Ingredient:Ginger
Place:Shimanto-cho, Takaoka County, Kochi Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
We grow rare organic ginger called Ogon Kokuzo II Ginger with special care. Ogon means gold in Japanese so inside is gold! The taste of ginger has sharp, refreshing and spicy.
Specialty:
We harvest the ginger on the best soil located in the 300 meters high where the difference of morning and night temperatures is large, thick fog occurs and rain a lot in summer. JAS-certified organic food.
Ingredient:Tomato, Fruit Tomato, Green Tomato, Yellow Tomato
Place:Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
To make delicious one for customers! We create tomato friendly environment according to the season and climate. Every day we check sunlight, temperature and humidity to manage the environment according to the condition of tomato of the day.
Specialty:
Tomato is planted in summer and grown slowly in a greenhouse to be harvested over November to June. Since tomato turns to red when accumulated temperature reaches a certain degree, tomato will grow faster in summer. Growing tomato over autumn to winter will take more time so that the taste becomes thicker and like a fruit such as Momotaro tomato.
We plant tomato on compressed cedar and cypress bark. It is the best place to root tomato because bark is originally for protecting its tree with strong antimicrobial action, water drainage and just right water retention. Tomato keeps rooting for 11 months after planting to bear fruit!
Ingredient:Mushroom “Tokachi Mush”
Place:Obihiro City, Hokkaido
Thought about the ingredient:
Our staff at Kamata Kinoko is responsible for all processes.
Both raw and heated mushroom is delicious!
Specialty:
Tokachi area in Hokkaido has suitable land for growing mushroom. Tokachi Mush gets nutrition from Tokachi land and cultivated without an agrochemical.
Since mushroom farming started in 17th century, horse manure and straw is known as the most suitable growth medium for mushroom. So we obtain it from the stable at Banei horse race track and use it to grow our mushroom.
We use clear underground water from Satsunai river which runs next to our place.
Water accounts for around 90% of mushroom. If you don’t use good water, the taste will no doubt be not good.
The land after harvest will become nutrient-dense organic fertilizer so that it will be transferred to a neighbor farm, which plays a part of circular agriculture.
Ingredient:Lotus roots
Place:Inashiki City, Ibaraki Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
Lotus roots are well-known as autumn or winter vegetables, but actually the harvest season continues from the beginning of the summer to spring. At the beginning of the season, new lotus roots are so moist such that you can eat it fresh and the texture is crunchy. Lotus roots grow bigger in autumn and winter and have different soft textures and taste because they contain more starch in them. Enjoy the seasonal taste of lotus roots depending on the seasons.
Specialty:
Two siblings and I learnt the skills from our predecessor regarding rice and lotus roots harvests and then we started our business. Now we manage 12 hectares with 4 new full-time staff and the annual yield of around 15 tons. This area has abundant water for sand due to the location between Lake Kasumigaura and the Tone River with sandy soil. Sandy soil is good for the skin of lotus roots and abundant water is essential for lotus roots. This location is the most suitable for harvesting lotus roots.
Ingredient:Naruto Kintoki (Sweet potato)
Place:Naruto City, Tokushima Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
Naruto-kintoki sweet potato is made on the sandy soil of Naruto and becomes sweet like chestnuts. By keep it in storage, the sweet potato becomes sweeter and the texture becomes smoother. We use special storage to keep it for at least 50 days to make it sweeter and deliver the best ones to our customers.
Specialty:
We take the time and make some effort to harvest it by using our special fertilizer (original one containing 80 % of organic constituent) on the land of Naruto which is rich in minerals, is air-permeable, and well-drained. We check each field to see the conditions of the land every year. Based on our experiences for over 8 generations on this farm, we adjust the fertilizer according to the weather and growing environment. We supply sufficient minerals in order to have the crop produce the starch which will be the source of sugar for the sweet potatoes. We wish it to grow with healthy roots and leaves to maximize photosynthesis effects.
Ingredient:Nagano Purple, Sunshine Muscat etc
Place:Sakaki-machi, Nagano Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
I harvest them in the early morning and deliver them on the day because I want everyone to eat them fresh.
To maximize the fact that the delivery is made directly from the producer, we closely select the best timings for ripeness and then harvest and deliver so that our customers are able to eat these fruits at their peak ripeness.
When you eat it, your mouth will be filled with the fruit juice as well as a rich taste and aroma.
Specialty:
Sakaki-machi is located in the north-east of Nagano prefecture. The area has not much rain and has the best sandy soil for harvesting grapes. This weather is similar to Bordeaux in France so we call this area the “Japanese Bordeaux”. With an elevation of 700 meters, the big difference in temperature in the morning and at night will help to grow good grapes. I’m a third generation of this fruit farm with over a 100 year-history and already 11 years since I started making the grapes. I make around 30 kinds of grapes including Nagano Purple and Sunshine Muscat while keeping the traditional methods. I try to harvest the fruits naturally and try not to adulterate the taste. Each year the taste of the grapes is different. I would like to enjoy the differences. Even though it’s just one grape, you can feel the story of grapes in terms of history, traditions and our philosophy.
Ingredient:Curly Kale
Place:Iiyama City, Nagano Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
Kale is a well-known ingredient for making healthy green juices but is not eaten on a daily basis, so we couldn’t buy it at a normal supermarket. I thought if we cannot buy it at a supermarket, just make it by ourselves! That was the reason I started to grow kale. I wish for more people to enjoy nutritious kale.
For customer to enjoy eating kale itself, we think about our cultivation methods and the timing of harvests and use environment-friendly, secure and safe production methods.
Specialty:
A small farm in a small village. This place is surrounded by mountains with fresh air and water. In spring, snow melts and wild plants and new spouts start growing. In summer, the difference in temperature in the morning and evening is large and the morning dew is shiny. In autumn, the leaves appear. In winter, snow accumulates for a few meters. We grow vegetables and rice in such a wild nature to enjoy the four seasons. I always make an effort to live with nature and grow strong plants. Okachu farm was recognized as an eco-farmer by the governor of Nagano prefecture.
Ingredient:Zucchini, Colinky, Green Soybean, Tomato, Eggplant etc
Place:Shirai City, Chiba Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
I want customers to enjoy fresh taste of vegetables so I don’t sell vegetables that is harvested a while ago.
Specialty:
The most important thing to grow vegetables is sand. In order not to waste any, collect vegetable waste, egg shell, and farm waste to ferment them for 1 to 2 years. Then add cow dung and homemade fermented compost to the sand. By putting cow dung, vegetables will be sweeter.
Ingredient:Coriander, Lettuce, Spinach, etc
Place:Uda City, Nara Prefecture
Thought about the ingredient:
Challenge on stable quality and new vegetables
Specialty:
Organic farming. My priority is not to use any chemical fertilizer or compost as well as crops that are genetically modified. In addition, My agricultural products are grown at a firm where soil has been made by using composts for more than 3 years before planting.
Ingredient:Tomato ”grown in Setagaya”, Zucchini, Eggplant, Cucumber, Okra, Manganji Chili, etc..
Place:Setagaya Ward, Tokyo
Thought about the ingredient:
I often harvest vegetables in the morning because I want everyone to eat my fresh vegetables.
At Mr. Farmer Komazawa, there is an opportunity that you can eat vegetables that is just harvested in the morning!
Specialty:
As my farm is located in the residential area, I hardly use agricultural chemicals. I have the certification of ecology agricultural products of Tokyo and aim to make safe and secure ones.