高め、現在は夏が3.6〜3.8％、冬は4.3〜4.5％である。

同牧場の牛乳は、コクがあるのに後味がすっきりしている点が特徴だ。それをつくりだしているのが、「63度Cで30分間」の低温殺菌をしていること。「殺菌温度や時間によって、タンパク質が変化して生乳本来の味ではなくなる。そこで試行錯誤してたどり着いたのが、法律上ギリギリの『63度Cで30分間』だったんです」と説明するのは、中洞さんに代わり2021年から牧場長を務める牧原亨さんだ。牧原さんによると、日にちが経つと牛乳に「熟成した風味」が加わるそうで、顧客の中には購入した当日と1週間後の味の変化を楽しむ人もいるという。

瓶の上部の「生クリーム」も楽しんで

もうひとつ、なかほら牧場の牛乳の特徴が、ノンホモジナイズ牛乳（ノンホモ牛乳）であることだ。「ホモジナイズ」とは牛乳に含まれている脂肪球を小さくつぶす工程のこと。大手乳業の大量流通品は120℃2秒などの高温殺菌工程における焦げつきを避けるため、殺菌の前にその脂肪球をつぶしておく必要があるのだ。しかし一方で、脂肪球を砕くため生乳本来の風味が失われるというデメリットがあることから、なかほら牧場では「生乳に近い味を楽しんでもらいたい」と「ノンホモ」を選択しているという。「うちの牛乳の味が濃厚といわれるのはそれもあるのです。また、日にちが経つと脂肪分が瓶の上部に浮いてきますが、これは生クリームですのでそのまま食べてもおいしいですし、パンにのせて食べるというお客様もいらっしゃいます」と牧原さんは胸を張る。

次世代に引き継げる「安定経営」を目標に

現在なかほら牧場のミルクプラントでは、牛乳のほかにアイスクリームやヨーグルト、バター、プリンなどの加工品も製造している。販売先は岩手県を越え、関東や関西、四国、九州まで拡大してきたが、それでも経営は厳しい。

商品の価値を理解してもらうことが重要

牧原さんの実家は、隣りの田野畑村で600頭の牛を牛舎で飼育する酪農家だったが、その後廃業となり、牧原さんは13年前になかほら牧場にやってきた。そして「こういうやり方で牛を飼いたい」と感じるようになったという。「でも、現在のように年一億円以上の赤字経営ではダメ。家族で食べていくことができて、次世代の若者に引き継げるような経営体にしないと」と明言する。

経営を安定させるために牧原さんは、消費者に商品の価値を理解してもらい売り上げを増やすことが必要だと考えている。「例えば、うちの牛乳の瓶の上部に浮いてくるのが脂肪分だと知らないお客様もいます。うちの牛乳の値段は一般的なものの5倍以上ですから、その理由、つまり放牧酪農でエサは草主体で、低温殺菌でノンホモである、ということを理解してもらわないと買ってもらえない。逆に理解してもらえば、購入につながるはずです」と牧原さん。若いスタッフや研修生とともに知恵を出し合い、「牛のため、山のため、乳製品を飼ってくれる生活者の健康のため」をモットーに、牧場の発展を目指す。

The post ジャージー牛を放牧し、「低温殺菌･ノンホモ」の牛乳を全国にお届け。なかほら牧場／岩手県岩泉町 first appeared on NIHONMONO.

Hokkaido raw milk meets Italian cheese

Fattoria Bio is a farm in southern Italy with an old history in cheese production. The artisan who was making cheese there had the goal of making “the best cheese” and was looking for the right milk to go with it. He came across high-quality milk produced by dairy cows raised in the rich land of Hokkaido. Fattoria Bio Hokkaido was formed when people from different countries joined forces in pursuit of the common goal of such delicious taste. Here, they are using raw milk produced in Hokkaido to make the best cheese possible. The cheese selection includes fresh ricotta cheese, caciocavallo, and mozzarella cheese, all of which are rare in Japan. At the factory, Nakata is very interested in the process of making cheese by hand. He even got to try scooping ricotta cheese. Nakata was impressed by the “freshness” of the cheese, which he said he could not taste even in Italy. The fresh taste of the ingredients is clearly something that cannot be produced in mass production. The shelf life is only about a week.

The artisan who makes the best cheese

The best cheese is handmade by cheese master Giovanni Graziano using traditional Italian methods. Originally from Calabria in southwestern Italy, he learned the secrets of cheese making handed down in his family from generation to generation while helping his father, a cheese maker, from the age of 5. 20 years old, he worked as a core member of the cheese making team at Fattoria Bio, a farm in southern Italy with a long history and tradition. Since coming to Japan, he has been making cheese every day with the desire to “import the best Italian cheese and its production methods to Japan and spread the culture of Italian fresh cheese in the Japanese archipelago.

Elegant cheese made by Italian technology

Fresh Italian cheese is very popular in restaurants, since frozen cheese loses its juicy flavor. Ricotta cheese is especially popular with chefs and is used in appetizers and salads. Nakata also exclaims, “It would surely be interesting to use sakekasu to make a cheese that goes well with sake. The sticky burrata, made by wrapping torn mozzarella and cream in mozzarella base, has “an elegant taste. Nakata said, “It has an elegant flavor, and the amount of salt gives it a different look. Many people buy caciocavallo, which is also delicious baked, for home use. The combination of high-quality Japanese raw milk and traditional Italian techniques produces a cheese that, once tasted, is unforgettable.

The post Elegant cheese made by Italy and Hokkaido joining forces Fattoria Bio Hokkaido/Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido first appeared on NIHONMONO.