updated '05.02.24
Neal's Weekend-farming
'05/02/22 Plant potatoes and work in a woodsNew!
'04/04/29-30　Check green tea plant and plant vegetables
'04/01/17 Making dried persimmon
'03/08/26 The joy of Weekend-farming
'03/08/10 Weekend-farming
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'05/02/22 Plant potatoes and work in a woodsNew!

In winter, my field for weekend-farming took rests for a while, and now it is time to wake up and work. Lately the soil looks too hard to plant vegetables owing to using tiller machine that break the block of it too fine, and lack of organic matter in it as well. This time I cultivate the field with hand-hoe and mixed lot of dried-cut-hay into the soil.
Then I planted 88 pieces of potatoes. I will have fresh potatoes after Hamamatsu Kite festival is over in May. I can't wait.

Then I worked in my woods to cut off redundant branches of 20 Japan-cypresses so that they may become straight and gnarl-less in the future, which are more worth much. But this job may be worthless, because the wood price in Japan is getting cheaper, thanks to the imported wood.

　

Dried-cut-hay before mixed into the soil

seed potatoes after silica treatment,
and natural camellia flowers.
After furrowed by hand hoe. The soil blocks are large.
You can see the seed potatoes in rides
Covered by the soil.

By using an aluminum ladder,
I cut the branches on it.
"Before"
"After"
'04/04/29-30　Check green tea plant and plant vegetables　

I went to the field to check and decide the trimming day of green tea. Thanks to the good whether, the growth is pretty good, then I fixed the date: May 2nd.

And I planted tomatoes, egg-plant, ginger, pumpkins and cucumbers.
The birds were parching and wind is comfortable, the early Summer has come. I like this season best.

I also harvested peas, green onion, scallions and so on. At the dinner,as those were cooked as Tempura and boiled vegetables by my wife, we enjoyed them with superior Japanese sake: Hananomai Daiginjyo.

Young green-tea leaves grew up and is ready to trim.
Peas are grew up, and potatoes and onion are very healthy.
'04/01/17Making dried persimmon

In the late Fall and early Winter of 2003, I tried to make dried persimmon that I experienced little in my childhood.
As you may know, dried persimmon tastes sweet and chewy, and it is similar to dried plum if we look for the same kind of food in the Western Countries.

The material is astringent persimmon instead of sweet one. When you try to eat the raw one bravely, you are astonished 'how astringent it is!'

I picked about 100 raw persimmons on the 200 years old tree, arranged the calyx and small twigs on top of persimmon neatly, and then pared off.
They were paired with strings made by fresh palm tree's leave that is torn and split three mm wide each.

Next morning, I hung them on a bar under the eaves where ventilation is well
Fortunately, Hamamatsu Area in Japan has the good weather to dry them, because it is very cool, dry and windy in this season.

One month later, they became dark-orange-colored and hard, that was the time to take them in house, and take (massage) the stiffness by fingers. Then keep them inside of the room where is cool.

A couple of week late, I found that white powder that may be starch of persimmon had appeared on the surface
It is the sign that the dried persimmon has became very delicious.

Now I enjoy eating it as very good dessert, every day

In the old days, they were very important food to take sweet nutrition.

I hurtfully respect our ancestor who discovered that the terribly astringent persimmon turns to such sweet one by paring and drying in the cold air.

Old persimmon
Just be picked (Right)
and arranged to be pared off.
After pared off.
Hanging and drying under eaves
,for one month.
Completed.
White powder appeared on the surface.
'03/08/26 The joy of Weekend-farming

They sometimes ask me " why do you spend your precious time for the heavy work of kitchen-gardening?"
I always answer, " That is because I can enjoy safe, fresh and delicious vegetables with delicious Sake."
After I finish working at office and return home in the evening, then I am often able to enjoy the dishes that are of my raised vegetables, with some first-rate Japanese Sake. That is the happiest time for me.
＜My vegetable Dishes＞　
Red Perilla juice 　　　　　　　　　
Salad of Lettuce and Budock 　
Fresh Ginger and homemade Miso
Light boiled Moroheya　　　　　　
Pumpkin boiled with soy sauce　
Japanese Sake: "Arabashiri"
　
Upper right dish is an original Bonsai designed by my wife
'03/08/10 Weekend-farming

I like outdoor activities. I believe the ultimate outdoor activity is Agriculture, because it is not a consuming but a productive and sustainable activity, compared to those of camping, biking, hiking and so forth.
I cultivate tea plants and vegetables on a 700: respectively 550 and 150, square meter field that is located 30km away from my house and is in a mountains area. I commute there every weekend to sow, plant, fertilize, take care and harvest those products.
Now, there is taros, cucumber, Goya, eggplants, gingers, kidney beans, carrots, tomatoes, lettuces, leeks, green onion, Burdock, sweet potatoes, Perilla, pumpkins, basilico, Ensai and so on.
I got 400Kg fresh and raw tea leaves this spring.
I intend to use as little agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizers as possible. Especially I never use any agricultural chemicals for the tea plants.

Sweet Potato, Burdock
Tea Plant
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