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.
On Sept 25 and 26, ECOPLUS will conduct “Harvesting Workshop” in Tochikubo village, Minamiuonuma as one-day program, only with those who finished vaccines and self regulation or PCR negative persons. Come to the rice paddy with your lunch, drinks and snacks.
Summary Experience traditional harvesting works by hand in organic rice paddy overseeing gorgeous mountainous view. You will experience cutting stems by a sickle, binding those by straws, then hanging sheaves on drying structure called “haza.” Have your body and mind refreshed in the open air field. You may also deepen the insight of food and farming through the workshop.
Clothes and bringing Your lunch (no shops in the village), drinks and snacks. Long sleeve working clothes. working globes, hat/cap, your own cup, water bottle, rubber boots, insect repellent.
定員 Limit of participants. 20人をめどとします。We will only have up to 20 participants a day.
参加にあたって For the participation 無農薬田んぼ応援のためのNPO法人エコプラスへの寄付（1人、1口3,000円以上）をお願いします。保険には入りませんので、ケガの場合はご自身の保険でお願いします。No fee for the program. We ask your contribution more than 3,000 Yens per person to support ECOPLUS for the support of organic rice farming.
Celebrating 30th year since ECOPLUS started the program in Yap, Micronesia and Kaohagan in the Philippines, a big reunion was held online on Sept. 4, 2021. Ex-participants who were elementary students to early 20s were now well grown adults living in all over Japan and the world from Hokkaido to Okinawa, US, Europe, Australia and other Asian countries. All of those enjoyed talking with old friends doing the session.
I addition to the ex-participants and supporting staff, we had Tina, Linda, both participated invitation tour to Japan in 1997, and En, Sean, both participated Japan tour in 2013, 17 and 19, from Yap.
Under the direction of Nigatsu, participated in 1994, and Daisuke, participated in 1999, the event was proceeded. TAKANO Takako, executive director of ECOPLUS had a presentation about the situation of Yap and Kaohagan. OHMAE Jun-ichi, Manager of ECOPLUS, explained about it projects in Yap for sustainable future.
Based on the year of participation, we broke out into 18 sessions. Some were first time to join in such reunion but participants clearly identified each other with old memory and chatting were not easy to be stopped.
In the second general session, messages from Yap were given then 4 ex-participants had short talk about their life after the program. One person working for a Japanese trading company stationed in Australia said “I leaned the way to hear the voice from the different culture in the program. It was the base for my life. Now the capitalism is seeking the harmonious relations with the nature. It might be the good time for the ex-participants to work together”.
After another breakout session, the event was concluded in two hours and 15 minutes. After the official closing, still we had an half of the participants in the conference room and continued talking.
During the meeting faces of some month old babies to junior high children were repeatedly appeared. In these 30 years, a wave of one generation surely progressed.
“What is the true happiness?” This was the main common theme of our past programs. Through out the session, each person looks like living their life with this question in mind.
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.
On June 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27, ECOPLUS will conduct “Weeding Workshop” in Tochikubo village, Minamiuonuma as one-day program, only with those living in nearby cities or those who finished two weeks self quarantine or PCR negative persons. Come to the rice paddy with your lunch, drinks and snacks.
Summary Experience traditional weeding works in organic rice paddy overseeing gorgeous mountainous view. Have your shrunk body and mind by Covid-19 relieved in the safe open air field. You may also deepen the insight of food and farming through the workshop.
集合時刻 いずれも午前9時集合（遅くなる方は別途連絡を）。いずれも午後3時ごろには終える予定です。
Schedule Gathering; 09:00 am, if you come later just inform us. Closed around 03:00 pm.
Contents and bringing Weeding by hands. Will be cancelled in stormy condition. Take your own lunch, drinks and snacks. Clothings might be get muddy. Insect repellent, hat/cap. We recommend to come into the paddy with bare feet to feel the soil directly. Beach sandals are also easy to wash your feet in a stream.
定員 Limit of participants. 20人をめどとします。We will only have up to 20 participants a day.
参加にあたって For the participation 無農薬田んぼ応援のためのNPO法人エコプラスへの寄付（1人、1口3,000円以上）をお願いします。保険には入りませんので、ケガの場合はご自身の保険でお願いします。No fee for the program. We ask your contribution more than 3,000 Yens per person to support ECOPLUS for the support of organic rice farming.
