A town rich in food, enjoying the bounty of the sea and mountains

Located about 4 hours from Sapporo and about 1 hour from Hakodate, Morimachi is in an area rich in nature in southern Hokkaido, bordering Uchiura Bay andKomagatake Mountain on theWatashima Peninsula. The town was originally formed through the merger of two towns, Mori-machi and Sunahara-machi, and has been active in agriculture and fishing since ancient times. In the past, many fishermen from the surrounding areas came to the town to work in search of herring, one of the town’s fisheries resources. Today, oyster and scallop farming is also practiced, and along with the local delicacy “ika-meshi” (squid rice), is one of the town’s representative specialties.

Morimachi is also a treasure trove of delicious agricultural products. The town used to be known as a major producer of watermelons and melons, and has also produced rice, beans, and a variety of other agricultural products. The region is also known for its pumpkins, which are the best in the country, and Miyako Pumpkin (Miyako nankin) has earned the title of Japan’s best pumpkin production area. Miyayoi Farm grows “Kuririn,” a pumpkin with thick flesh as sweet as chestnuts. The farm’s acreage is as large as eight times the size of the Tokyo Dome.

Aiming for pesticide-free and organic cultivation from early on

The pumpkin grower at Miyoi Farm is the second generation, Mr. Seiji Akii. He inherited the farm from his father, who had grown watermelons and melons, when he was 20 years old. That was exactly 45 years ago. At that time, the term “organic farming” did not even exist, but he started growingvegetableswithout pesticides in order to “grow safe and secure vegetables that had never been grown before. That was also a history of battles against pests and diseases.

Using chemical fertilizers, which promote crop growth, makes growing vegetables easier, but it also makes them more susceptible to disease. Therefore, Mr. Akai took the plunge and began growing vegetables without chemical fertilizers. Although organic cultivation is now being used by many people due to growing interest in food, he says, “At the time, I could not find any farming methods that could be used as a reference, so I had no choice but to go forward by hand.

Continuing to focus on soil cultivation that makes the most of the ecosystem

So Mr. Akai flew out to any place where he heard of pesticide-free production. Everywhere he went, he heard the same thing: “Soil preparation” was important. He told me that the only way to produce pesticide-free vegetables was to use cattle manure or chicken manure. However, there was no one who could teach him how to make soil from scratch, and Mr. Akai’s doubts deepened. The town of Mori, where he lives, is rich in nature, even if it is not cultivated. Leaves scattered in the forest fall on the soil, are decomposed by microorganisms, become humus, are stored as nutrients, the trees absorb the nutrients again, and the dissolved minerals flow to the sea. I thought that since there is such a natural cycle in the ecosystem, we should be able to incorporate this cycle into the soil of our fields. Recalling his hometown, Uchiura Bay, also known as Eruption Bay, Mr. Akii thought that minerals were found in the sea, and he came up with the idea of using seaweed and barnacles that adhere to scallop shells when they are cultivated as minerals in the soil of his fields. Through further trial and error, he worked on composting the sea minerals.

Encounter with a new pumpkin “Kuririn

As mentioned earlier, Morimachi, a land of volcanic ash, was a popular area for growing watermelons and melons. However, there was competition from other production areas, and a new crop was needed to stand out from the crowd. The average annual temperature in Morimachi is 7-8℃, and even in February, the coldest month, it is -7℃. The temperature in Moricho is relatively mild, even for Hokkaido, where some places record -15°C in winter, but the temperature difference between day and night is large. The greater the temperature difference between day and night, thesweeter the pumpkins and potatoesbecome, as they quickly convert starch into sugar. Morimachi has always been a good place to grow sweet pumpkins.

Mr. Akii was just as particular about finding the right variety for his fields as he was about cultivating the soil. Miyako pumpkin,” a local specialty, is also a delicious variety, but it requires some ingenuity in cultivation, as the flower stalks change depending on weather conditions. While searching for a pumpkin with added value that could not be found elsewhere, they came across an experimental variety called “Kuririn. It had thick flesh, an appetizing dark yellow color, a hokuhokku taste, and surprising sweetness. Unlike any other variety he had ever seen, Mr. Akai thought, “I want to grow this pumpkin. Since then, in cooperation with a seed company, he has continued to experiment with “Kuririn,” and it now accounts for 100% of the pumpkins produced at his farm.

Ripening Achieves Guinness-Level High Sugar Content

In addition to its vast fields, Miyoshi Plantation also has a ripening and processing plant. In the ripening room, which consists of three plastic greenhouses, the temperature inside the greenhouses is raised up to 50°C to speed up the sugaring process of pumpkins harvested in August and September, creating a cold temperature difference.

The method of storing “overwintering cabbage” and “overwintering potatoes” in Hokkaido is well known as a unique storage method that utilizes the effect of low temperatures to increase the sugar content of the vegetables themselves to protect themselves from freezing. However, since the pumpkins at Miyoshi Farm are not subject to natural temperature differences during the harvest season, the farm has developed a method of ripening pumpkins by creating artificial temperature differences.

Of course, if the starch content of the pumpkin is not high, it will not be sweet, no matter how much it is ripened, so it is up to the growers to produce pumpkins with a high starch content.

Even if the minimum nighttime temperature is 25°C, we can increase the temperature difference by storing the pumpkins in a 50°C ripening room,” says Akii. Two weeks of storage in the ripening room quickly converts starch into sugar and removes moisture, further condensing the sweetness of the kuririn. At the processing plant, pumpkin paste is made after harvest.

According to Mr. Akai, “Kuririn” is not only sweet, but also free of acetic acid, or nitric acid, which causes an astringent taste. Therefore, the sweetness of the pumpkin itself can be enjoyed without the need for flavoring such as cinnamon, which is commonly used in pumpkin sweets. It is understandable why famous confectionery stores across the country all use “Kuririn” from Miyoshi Plantation.

Connecting Pesticide-Free and Organic Cultivation to New Leaders

Food” and “energy” are essential for human life, says Mr. Akii. He also says that abnormal weather conditions such as global droughts are no longer limited to agriculture. In Japan, which relies on imports for most of its food and has a low self-sufficiency rate, even corn, which is used to feed livestock, is currently obtained from overseas. The raw materials for chemical fertilizers also come from overseas,” he said. If this situation continues, it will not just be a matter of raising prices; we will run out of supplies and ‘food’ to eat,” he says, expressing a sense of crisis.

In this sense, Mr. Akai believes that Hokkaido, his hometown, has an important role to play. He is thankful for the natural life that exists in Hokkaido and will continue to struggle to maintain this environment. He also believes that his role is to pass on to future generations sustainable, recycling-oriented farming techniques, such as microbe-assisted soil cultivation, while preserving the natural cycle of nature.

In fact, farmers from all walks of life flock to Mr. Akai for advice. Many of them are thinking about the future of not only pumpkins but also lettuce and asparagus, and many of them are of the younger generation. Young people with no farming experience are especially enthusiastic about research. For example, Hiroki Hasegawa, who runs a pesticide-free, organic asparagus farm in Hiyama County, is a representative of Jet Farm, a farm specializing in asparagus. He has an upright attitude toward learning and a flexible way of thinking, so he quickly absorbs what I teach him. The result is evident in the asparagus he produces. Very tasty asparagus.”

Delivering farm products to the whole country that anyone can eat with peace of mind

The days of simply continuing to grow specialty crops are coming to an end.

The time is coming to an end when it is no longer enough to just continue to grow specialty crops, but to ensure “food safety and security” through organic cultivation and “quality” that is sweeter and tastier than any other variety. Mr. Akai realized the importance of these two points at an early stage, and it can be said that he was truly a man of great foresight.

After more than 30 years of struggling since we started pesticide-free cultivation, we have finally reached the ideal quality of pumpkin,” he says. Once a year, we have Kuririn analyzed by a specialized institution, and our pumpkins have almost no nitrate ions left in them, and their antioxidant power is outstandingly high,” he said.

Nitrate ions exist everywhere in nature and are essential for the growth of vegetables, but when taken into the human body, they change into sulfurous acid, which can cause poisoning symptoms, and it is recommended that infants and the elderly in particular avoid excessive intake. Antioxidant power, as you know, is the ability to inhibit and remove the effects of active oxygen, which can cause fatigue and aging. The data supports that “Kuririn” is not only delicious but also good for the human body.

Consumers’ demands for food safety and security continue to grow,” says Akai.

Organic agriculture that takes into consideration the environment and health will be one of the pillars supporting the future of food in Japan. Mr. Akei, who generously shares his techniques with younger farmers in the hope of providing many people with farm products that not only he but also their loved ones can eat with peace of mind, makes me feel as if I could see a bright future for agriculture in Japan.

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In the town of Atsusawabe, richly endowed with forests and water sources,
a farmer specializing in asparagus who practices farming methods that maximize the power of the land.
They continue to produce delicious crops so that everyone can enjoy a healthy and happy life.

Jet Farm’ s asparagus is sought after by everyone from Michelin-starred restaurants to ordinary diners. Mr. Hiroki Hasegawa, the representative of Jet Farm, is earnest in his commitment to healthy and delicious food for everyone, and spares no effort in drawing out the power of the soil in Atsusawabe. How was the asparagus, nicknamed “hasepara,” cultivated?

A Town Where Many Vegetables Grow, Including Potatoes

Located on the Oshima Peninsula in southwestern Hokkaido, the town of Asusabu is a town rich in nature with a thriving agricultural and forestry industry. The tourist city of Hakodate, located in the southeast of the peninsula, is approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes away by car.

While temperatures in Atsusawaabe-cho vary between day and night, the town is relatively mild and the snow melts quickly. A wide variety of crops are grown in the town, including “Asabu make-in,” a specialty crop that begins to be cultivated in early spring, soybeans, and asparagus. Asparagus, which is highly praised by chefs from all over Japan, is grown here in the town of Atsusawabe. Jet Farm, a farm specializing in asparagus, is responsible for this. Harvesting is from spring to summer.

Spring asparagus has a low sugar content, but its flavor is concentrated. The sweetness increases further through the summer.

Asparagus grown without pesticides is highly praised by top chefs.

Jet Farm, a farm specializing in asparagus, started in 2012 with the wish to “make people feel better by eating delicious asparagus. The farm ‘s stance is to use no chemical fertilizers and no pesticides. They do not use pesticides, herbicides, or insecticides, and grow asparagus in compost fermented mainly from plant materials.

As a producer, I am simply helping to draw out the natural power of the land,” says company representative Hiroki Hasegawa. From Italian to French, Japanese, Chinese, and even Spanish cuisine, Jet Farm’s asparagus is loved by chefs of all genres, and chefs at famous restaurants speak highly of the asparagus. Hasegawa’s asparagus, which has won the hearts of numerous chefs, has been delivered to 120 restaurants in Tokyo alone and some 200 nationwide, and there have been inquiries from abroad as well.

Good soil” made by earthworms

The town of Atsusawabe is a basin surrounded by mountains on three sides, and 80% of the town is forested. A river flows around Jet Farm’s fields, carrying nutrients nurtured by the hardwood trees in the mountains upstream. As you can see from the soil, it is clayey and hardens where people walk on it,” he explains. When the hardened soil is dug up, it crumbles like a cookie. What emerged from the crumbled soil were earthworms.

In fact, Hasegawa continues, the holes in the soil that look like tunnels are actually the remains of earthworms.

Earthworms defecate after passing through the holes,” Hasegawa said. When the tunnel holes are filled with feces, water, air, and plant roots can pass through, and the soil is in very good condition.

Microorganisms living in the soil break down organic matter in the soil, and the reduced protein is converted into amino acids, which are then converted into nitric acid and ammonia. This is the material cycle, and once the amino acids are converted, the plants can already absorb them.

However, in the case of chemical fertilizer cultivation, nitric acid and ammonia are not decomposed and increase in number, upsetting the balance. In order to maintain the balance of the material cycle, Jet Farm uses a fertilizer made from a mixture of fish waste, bran, dead asparagus stalks, and weeds collected from their own field soil.

I’d like to complete the process on my own, but we only grow asparagus, so the balance is lost. The weeds, which are plants other than asparagus, play a major role. So weeding is hard work, but I consider it a valuable resource.”

If these are piled up for a long time, they ferment and turn black. About three days before spraying, Hasegawa mixes the bran with crushed crab shells, which are rich in chitin, and kelp meal, and leaves the mixture on the ground. Around here, we often find fossilized whale bones, and about 200 million years ago, there was a sea.

The reason for adding marine materials to the soil is to make it more compatible with the original soil.

We started with manure and now we also use chicken manure. Although manure makes asparagus very sweet, I felt that it was not suitable for this field because it makes the asparagus look overworked.

Mr. Hasegawa searched for something that matched his field and would adjust the nutrients in the soil without destroying its individuality or asserting itself, and he came up with sea manure. I wondered what I could do to make the asparagus taste natural, not overly sweet, as if it had been coated with sugar. When I was looking for a natural flavor, I found that it blends well with the plant matter and minerals of the sea, and I settled on the way we do it now.”

Aspiring to become a farmer to help alleviate food shortages

Mr. Hasegawa, a native of Hakodate, started farming 12 years ago at the age of 26.

It all started when he read a newspaper article in the dormitory of the chemical company where he worked.

The article said that there would not be enough food in the not-too-distant future as a result of the world’s population increase. I decided that if someone else had to take on the responsibility, I would do it myself.

Although his desire to become a farmer grew, Mr. Hasegawa was actually a complete beginner. He chose the town of Atsusawabe because his wife’s family lived nearby, and he received training in potato cultivation, a specialty of the town. Around that time, he met an elderly couple growing asparagus and spinach in a greenhouse. When asked, they said, “My back is hurting and I would like to hand over farming to someone else soon. They told us that they were able to inherit the greenhouses, farm equipment, and barns as they were.

It is said that 90% of asparagus is water, and the quality of asparagus is greatly affected by the quality of water used.

The water supply in Atsusawabe-cho uses subsoil water from Mt. Because of the high quality of the water, we began to focus on asparagus production,” says Hasegawa.

I had experience growing potatoes, pumpkins, and beans during my training. But asparagus was new to me. He learned to grow asparagus from an elderly couple who took over the business. In his second year of farming, he began to feel a positive response.

However,” Mr. Hasegawa recalls.

I think there are parts of farming that you can’t get into unless you understand the principles,” Hasegawa said. But at the time, I just looked up what I didn’t understand on the Internet and gathered what I could.

He was so intent on following the theory that he used pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers without even thinking about it.

For some reason, he began to feel ill more and more often.

He said, “When I sprayed pesticides, I would get sick. I felt that this was somehow not good. I made a drastic decision and stopped using pesticides.

This turned out to be a bad move, and all the above-ground stalks of asparagus died.

After quitting pesticides, the harvest plummeted, and then he met his mentor.

He later learned that if he was going to stop using pesticides, ” the theory was to stop using chemical fertilizers as well, and to use organic fertilizers to improve the soil environment before starting pesticides. However, at that time, Mr. Hasegawa had no way of knowing what the theory was. His personal problems, such as the hospitalization of his child, also took their toll on him, and he became mentally and physically exhausted. As the harvest volume plummeted, he was burdened with expenses and fixed costs. There were times when I relied on my wife’s parents, who live nearby,” he says.

In his third year of farming, it was also a trying time for his asparagus production.

Mr. Hasegawa, troubled by the situation, met someone through an introduction. Mr . Seiji Akii, the representative of “Miyoi Noen” who organically grows “Kuririn” pumpkins with high sugar content in the neighboring town of Mori.

He says, “My mind and body were in shambles at the time, and it was like fate had brought us together. My mentor was also a man who had been experimenting with soil cultivation. He told me to start by understanding what soil is.

He taught me that it is important to understand the soil and to maintain the existing and original environment of the field.

Mr. Hasegawa says that his mentor’s words resonated with him.

He said, “If you use chemical fertilizers, the plants will certainly grow well, but you destroy the balance of the soil. I learned from my mentor that it is not good to do that. He told me that I should care about maintaining the original environment of the soil.”

Soil is composed of mineral dust, water, and air. In addition, microorganisms live and eat organic matter. Microorganisms gather, excrete, and another microorganism eats their bodies and is eaten by another microorganism…the soil is formed through this cycle. Plants live by sucking in nutrients from the excrement and dead microorganisms decomposed by the surrounding microorganisms. He learned that soil is made up of the workings of nature, and he continued to struggle to put this into practice.

He says that by following his master’s teachings and knowing and cultivating his own fields, he was able to create fertile and strong soil.

The asparagus no longer get sick,” he says. The yield also made a V-shaped recovery. I remember feeling relieved at the time that we had somehow managed to get our peelings back on the same page.

Fate continued to bring him opportunities to share the taste of the asparagus he had poured his heart and soul into.

One of my acquaintances who tasted the asparagus I harvested said, ‘Delicious! I was so happy to hear that. He introduced me to the chefs at two restaurants in Meguro Ward : “Ri Carica” in Gakugei Daigaku and “mondo” in Niyugaoka.

The two restaurants liked Mr. Hasegawa’s asparagus and introduced it to their menus. The reputation of “Mr. Hasegawa’s asparagus” spread among Italian chefs, and now there are inquiries from popular restaurants regardless of genre.

To deliver delicious asparagus in its best condition

As a grower, Mr. Hasegawa has always been searching for ways to produce delicious asparagus. He says that in the past, he used to take a forward-looking stance, saying, “I’m going to produce delicious asparagus︕. He says that his forward-looking stance has changed over the years.

Now I want to think about how to draw out the power of the field and how to reflect the power of the soil in the asparagus, and continue to grow asparagus that is “unique to our field.

Mr. Hasegawa is going back to the basics of agriculture, which is “subtractive” farming, where unnecessary things are eliminated rather than adding something new. I want to not only produce delicious products, but also make sure that people eat them in their best condition. He says that he would like to think about storage and distribution as well.

Asparagus that are picked in the morning are immediately put in the refrigerator and chilled for two hours before being cut and packed in bags. After cutting, the asparagus is kept in the refrigerator again until the delivery company arrives to keep it fresh. Unlike potatoes and other vegetables, which become sweeter when the temperature rises, asparagus lose sugar when the temperature rises. The secret to keeping asparagus tasty is not to leave it at room temperature, but to keep it in a state of suspended animation at a temperature close to 0°C, so that as much sugar as possible is not consumed. The asparagus is also delivered “standing up” to keep it fresh.

We want our asparagus to be in its best condition for both three-star restaurants and the average homeowner,” he says.

Jet Farm is celebrating its 10th anniversary. They will continue to weave the workings of the earth, sparing no effort to produce delicious asparagus that will bring enjoyable meals and happy times.

Jet Farm’s asparagus, nurtured by the subsoil water from Mt. With just the right amount of sugar, moisture, flavor, and soft skin, our asparagus can be boiled, grilled, or fried. Please enjoy them as much as you like! Spring asparagus, with its low sugar content, can be used in all kinds of cooking methods and menus, while summer asparagus can be grilled for a deeper flavor. We will do our best to make your mealtime more enjoyable!

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Only 20% of the rice harvest can be called Ten-ei rice

Ten-ei-mura, Iwase-gun, in the central part of Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a rice-growing area. Ten years ago, a group of volunteer rice farmers got together to form the Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Study Group. Aiming to improve the taste and quality of rice, they have been working to cultivate rice using special cultivation and organic cultivation. The group boasts a record of being the only one in Japan to win the gold medal for nine consecutive years at the “International Rice and Taste Analysis Competition*,” a competition for rice taste.
(*) This is a taste evaluation contest for new rice sponsored by the Association of Rice and Taste Analysts, which has been held since 2000. Since the 10th contest, it has become an international competition and is highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad.

In early autumn, Hidetoshi Nakata visited Ten-ei Village, which was in the midst of its harvest season. Yoshio Madarame, chairman of the Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Research Association, took him on a tour of the village’s prized rice fields. Is this Koshihikari rice? What is the yield? We continue our questioning, hearing that the market price in this area is 8 to 10 bales per hectare. Mr. Nakata smiled at Mr. Ikarume, who rolled his eyes and said, “You know a lot about rice. I’ve always loved rice, and I’ve learned so much about it that I’m now a “rice listener. The members of the study group’s members’ voices instantly softened the mood of the room. The Ten-ei Rice Cultivation Study Group was established in 2008. Mr. Ikarame reveals that the deregulation of rice distribution was the initial impetus for the group’s establishment.

Since then, the group has been engaged in special cultivation and organic rice cultivation through trial and error. Among their signature rice products, “Kampo Environmental Farming Ten-ei Rice” uses Kampo as an organic fertilizer and paper mulch rice transplanters as a weed control measure. Mr. Ikarume proudly states, “We do not use any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or herbicides, and we take our time and care to cultivate our rice. Growing rice without pesticides requires more than twice as much work. The harvest is only about 60% of what it used to be. Even so, when you eat the rice, the difference is obvious. I believe it is worth the effort.

Representing the rice farmers of Fukushima, the team won the gold award for the first time in two years.

On the other hand, in order for the value of the rice to be widely recognized, it is necessary to have it evaluated by a third party. With this in mind, the research group has continued to enter its rice in the world’s largest rice competition, the International Rice Evaluation and Taste Analysis Competition. The result was a gold medal for the ninth consecutive year. This record is the reason why Ten-ei rice is known as the best rice in the world.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, he suffered from harmful rumors and almost gave up farming. Still, they did everything they could to decontaminate the soil using zeolite and purify the water. Their efforts bore fruit, and the rice harvested in the fall was undetectable for radioactive materials. The rice harvested in the fall was found to be radiation-free, extending the record of consecutive gold medals at the contest. However, last year, when the gold medal was on the line for the 10th consecutive year, the lack of sunshine due to the long rains had an adverse effect on the rice. The team fell just short of the gold medal and received the Special Excellence Award.

Although the record of consecutive years has been broken, this year they hope to win the Gold Award for the 10th time no matter what it takes. The people of Ten-ei Village are cheering for the people of Fukushima Prefecture to improve the image of their agricultural products. Mr. Nakata is also focusing on ideas to support the people of Ten-ei Village, who are looking forward to the future.
If we win the 10th gold medal, why don’t we change the packaging to a design with stars in a row?
The results of the competition will be announced at the end of November. The date of the contest will be announced at the end of November, and the time is getting closer every second.

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