The glorious cherry blossoms all over Kansai and Japan are a sure sign of spring and we have been super busy getting ready for our second growing season at Hello Farm Organics. In the photo, Zenryu is using Kyoto rice straw to trellis organic snap peas, which we seeded in the fall and successfully overwintered under the snow. It is always exciting for us to learn local Kyoto techniques from our neighbors. This was the first time either of us had trellised peas in this way. This year, we have been able to get into our garden much earlier and as a result, we feel much more prepared for the coming growing season.
In short, here is what we have been up to in March/April:
– seeding pots of eggplant, heritage tomatoes, sweet peppers, parsley and basil under our warm grow lights for later transplanting
– seeding trays of kale, lettuce and broccoli seedlings in our cold frames (mini green houses for cooler areas) for later transplanting
– weeding and preparing garden beds for planting
– direct seeding radish and baby salad mix in the garden
– maintaining our overwinter crops such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, broad beans, snap peas, cabbage, garlic, bulb onions, and baby salad mix
– consulting closely with our main distributor and supporter, Saka-no-Tochu (On-The-Slope)
As promised, we still plan to start offering our own Hello Farm Organics veggie box delivery program in June. Although we have continued to harvest all winter, our program will not start until June when we have a greater variety of produce to offer. We will have 20 veggie boxes available for families each week on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will cater to English-speaking residents as it is a challenge for non-Japanese speakers and readers to find healthy, safe, organic vegetables in Japan.
If you currently live in Japan and are eager to start ordering organic vegetables now, please visit On-The-Slope.com. A large percentage of our produce is already distributed through On-The-Slope and can be found in some of their veggie boxes and in their store, even now. As you will see on their website, they are absolutely committed to supporting organic farmers and consumers, by only purchasing and distributing safe, organic, and naturally grown food. On-The-Slope now has some English pages on their website and you can now order using their English printable order form. Try calling if you cannot sort it out, as many of the staff speak English and are very friendly. (+81) 75-200-9773. Tell them Hello Farm Organics sent you 🙂
Please keep watching for news and updates. We sincerely appreciate your ongoing interest and support in our farm. We can’t wait to start sending donations Northbound to Fukushima again this year. We are so happy to be able to continue participating in food safety programs here in Japan, and the Hello Farm Project again this year.
Love and peace,
Ava and Zenryu
Hello Farm 