We are happy to announce the special sale of the sun-dried organic rice grown in our rice paddy in Tochikubo village, Minamiuonuma. We conduct this sale in order to accept responses for the coming “Online Tour” on January 30. Only limited amount of the rice we have, so in one order, up to 5 kgs is available. We set the order from below this page in the afternoon of Jan. 30. We are sorry that the tour is in Japanese language only.
No chemical materials, like pesticides and weed killers, were used. Fertilizer is 100% organic. Traditional sun drying process on the rack was taken. Because of so many hand works, such totally organic rice is almost vanished even in this Minamiuonuma, the heart land of famous “Koshihikari Rice.”
From the planting of seedlings to weeding and harvesting, ECOPLUS has been organizing workshops since 2007. In 2022 season, we will conduct the program carefully seeing the situation of COVID-19.
On September 25 and 26 of 2021, ECOPLUS conducted harvesting workshop in an organic rice paddy in Tochikubo Village in Minamiuonuma, the heartland of the famous “Koshihikari-Rice,” in Niigata.
Considering the situation of COVID-19, we organized the program as a day program asking participants come to and leave from the paddy directly. All 23 participants were fully vaccinated.
On Saturday, we had gorgeous view of golden rice paddy under the blue sky. In order to protect skin, we needed to wear long sleeves. The sunshine was so strong. All of us sweated from the beginning. Mr.FUEKI Akira, a local farmer, taught us the important and difficult skill, to bundle the sheaf, called “Meruke,” in this area.
More than half of participants were totally novice at using a sickle. At the beginning they were struggling to cut the stems clearly and to make “Maruke” in muddy rice paddy.
However in one hour or so, people acquired the ways. Some were just keep cutting and bundling works and some were doing the work taking neighboring persons joyfully. Fresh green colored frogs were jumping out from the ground. Red dragonflies were coming close to us. From a tiny structure to introduce water to the paddy, small fishes were caught and a local biologist explained those as one of endangered species in Japan, called “Shiny-Motsugo.”
On Sunday, weather condition totally changed. We started the work one hour earlier. It was cool and comfortable at the beginning. The work went smoother than the day before. Close to the noon, the rain started. The temperature went down, too. At the end, all of us worked hard to finish. Surprisingly we finished all works from cutting, budding and hanging by shortly after 1 pm.
“I somehow felt appreciation when I thought each of those grains was a ‘seed’ when I faced to those rice. The shining golden rice field might not be illusion. Rice was shining because they were celebrating the final phase to pass the life to the next generation;” a young participant commented.
The organic rice will be dried for 10 days to 2 weeks. Then husks will be removed and will be ready to eat. Only limited amount are available for interested persons.
We are happy to announce that the sun-dried organic rice grown in our rice paddy in Tochikubo village, Minamiuonuma, will be harvested shortly with quite high quality shortly. The rice will be dried under the sun a while then in mid-October it will be ready to taste.
From the planting of seedlings to weeding and harvesting, ECOPLUS has been organizing workshops although in this tough time caused by COVID-19. Very limited amount of this precious rice will be available for sale.
No chemical materials, like pesticides and weed killers, were used. Fertilizer is 100% organic. Traditional sun drying process on the rack was taken. Because of so many hand works, such totally organic rice is almost vanished even in this Minamiuonuma, the heart land of famous “Koshihikari Rice.”
Polished 1,300 yen/kg and unpolished 1,200 yen/kg plus shipping. Rice grown with 80% less chemical is also available; polished 800 yen/kg, unpolished 700 yen/kg. Contact tappo@ecoplus or use the form below.
No chemical materials, like pesticides and weed killers, were used. Fertilizer is 100% organic. Traditional sun drying process on the rack was taken. Because of so many hand works, such totally organic rice is almost vanished even in this Minamiuonuma, the heart land of famous “Koshihikari Rice.”
Polished 1,300 yen/kg and unpolished 1,200 yen/kg plus shipping. Rice grown with 80% less chemical is also available; polished 800 yen/kg, unpolished 700 yen/kg. Contact tappo@ecoplus or use the form below.
In past years, the program had been conducted as three nights and four days actual program staying in the snowy village, Tochikubo, learning the reality of current Japanese society through volunteer works like snow shoveling. However, because of Covid-19, the program of this year was totally conducted on-line.
Students learned the situation of the village with video materials including footage of snow shoveling on the roof, interferes of the locals and introduction of the elementary school in the village with a total of 12 students from 1 to 6 grade. Then, online interactive session was held.
On 8 Feb., the interactive session with the elementary school was held. Kids presented what they learned during the school year with dance and play, then university and elementary students were communicated over the screen.
Also TAKANO Takako, an executive director of ECOPLUS and a visiting professor of Rikkyo university, visited community homes holding her laptop computer for the live interviews to offer the students the reality of the live and farming business in the snowy community.
Despite the hard situation by Covid-19, students looked like deepened understandings about the situation of Japanese society and acquired skills how to investigate current situation of the society and the prospect for the sustainable future.
Limited amount of sun-dried organic rice grown in our rice paddy and in next one is available.
No chemical materials, like pesticides and weed killer, were used. Fertilizer is 100% organic. Traditional sun drying process on the rack was taken. Because of so many hand works such totally organic rice is almost vanished even in this Minamiuonuma, the heart land of famous “Koshihikari Rice.”
Polished 1,300 yen/kg and unpolished 1,200 yen/kg plus shipping. Rice grown with 80% less chemical is also available; polished 800 yen/kg, unpolished 700 yen/kg. Contact tappo@ecoplus or use the form below.
ECOPLUS conducted workshops on weeding in our non-chemical rice paddy in the weekend of June 20 and 27-28 in Tochikubo village at Minamiuonuma, Niigata, Japan. In order to avoid the risks on COVID-19, the workshop, used to be conducted for two days staying in an inn in the village, was changed into one-day program. For the there days, in total 16 persons were gathered and enjoyed the work surrounded by the calls of Ruddy Kingfisher and Gray-faced buzzard.
In those rice paddies, farmers have not been using chemicals for over 15 years. So weeds are also very healthy. Specially “Inu-Bie” or Japanese millet, is so similar to rice that it was so difficult to identify which is which in the field.
Mr. FUEKI Akira, the chief of Tochikubo Panorama Farm taught us that rice has small fluffs surrounding the base of each leaf. So, we were concentrating our eyes very close to those plants before each weeding actions.
田車を押して縦方向の草を取る。 Using “Taguruma,” a special tool, weeds along the long side can be pulled out.
Some days before our works, farmers used special tool called “Taguruma,” which has metal rotating claws. So, weeds along the one side were already taken or less but another side was very congested with weeds.
直線方向はきれいだが、横方法に雑草が残る。Weeds between rice seedlings are still remained.
Weeds are grown as same as rice, we need to use all fingers pushed deep into the mud then pull out the weeds with roots. Keeping the bottom very low in the paddy during the work for more than one hour was quite tough for all of us.
Many of participants from Tokyo area repeated that “I never imagined it needs such hard work to grow rice organiclally.” Some university students, once said “I was doing football fo long years so I am confident on my physical strangeness,” complained of back pain.
While weeding, we identified so many dragonflies were emerging on the leaves of young rice. Some are totally transparent like a glassworks. All of us recognized the richness of the nature in the organic environment.
