Zama Farm - soybean harvest

 Since coming to Japan, through a connection with the wife of one of Kimball's co-workers who is Japanese, I have been able to visit Zama Farm and get to know the people who own it. Its very interesting to visit the farm and I wish so much that I could speak better Japanese so that we could communicate more effectively. But, in spite of everything, they are most gracious and kind and I always leave with more than I came with!

On Monday I was invited to help with the soybean harvest.  My task was very simple. The soybeans were cut and drying and I put them together in small bundles and tied them with rope, then we set them in a row in the field to continue to dry. (You can see the drying bundles in the background of the picture.) Its interesting that in Japan a lot of the farming is done by small farms using more labor intensive methods. I have yet to see anything that comes close to the big production agra-business type farming we have in the US. There might be farms like that here but I haven't seen them. 






After we finished in the fields we were invited back to the house for some Chamomile tea.  When we arrived there were some ladies sitting on tatami mats making "New Year's wreaths" from rice stalks. They cut the rice back in Sept and then save some of the stalks for this project. This year they plan to make and sell 150 wreaths. 

 As we watched, they invited us to make one ourselves. I was hesitant at first, but I decided to give it a try.  Things were going well until all of a sudden we saw something BRIGHT red on the tatami mat. I looked down and realized it was coming from my finger! I had cut myself on the sharp end of the wire we used to hold the wreath in place. I was so embarrassed that I bled on the mat! But the ladies were super nice and no one seemed put out at all. Someone ran in the house to get a bandage and I washed off the blood at an outdoor sink. 

As we left we were given lunch boxes, we each had our own wreath, plus they sent us home with a squash and daikon (big white radish)! I felt like I didn't work enough for all that!! 








Comments

  1. sojayNovember 18, 2020 at 9:40 PM

    Wow, immersed in the culture! What a great experience!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suzanne OhsiekNovember 19, 2020 at 2:41 AM

      I know, its so crazy how these connections came about, but its been very interesting and somewhat intimidating to visit the farm. After I got home this time I could think of some Japanese phrases and sentences that I could have said, but in the moment I just freeze up!

      Delete

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