A large ranch utilizing the slope

Ninohe ward is located in the northern part of Iwate. We visited Tsuyoshi Mitani, of Osanpo Jersey Mitani Ranch, who runs a dairy farm in this area known to be the coldest place in Iwate.
The first thing that caught our eyes was the mild slope. It was still the thaw season, and it was not possible for the cows to graze the field, so we could not actually see the cows roaming around. However, just imagining cows walking there made us feel really calm.
The cows were currently in the barn so Mitani guided us there. When you think about cows on a dairy farm, the first picture in our minds will be the black and white patterned Holstein cows. The cows here were light brown.

What kind of cows are Jersey cow?

These cows are called Jersey cows. They are one size smaller than the Holstein and according to Mitani, light cows like Jersey cows are more suitable for the sloped land in Iwate.
”Jersey cows were first imported because they produce milk even with poor soil. Holsteins are large so they do not like to walk. Holstein is more suitable for flat and large land like Hokkaido. Jersey cows are more suitable for the land of Iwate.”
Mitani was not originally born in a family with a ranch, but came to this area in 2000 as a new farmer. He graduated from Tokyo Agricultural University and thought ”I want a job that makes something” and walked all around Japan. That is when he found this place. He started with a small ranch with 5 cows, and took his time and effort to raise the cows. ”Wouldn’t the severe cold have a negative effect on the cows?” asked Nakata. ”In fact there isn’t. The water we give them comes from the well, so the temperature is the same throughout the year. And in the summer, they eat well and move well so they are healthy. In the winter it is cold enough so there are no diseases, and they grow strong.” And furthermore, the milk from the healthy cows taste deep but fresh.

Refreshing taste of milk

Jersey cows are raised all over the world, and since the milk has a high fat content, it is valued for making processed food such as butter. Mitani also makes processed food that he is proud of.
”The milk tastes really refreshing. So we make simple things such as Fromage or Mozzarella cheese. And we try to incorporate the customer’s feedback and requests.”
There are many other products he wants to make, and he let us taste some of them.

We asked what the goal is for the future and he replied ”We want to improve the quality of our management of the cows.” You cannot increase the number of the cows easily. That is not a good thing for the cows either. He also wants to improve the grass on the ranch since they eat raw grass. For now they want to increase the quality and not the quantity.
Simple products are dictated by the taste of milk. It is all determined by healthy cows.

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Milk From Tokyo!?

You may imagine lots of cows grazing in a vast meadow when you think of milk, so you may be surprised to learn about mil that is made in Tokyo. The name speaks for itself, ”Tokyo Milk”. It is made at a designated dairy farm in the Tama region. The dairy farmer milk the cows, the fresh milk is collected and sterilized, then distributed by Kyodo Milk Industry Inc. after some additional procedures. Milking and commercialization is all done in Tokyo. It truly lives up to its name. It is mainly sold in stores around the Tama area. Since it is not mass produced, you seldom see the product sold in the center of Tokyo. ”We want to expand sales by promoting its name as a brand,” said Westland Farm CEO Rikuo Shimizu.

The Cows Walk to the Milking Machines on Their Own

The milk is rich in flavor, yet has a refreshing aftertaste. We taste the fresh milk, which is extremely good. The secret is in the Westland Farm milking machines: the cows themselves walk to the milking machines to be milked. The milking machines comes from the Netherlands, and lures the cows into a gate using feed. When the cow walks in, the sensors automatically connect the milking hose to the cows and milks them. The amount of milk each cow produces is managed by the IC chips on the cow’s collar. Shimizu explains why this milking machine produces better tasting milk. ”Good milk comes from good feed plus good environment. The ordinary milking process follows the human’s working cycle, and is stressful for the cows. Eliminating the stress on the cows results in great tasting milk.”

You Can’t Beat the Freshness

The best tasting milk is obviously fresh milk drunk immediately. You can’t beat fresh milk. Although it’s not possible to visit the farm daily, if you want to drink fresh milk, the second best choice you have in Tokyo is to drink milk produced in Tokyo. That is one of the features the Tokyo dairy farmers want to highlight, to further promote the ”Tokyo Milk” brand name. While it is true that there have been offers from many companies, the number of farms in Tokyo has decreased from 200 to 60. In Tokyo, it is inevitable that the farms are located next to residences and apartment buildings. Yet, the farms in Tokyo are trying to adapt to the environment, a challenge in itself. As we have found in our travels, the taste differences by region. Here too, they strive for better taste.

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Why ”Miyaji Buta” is so delicious.

”Miyaji Buta” is pork without the smell, meat you can eat in large quantity. It is fatty meat that is so creamy, and the taste so delicate that you do not grow tired of eating it. Nakata inquired about the pig’s breed and found that it is a standard mix breed called ”sangen-kohaishu”. This is the most typical breed consumed in Japan.
Miyaji Buta is certainly delicious. The reason behind it is ”bloodline, feed, and rearing”. Great care is taken in rearing. Yusuke Miyaji, the head of the company told us, ”We take special care not to add any stress to the pigs.”

Siblings together in unity

When animals live in herds, a hierarchy is usually formed according to power. In other words, they fight one other to determine who is the strongest. Pigs are no exception. If you put too many pigs in a sty, a hierarchy will form. You usually need to change the sty four times when raising pigs which means that they are exposed stress four times.
In order to delete the stress, Miyaji raises only piglets from the same litter in a single sty. Pigs usually give birth to a litter of about ten piglets. Miyaji only puts those ten piglets in a sty. It is very inefficient.
”We are raising ten piglets in a sty with enough room for twenty. It is very uneconomical, but I feel sorry for the them. Giving them unnecessary stress would of course, affect their taste. The pigs grow in a space within a sweep of an eye, stress-free. This reflects on the taste of their meat.

Creating a place for farmers to shine

Apart from being a farmer, Miyaji is also the head of an NPO ”Noka-no-kosegare Network.” This organization is literally a nationwide group of the children of farmers, which aims to create a cooperative network of farmers. In light of the decrease in the number of successors, the NPO provides support to new farmers. ”We, the younger generation, want to vitalize agriculture,” in Miyaji’s words.
”So by finding people to join, you’re making a network of people to share the joy and challenges of farming?” asked Nakata. Miyaji replied, ”Yes, that is one of the main goals. Another objective is to make a network with different types of industries. If it is just farmers in the organization, there would be a lot of complaining just like office workers. But if we have people from different industries in the group, we may talk about proactive things like new products. I hope to be able to set the scene for this kind of development.”
Miyaji said that the type of crops or the methods to vitalize the community differ from region to region. There are no fixed formulas for agriculture or livestock. He wants to offer opportunities to synergize knowledge and passion gathered from all over the country, and by offering a platform to discuss various themes, he aspires to support the farmers.

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A rare breed originating in China

”He was just born.” He said as he handed the piglet to Nakata. In his arms, the 7-day old piglet was making a lot of noise, and it was quite a site to see the soccer star trying to settle him down.
The piglet Nakata had in his arms is a breed called ”Meishanton”. It is a rare breed that is native to China, and it had been presented to Japan as a gift from the Chinese government. When fully grown, the ears will droop down, and with its face full of wrinkles, it is a bit ugly. It is known to produce large litters, but raising them is somewhat difficult. However, there is a reason that this breed is being raised here.

Pigs that will save the 21st century

What prompted Tsukahara Farm to raise the Meishanton was a TV program that took up Meishanton as the pigs that will save the 21st century. Noboru Tsukahara explained in detail. He told us that Meishanton was a breed of pigs that coexist with humans. Meishanton are omnivorous, and their feed at Tsukahara Farm is leftovers from processing food. The feed we were shown was bread, pasta, barley tea waste, and tofu, all dried and powdered. ”In modern Japanese farming, we import a lot of corn for pig feed. At the same time there are starving people who cannot even afford to eat corn. I thought that was wrong. Actually, it’s cheaper to buy feed than to make it. But at Tsukahara Farm they accept the cost and the labor, make their own feed to raise Meishanton.

There is a peak season, even for meat

The characteristic of Meishan pork is it’s marbled fat. Compared to any other pork, it has the most marbled fat. And the fat is light, too. That’s why meat shops are flooded with reservations, making it difficult to purchase. At the present, Meishanton is only sold through direct sales, both to individuals and restaurants, so almost none are available at retail meat shops. But they hope to set up a direct sale retail shop in the future. ”We’d like to make processed products and sell what we make by our own hands.” Tsukahara told us.

”I want to eat great foods deliciously. I’ve seen that vegetables taste better if you eat them in season. Now that I know, I want to eat lots of things like that,” Nakata said. ”You know there are seasons in pork,” Tsukahara said. He told us ”Just before winter, the time when nutrition is being stored in the body at the end of autumn. That’s when pork tastes best.”

We were surprised to learn that there was an season even for pork. Food is a deep topic. What does coexistence of humans and pigs mean? In order to produce 1 kg of pork, we need 300 kg of corn. We can’t find an answer whether that is justifiable, but just think about food for a while. Meishanton from Tsukahara Farm may provide the clue.

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Natural Spring Happy for Cattle too

Himi Toyama is a town that is located on the eastern end of Noto peninsula. If you look back from the beach line, you would be able to enjoy the scenery view of both the sea and the mountain. Here, nature offers not just the beautiful view but clear waters as well. The natural spring nurtures the Himi cattle into the best quality beef. The natural spring water from the Tateyama mountains activates the microorganisms inside the cattle’s stomach and helps with digestion. In addition the peaceful atmosphere helps the cattle live in peace. As a result, the cattle eat well and grow with meaty flesh.

Along with Delicious Local Rice

This day, we visited livestock farmer Tanaka-san who raises approximately 80 Himi cattle. He feeds them with original blended feed, one ingredient being ”local pumpkins”. They have an event for pumpkins, and when the event is over, the pumpkins are collected and fed to the cattle. We also visited Nakatani-san’s farm, which used compost from .Tanaka-san’s farm as fertilizers. We ask what made him decide to use compost from Himi cattle to mix into the earth for his farm. ”This naturally came about as a result of everyone’s pursuit for better taste and environment. We came to this conclusion after our search.” It is 16 years since they have started using Himi cattle compost. They are always on the lookout for improving their rice.

Savoring Himi Beef

Himi beef can be savored at the restaurant, ”Tabedokoro Tanaka”. Barbecue beef and steak has always been a popular menu selected among their customers, but the ground beef cutlet also share on the good reputation. Bite into the crispy crunchy deep fried batter and the juicy meaty flavor spreads in your mouth. A moment of absolute bliss. And then if you enjoy it, you’d want to share the experience with your friends. Customers appreciate the gift box sets as well. Himi beef nurtured in the natural environment of Toyama. Give it a try yourself.

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Homemade cheese you can have on the farm grounds

There is a dairy farm in a rich natural environment only about 20 minute drive from the center of Kobe. That is Yuge Farm. Every year, 30,000 people visit the small dairy farm raising 50 dairy cows with an area of about 16 acres. People come here for cheese. The dairy farm started to make cheese in 1984. Their cheese became a sensation and quite popular. The farm currently runs a restaurant where guests can enjoy a full-course meal.
”Fromage frais” is their most popular product. It is fresh cheese that is offered just before it matures. It has a fresh and light taste that suits the palate of Japanese. The cheese goes well with Japanese fermented food such as soy sauce and pickles.
At the restaurant, they serve ”Fromage frais” topped with sliced onion and shredded dried bonito, and seasoned with soy sauce, titled ”fresh cheese ala cold tofu” as an appetizer.

Relax and make yourself at home on the farm

Yuge Farm holds many different events including workshops and live events that also draw many visitors. In addition, many couples come to the farm to hold the wedding ceremonies. The casual feel of a wedding at the farm in nature conveys a special warmness, and has received a good reputation in contrast to the solemnness of churches or shrines.
The cheese producer Yuge told us that for them, cheese is like their children. Their cheese production is full of affection and thoughtfulness. Enjoy the gentle taste of their cheese.

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