Outside Craftsman. Part 2: Organic Farmer "Ome Farm" Futoshi Ota

pointy rice fieldIn this rich natural environment, which is not unlike Tokyo, we grow mainly beets and kale, seasonal (summer: tomatoes, zucchini, Italian basil, etc.) Western vegetables, and Edo Tokyo vegetables such as corer greens (a member of the Chinese cabbage family) and Komatsuna, a traditional unimproved variety of komatsuna. We also grow trendy vegetables such as dill and cilantro, but our focus is on the high street vegetables, and we strive every day to produce the best tasting of them.

pointy rice fieldWe grow vegetables without using any pesticides or chemical fertilizers. We use only fixed seeds (seeds that can remain the same variety) and native seeds (seeds that have taken root in a particular area since ancient times), and we do not use any improved varieties such as F1 seeds (one generation hybrid seeds). My theory is that farming is 60% done when you have the proper soil, seeds, and seedlings. The rest of the process of managing the vegetable production is what is important. Vegetables produced in such a way that makes the most of the power and wisdom of nature have the original flavor and sweetness of vegetables. You will immediately recognize it when you try them.

Ota: For example, tomatoes are grown while calculating the sugar content, which consists of natural sweetness. They grow one after another, so it is important to determine the best harvest timing. The other important thing is water. Tomatoes grow stronger if they are not watered as much as possible. To begin with, tomatoes are a cold-weather vegetable that grows in the Andean desert. In Italy and France, the reason outdoor-grown tomatoes taste so good is because it never rains. In Japan, most tomatoes are grown in greenhouses because of the rainfall, and they are grown in high rows. We don't water our tomatoes unless they are very dry.

pointy rice fieldI was born into a family close to the apparel industry, with both my grandfather and father involved in the yarn business. Although I did not take over the family business, I worked in the apparel industry supporting young creators in their overseas business. However, I gradually began to feel a sense of crisis in the industry. The main reason was the old system of apparel companies and the situation at that time based on the future situation. The creators were working hard and it was rewarding, but I could not create anything on my own, and I was always worried that if the environment did not allow the people I was supporting to stand on their own feet, we might collapse together. At that time, a company called Terada Warehouse offered me a farming project, and I started farming here in April 2015 (T.Y.FARM, the predecessor of Ome Farm).

Originally, I was struck by what I saw in New York City, where I spent most of my 20s studying abroad. While aspiring to work in the apparel industry, I was also interested in fermentation and agriculture. And I think making food is a creative thing. The financiers and creators over there were spending their weekends growing vegetables in community gardens and eating salads, making wine in the suburbs, and eating fish caught in the port. Until then, I had been working hard 365 days a year, but having a fulfilling weekend changed my mindset and made me realize that weekday work could also be creative.

pointy rice fieldIn the beginning, our stance was the Terada Warehouse way, that we just needed to stand out, look good, and be popular, but now we are seriously trying day by day to create a zero-cost system. We are farmers, not farmers. We are all from different industries, so we are always asking "Why? We are always in pursuit of the "Why? We are always discovering new things, such as the fact that some widely accepted farming methods have no basis in fact, or that the wisdom of ancient people was correct. So we encourage the younger generation to learn about farming methods and correct mistakes from time to time. We are doing a different kind of farming by taking advantage of the fact that we are a group of people with creative qualities.

pointy rice fieldThe craftsmen-like staff who create the soil and raise seedlings, which are extremely important for growing crops, are former messengers with farming experience here and there and first-term students who received instruction from the Edo Tokyo Vegetable Concierge Association. The beekeepers who make the best use of the natural environment to produce honey are the successors of the largest apiary in Tohoku, which has been in existence for more than 100 years. And it is my role to understand them well and tell people around me about them. The concept is the same as when I was in the apparel business, where designers worked hard to create and sell their products. We are all of the same generation and have similar values toward agriculture. That makes it very easy for us to work together. Also, as part of our philosophy, we always play music in the workshop. We play music that we have brought with us while we work.

pointy rice fieldWe try to produce locally for local consumption, but most of our products are currently produced in Hanno City and Hidaka City, which are adjacent to Tokyo. For example, we sell the flower part of pakuchi to "DEAN & DELUCA" and the fruit-like sweet seed part to "INUA" where Thomas Freberg, who was a sous chef at the famous restaurant "NOMA" in Copenhagen, serves as chef. In addition, eggplants such as Terashima eggplants, which have a green apple-like texture, are sold to starred restaurants and fine dining establishments such as "81" and "The Blind Donkey". In the future, we would like to sell our vegetables while also telling the side story behind their production.

pointy rice fieldI believe that organic farming in Japan is still ambiguous. In my opinion, pesticide-free agriculture is just one genre of several farming methods. In Japan, if chemical fertilizers and certain pesticides are not used, it can be called organic, but in the U.S. and Europe, anything other than pesticide-free farming cannot be called organic.

pointy rice fieldYes, I am interested in the idea of a "farmer's market". There are many people with different ideas in the agricultural world. We don't deny pesticides because we don't want to be too ideological, we just want to preserve what is good. We just don't use pesticides. And we practice it every day to show that even without pesticides, we can produce such delicious vegetables. Thanks to our efforts, the professional chefs we deal with have a good understanding of our production background and the difference in taste when they eat our produce.

pointy rice fieldIn Japan, there is a cultural belief that the bigger the vegetable, the better. However, beets, for example, have much more flavor when they are small. There are many chefs we deal with who tell us, "If it's not small enough, it's not good enough. In other countries, if the vegetables are too small, they are thrown away as out of standard, but we think it is a waste to throw away all vegetables in the same way.

pointy rice fieldOme Farm is purchased by 90% women and foreigners, and 10% by professional cooks and men. Men who love to cook do not care about the cost of their food when it comes to making delicious dishes. I love these men who love to cook, or "dancyu oyaji," as I call them. It is important to be loved by this 10%. By the way, it is almost always the women who end up eating the food. It's a male cook and a female eater.

pointy rice fieldAs I said before, there are still many ambiguous points in agriculture. It is our job to properly discuss the good and the bad, and accumulate grounded facts. To this end, we are sharing our own trial-and-error experiences and information with everyone. We are also expanding our farmland little by little at the same time. It takes several years for the soil to become fertile enough to grow crops, so we are taking our time. Our immediate goal is to double the number of business partners, who are also our good friends, to more than 100 stores.

pointy rice fieldIt is a place where there is no right answer. The other thing is that farming is also a job of creating landscapes. The field is a canvas. What should we paint on it? Every day is a learning experience, and every day is fun. I think there is no time like this to be creative.

'TheHuynem UnpluggedIn the latest issue of "The Organic Farmer", we cover Birke Mose Gaard Køkken, a cutting-edge Danish organic farm. What we witnessed in Denmark, a leading organic country, was a biodynamic farming method that utilizes the power of the universe in the cultivation of crops. This 100% organic farming method, which is passionate about growing natural vegetables in a more natural and delicious way, had much in common with the pesticide-free farming method practiced by "Ome Farm. Both vegetables were so delicious and full of flavor that I wondered what I had been eating all my life.