Shape of Artfarm

The Shape of Art Farm Inc.

The Farm Project of Art Farm Inc. 　Foreward ewordSome 20 years ago, I moved to Shimoda, Shizuoka Pref. from Asakusa, Tokyo . The scenery around Shimoda and Minami Izu, at that time, was a picturesque series of paddies and farms; but these days I very often find deserted and weed-ridden fields over the district. The situation eventually became much clearer to me, as I came to know the problem. And I would never take the issue so seriuosly if I were living in Tokyo. ( I write this in relation to Ernest House, our hotel, because I can easily get a clear view of the matter that way.) 1. Why to carry out the Farm Project right now? The farming households all over Japan, not only in Shimoda, have long been suffering from the shortage of successors. The land tax is to be much higher if the farm is diverted to housing lots, and if not, there is a poor demand for housing. Consequently, they cannot choose but to let it be, that is, to leave vast land fallow. And once long-deserted, it takes a great deal of labour and money to make it available again. The situation does not seem to be changed so easily. My feelings are that the forsaken land would be brought back to life if someone who wants to do farming could lease it at a reasonable rent, which I think would be the best way out. But then again, if that "someone" is a big corporation, economic efficiency will take priority and we will not be able to see the rice paddies with many insects and other tiny creatures. 2. How to cooperate with Ernest House? Art Farm Inc. has an accommodation, Ernest House, with a bar and a restaurant, where the guests are welcomed by flowers and foliage plants. The expenditure has been increasing each year. (1) tasty and authentic tomatoes Tomatoes at supermarkets, for example, have to go all the way through the various points of the distribution system before purchased. That makes the farmers harvest and pack them unripe, then they lose the original taste and flavor. And considerable amount of pesticide is used simply because nice-looking vegetable does sell at stores. It is far from safe food. (2) flowers that make you feel the seasons Most cut-flowers on the market, for example, are grown in greenhouses and available regardless of the harvest time: quite convinient. On the other hand, we are losing the sense of the seasons . Moreover, greenhouse culture costs so much that we have to buy expensive ones. (Nevertheless, I am glad to eat cucumber all through the year.) (3) to reuse food waste Food waste, like vegetable waste and left over, can be reused for compost. I think that we have to begin with small things like this to say something about the environmental problems, though I will not say anything extreme. Here we come to a conclusion: the Farm Project is quite significant in cooperation with Ernest House, although the Farm Project cannot possibly provide all the vegetable and fruit that Ernest House needs. 3. What will the farm look like? The staple products are confined to vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers and eggs that are in demand particularly at Ernest House. The farm has to look like a beautiful garden so that many guests can visit there and enjoy farming or simply looking. At the entrance is a barn that keeps tractors and equipment, beside which a path lined with the plants for cut-flowers leads to a herb garden adjacent to an open space of suitable size for harvesting and resting. Going further along the path, a vast tangerine grove lies beyond some patches of tomatoes and eggplants. A pickup truck that carrys the products to Ernest House can get an easy access to the farm. Two more necessities: tap water or a well to wash vegetable and farming machines, and electricity for lighting. The farm that I think ideal is made up of all these things, and the total design is to be made by Art Farm Design. (By the way, a brook is never a drain, is it?) 4. How to manage the farm? (1) man power Fortunately, agriculture does not takes much labor all through the year. The busy time is confined to planting, harvest,and early in spring when the soil needs to be firtilized. A couple of workers are enough to weed and add fertilizer, and those works do not need to be done everyday. Ernest House has the busiest time in Summer, and has superfluous labor for the rest of the year. On the other hand, agriculture does not have much to be done in summer. With all these things taken into account, farm work sure will be an ideal time killing job for the staffs of Ernest House, of the bar, of the restaurant, and for the free lodgers. Besides, agriculture is said to be the right profession to keep your mind sound. (2)which agronomy to adopt So far, EM culture seems to be the optimum among chemical-free/organic methods although there must be some trials and errors for some time. The experiment, which has been carried out in the front yard of Ernest House for a couple of years, shows that EM method repels most insects and needs by far less fertilizer: amazing effects. (Still, I want to try some more alternatives.) 5. in case of superfluity or shortage of crops The superfluous products will be nice presents for the guests and will be listed on the web page to sell by email order. The advantage of E-commerce coupled with C.O.D. policy is that you can grow the plants according to orders after announcing the variety of crops on the web page, and that you can make it clear beforehand that the products could not be sent if the crops would fail because of bad weather like typhoons. That can prevent the worst case that the goods cannot be delivered after taking orders. (Anyway, we had better do away without troubles like this.) 6. and the others Would it be nice to have a harvest party at the farm? Can't we celebrate the harvest with many guests and neighbors around? Just imagine, you reach out, pluck off a tomato, then bite into it! Then we will see the fresh vegetables transforming into superb cuisine by the magic touch of the chef while dining under the harvest moon. A live concert can be held when the open space is large enough. It must be a blissful time to have wine and food as a string quartet plays a beautiful melody. ( A rock band is also cool ! ! ! ) Postscript I thought that a project like this, as a matter of course, should be carried out by Nokyo (the Agricultural Cooperation). But when I went to the nearby branch office and showed a copy of the draft, the manager did not seem to take any step, nor refer to a conference, only to say " Maybe, the time is going to be like this." He must be tied down by the tradition of the old organization. I know that an entirely new organization will readily allow you to do something new. Now I am planning to take advice from over the web to make the project into reality. Every new project started like this before, but the Farm Project has a great possibility that it might change the whole country. We would be happy if you would take it for your own project and join us. Please email your ideas and opinions, and we will eventually set up a bill board/conference channel.
One farmer uses a Land Rover pickup, another has a suite of Wilkinson tools; this farm is in English country fashion, the other French Provincial; look, those paddies are entirely in archaic Japanese style: the ultimate gardening, I wuold say. Were they confined within a few places, they might be mistaken for some tourist attractions. But, all over the country are so many fields available that there could be no chance for mistke.
At long last, we have rented the farm. It is already April, and we are still weeding. I wonder if we can grow plants successfully. Farming turned out to be a hard job beyond expectations. I am really surprised to know that only the hard labor upon labor can create the beautiful landscapes of farm villages. text by T. Uchida April, 2000 Art Farm Inc. mail to : info@mail.artfarm.co.jp

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