As we enter 2013, Hello Farm Organics would like to take a moment to reflect on our successes in our first growing season. We feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to start our own organic farm here in beautiful Kyoto. We have so much to be thankful for in our first year. Here is a timeline with some highlights:
December 2011- We were introduced to the Hello Farm Project initiated by a wonderful local NPO, 坂ノ途中, On-The-Slope. http://on-the-slope.com/hellofarm/
On-The-Slope supported our transition from Ibaraki Prefecture to Kyoto by finding us both land and buyers for our food, among other things such as finding second-hand equipment and introducing us to neighbors.
March 2012- We finally broke soil with the help of our new neighbors in Keihoku, Northern Kyoto, and started seedlings in multiple locations around Kansai, including Osaka YMCA International School’s Adopt-A-Plant project.
August 2012– With the help of other supporters, we were able to donate a percentage of our crops to communities effected by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster. This also included several orphanages in the Kanto and Tohoku areas. In all, we donated more than 130 000Yen worth of safe, organic vegetables over the growing season.
October 2012– With our weekly sales to local restaurants, markets, stores, and food box programs, we managed to come out in the “green” in our first year. Yeah for us!
November 2012– We found out that we will be able to continue supporting orphanages and Northern communities in the Tohoku area for the 2013 growing season. 2013 will surely offer a greater variety of organic vegetables than last year!
December 2012– We decided to start a food box delivery program in 2013, based on seasonal vegetables, with minimal packaging and minimal pre-washing. This is in order to maintain vegetable shelf life but also because it better reflects our ideals about what how healthy, organic produce should be handled in a market culture of over packaging. Our soil and vegetables will also be regularly checked for radiation levels with the help of On-The-Slope NPO. Please visit our Veggie Order tab for more details about the veggie box program. The program will start in June, 2013.
Thank you so much to all our supporters for a wonderful first year up in the Kyoto mountains. Please tell your friends about us! We are super excited about our second growing season and look forward to growing as a business in 2013. Have a safe, healthy and happy New Year, everybody!
あけましておめでとうございます！
Ava and Zenryu
Hello Farm 