Yoshino forest thinnings are powdered and mixed with enzymes to ferment, creating an enzyme bath. Once that process is complete, the compost is transformed into fermented compost, which is then used to grow plants. We spoke with Masaki Terada, who runs Biogarten Yuniwa no Sato, a chemical-free organic fermented compost farm in Sakai City, Osaka.
■Safety of what goes into your mouth
A former teacher, Terada started farming about eight years ago. By chance, he began tending to the school's fields and rice paddies. He became concerned about pesticides. While some produce is completely organic, the majority of produce on the market is sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which made him question what he was doing to the food people eat.
After he began farming in earnest, Terada aimed to use no pesticides or fertilizers, but his produce was infested with insects and worm-eaten food. It was simply not something he could sell. Just when he was about to give up on growing organic vegetables, he met Yamaguchi Naoya of Flavor Co., Ltd., which runs the "Enzyme Bath" bath. He came up with the idea of using the cypress powder used in the enzyme bath as fertilizer to cover the farmland.
Normal sawdust contains impurities that have a negative impact on the soil. However, the sawdust produced in Yoshino is completely organic and contains enzymes.
Golden Fields Thanks to Fermented Compost
"In the Yoshino mountains, fungi ferment the piled-up plant remains, creating fluffy, nutrient-rich soil. Think of our fields, covered with fermented compost, as being adapted to the environment of the Yoshino mountains," says Terada. Overflowing with nutrients, the asparagus grows vigorously in the fields, and the pest damage that occurred when he was worried about not using pesticides has been eliminated.
■Golden fields where asparagus grows thrives
Unlike vegetables that arrive in the city from farms far away in the suburbs, even the way you eat freshly picked vegetables changes. At the moment, Terada's vegetables are still hard to come by, but he says he is willing to teach other farmers if they want to introduce fermented compost. In order for the day to come when golden fields shining with fermented compost will become more widespread, we need to change our awareness.
A field where asparagus grows vigorously
■The story of the circular tree cycle in Yoshino, Nara
Thinned wood cut from the mountains of Yoshino is ultimately transformed into cypress compost. And along the way, there are many people who do things "for someone else."
For example, for the sake of a forest that they will never see, to one day inherit the traditions that they have inherited to this day, and so that everyone can eat food with peace of mind.
What's wonderful is seeing people all connected horizontally, sharing their wisdom and skills with each other, and receiving compensation for them. What can you do now to address the issues in front of you?
Even if you don't go as far as saying it's for the Earth, it's beautiful to think of ideas and connections being pooled together and taking action for the happiness of those around you. This sustainable field trip made me realize that maybe now is the time to let go of a lifestyle that is solely focused on one-sided consumption.
■Safety of what goes into your mouth
A former teacher, Terada started farming about eight years ago. By chance, he began tending to the school's fields and rice paddies. He became concerned about pesticides. While some produce is completely organic, the majority of produce on the market is sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which made him question what he was doing to the food people eat.
After he began farming in earnest, Terada aimed to use no pesticides or fertilizers, but his produce was infested with insects and worm-eaten food. It was simply not something he could sell. Just when he was about to give up on growing organic vegetables, he met Yamaguchi Naoya of Flavor Co., Ltd., which runs the "Enzyme Bath" bath. He came up with the idea of using the cypress powder used in the enzyme bath as fertilizer to cover the farmland.
Normal sawdust contains impurities that have a negative impact on the soil. However, the sawdust produced in Yoshino is completely organic and contains enzymes.
Golden Fields Thanks to Fermented Compost
"In the Yoshino mountains, fungi ferment the piled-up plant remains, creating fluffy, nutrient-rich soil. Think of our fields, covered with fermented compost, as being adapted to the environment of the Yoshino mountains," says Terada. Overflowing with nutrients, the asparagus grows vigorously in the fields, and the pest damage that occurred when he was worried about not using pesticides has been eliminated.
■Golden fields where asparagus grows thrives
Unlike vegetables that arrive in the city from farms far away in the suburbs, even the way you eat freshly picked vegetables changes. At the moment, Terada's vegetables are still hard to come by, but he says he is willing to teach other farmers if they want to introduce fermented compost. In order for the day to come when golden fields shining with fermented compost will become more widespread, we need to change our awareness.
A field where asparagus grows vigorously
■The story of the circular tree cycle in Yoshino, Nara
Thinned wood cut from the mountains of Yoshino is ultimately transformed into cypress compost. And along the way, there are many people who do things "for someone else."
For example, for the sake of a forest that they will never see, to one day inherit the traditions that they have inherited to this day, and so that everyone can eat food with peace of mind.
What's wonderful is seeing people all connected horizontally, sharing their wisdom and skills with each other, and receiving compensation for them. What can you do now to address the issues in front of you?
Even if you don't go as far as saying it's for the Earth, it's beautiful to think of ideas and connections being pooled together and taking action for the happiness of those around you. This sustainable field trip made me realize that maybe now is the time to let go of a lifestyle that is solely focused on one-sided consumption.
