Isumi in Chiba, home to beautiful satoyama forests and the natural habitat of Genji fireflies, is blessed with fertile, mineral-rich clay soil and is a famous rice-producing region with a long history of providing rice as tribute to the Imperial family.
Recently, with the support of growing interest in food safety, such as the adoption of local pesticide-free, specially cultivated rice in school lunches at the city's elementary and junior high schools, changes are beginning to occur in rice cultivation in this region, which is short of successors.
The Satoyama landscape, where nature and humans coexist—the origins of Japan—is located in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture, not far from the city.
Tsurukame Farm, which is driving this change with young energy, was established four years ago by Shinichi and his wife, Nobuko Tsurubuchi. It produces rice grown without pesticides or fertilizers, using natural circulation techniques. While his family has been in the construction industry since his grandfather's time, Shinichi, drawn to the local nature and agriculture, began growing rice himself.
"I was born and raised in Isumi, but left when I entered university and lived in the city for a long time. After graduating, I got a job at a housing manufacturer, thinking about taking over the family business. However, while working there I felt a lack of fulfillment and began to question city life, where you have to compete with others to fill that void somehow. So, after many twists and turns, the earthquake and then my father's death made me decide to return to Isumi."
Shinichi Tsurubuchi, owner of Tsurukame Farm, showed me around his farm. The jumpsuit, printed with "NO RICE NO LIFE," is from a friend's T-shirt brand, "Kome T."
"When I was living in the city, I thought that if there was a foundation for a rich life, there would be no need for competition and a spirit of sharing and supporting each other would emerge. I decided to grow pesticide- and fertilizer-free rice because I wanted to experience for myself that the world is already rich without all the hard work. And I wanted to share that with everyone."
Shinichi calls the rice he grows at Tsurukame Farm "natural circulation rice." This name isn't meant to categorize farming methods, but rather to reflect his intention to focus on the harmony and cycles of nature and practice farming methods suited to that environment.
Lush green seedlings ready to be planted. In addition to raising seedlings in pools, this year they tried their hand at full-scale field seedling cultivation without using greenhouses.
When they first started the farm, people around them suggested they start with regular rice farming.
"I think what they said was absolutely right. But once I learned about pesticides and fertilizers, I felt like there was no going back. To be honest, I think it was precisely because I didn't know anything about agriculture that I was able to take on the challenge. I took the opposite approach: try the most difficult things while the farmland was small, and then when the area expanded, I could just change the parts that I couldn't handle. I faced a lot of opposition, but I was supported by senior farmers who were practicing natural farming in Isumi, and with the help of city initiatives, it has become much easier. Recently, on the other hand, I feel like more and more farmers are becoming interested in natural farming. It's been a long road, but I'm honestly very happy about it."
"After weeding and restoring abandoned farmland that had been overgrown with reeds, many living creatures began to appear there. It was then that I realized for the first time that human intervention can increase the biosphere of satoyama and create diversity. Farm Share is an opportunity for everyone to share this richness. Even if you're busy working in the city, a small contribution can help maintain this natural environment. We work every day with the aim of preserving this rich nature for the future, rather than just maintaining agriculture. We hope that as a result, we can help to invigorate Japanese agriculture, even if just a little."
His wife, Nobuko, runs the farm with Shinichi while raising their two-year-old son. After traveling around the world for about a year, they happened to visit Isumi and fell in love with its natural beauty. They began thinking about moving there before they even got married.
Shipping volume has been increasing year by year, and recently they've been gradually increasing production of processed products such as rice crackers, mirin, and sake. In Isumi City, brown rice and rice flour are available at Natural Shop Asana in Brown's Field. (They may be sold out.) As a local specialty, they make a wonderful souvenir.
[Farm Information]
Tsurukame Farm
http://farm-share-life.net
>>Series: [A Relaxed Journey in Chiba and Minami Boso]
Recently, with the support of growing interest in food safety, such as the adoption of local pesticide-free, specially cultivated rice in school lunches at the city's elementary and junior high schools, changes are beginning to occur in rice cultivation in this region, which is short of successors.
The Satoyama landscape, where nature and humans coexist—the origins of Japan—is located in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture, not far from the city.
Tsurukame Farm, which is driving this change with young energy, was established four years ago by Shinichi and his wife, Nobuko Tsurubuchi. It produces rice grown without pesticides or fertilizers, using natural circulation techniques. While his family has been in the construction industry since his grandfather's time, Shinichi, drawn to the local nature and agriculture, began growing rice himself.
"I was born and raised in Isumi, but left when I entered university and lived in the city for a long time. After graduating, I got a job at a housing manufacturer, thinking about taking over the family business. However, while working there I felt a lack of fulfillment and began to question city life, where you have to compete with others to fill that void somehow. So, after many twists and turns, the earthquake and then my father's death made me decide to return to Isumi."
Shinichi Tsurubuchi, owner of Tsurukame Farm, showed me around his farm. The jumpsuit, printed with "NO RICE NO LIFE," is from a friend's T-shirt brand, "Kome T."
"When I was living in the city, I thought that if there was a foundation for a rich life, there would be no need for competition and a spirit of sharing and supporting each other would emerge. I decided to grow pesticide- and fertilizer-free rice because I wanted to experience for myself that the world is already rich without all the hard work. And I wanted to share that with everyone."
Shinichi calls the rice he grows at Tsurukame Farm "natural circulation rice." This name isn't meant to categorize farming methods, but rather to reflect his intention to focus on the harmony and cycles of nature and practice farming methods suited to that environment.
Lush green seedlings ready to be planted. In addition to raising seedlings in pools, this year they tried their hand at full-scale field seedling cultivation without using greenhouses.
When they first started the farm, people around them suggested they start with regular rice farming.
"I think what they said was absolutely right. But once I learned about pesticides and fertilizers, I felt like there was no going back. To be honest, I think it was precisely because I didn't know anything about agriculture that I was able to take on the challenge. I took the opposite approach: try the most difficult things while the farmland was small, and then when the area expanded, I could just change the parts that I couldn't handle. I faced a lot of opposition, but I was supported by senior farmers who were practicing natural farming in Isumi, and with the help of city initiatives, it has become much easier. Recently, on the other hand, I feel like more and more farmers are becoming interested in natural farming. It's been a long road, but I'm honestly very happy about it."
"After weeding and restoring abandoned farmland that had been overgrown with reeds, many living creatures began to appear there. It was then that I realized for the first time that human intervention can increase the biosphere of satoyama and create diversity. Farm Share is an opportunity for everyone to share this richness. Even if you're busy working in the city, a small contribution can help maintain this natural environment. We work every day with the aim of preserving this rich nature for the future, rather than just maintaining agriculture. We hope that as a result, we can help to invigorate Japanese agriculture, even if just a little."
His wife, Nobuko, runs the farm with Shinichi while raising their two-year-old son. After traveling around the world for about a year, they happened to visit Isumi and fell in love with its natural beauty. They began thinking about moving there before they even got married.
Shipping volume has been increasing year by year, and recently they've been gradually increasing production of processed products such as rice crackers, mirin, and sake. In Isumi City, brown rice and rice flour are available at Natural Shop Asana in Brown's Field. (They may be sold out.) As a local specialty, they make a wonderful souvenir.
[Farm Information]
Tsurukame Farm
http://farm-share-life.net
>>Series: [A Relaxed Journey in Chiba and Minami Boso]
![Otaki Herb Garden: An all-weather indoor herb garden where you can pick, eat, buy, and enjoy herbs to your heart's content [A relaxing trip to Minamiboso, Chiba, Vol. 5]](https://wrqc9vvfhu8e.global.ssl.fastly.net/api/image/crop/380x380/images/migration/2017/06/dbdd90b1df93589c3d857e814b3e2943.jpg)
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