Summer 2010 Rice Planting
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- Ducks are used instead of chemicals & pesticides
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- On the train…..
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- After enthusiastically listening to the farmer’s lecture
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- Our planting finally began! YAY!
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- Knee-deep in mud and water
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- Entering the field barefoot, we enjoyed the tender feel of the mud
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- TUJ students did half the field!! Very proud of it!
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- Clear skies
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- Our masterpiece
On a beautiful sunny Sunday, June 6th, 2010, TUJ students visited a local farm in Saitama Pref. and did rice planting at a farm producing organic foods. Instead of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or any other additives, they used ducks and planktons to grow wholesome rice. It was the most common style in Japan until about 50 years ago.
We had a short trip to get to the farm by train. It took us about 2 hours from Tamachi to Fukiage sta. with one transit stop at Ueno sta. Fukiage was a very beautiful place with a lot of nature. The planting just started when we got to the farm. We soon changed clothes and got ready to get muddy.
After the work, we had delicious curry for lunch with other participants. All of the ingredients in the curry were grown at the farm, of course! Umm….it was very tasty!! The other participants were all Japanese parents with their children. Not only was the rice planting great, but mingling
with those local people in the suburban area made the trip such a great experience for TUJ students, especially those who had never been out of Tokyo.
Well, it was such a perfect day & we can’t wait to visit the farm again during harvest!!
Yui Yoshida
