Hello! I'm Yuge, the manager of Kamapan & Friends Natural Products Store.
It's been about three months since I came to Ginza.
Although there are many difficult aspects, I also have the opportunity to meet many wonderful creators from all over the country.
The processed vegetable products that arrive from Kamiyama every day inspire me, knowing that everyone is working hard, and I stay positive and work hard every day.
Today, an apple farmer live-streamed on Instagram titled "Direct from the Farm Friends Park Vol.2".
On the day, Sugawara actually broadcast live from an apple orchard in Rikuzentakata!
Iwate has a strong image of being cold, but Rikuzentakata is famous for its relatively warm climate. However, on this day, the weather was bad with sea breezes and snow. Despite this, Sugawara-san and Hiraide-san, who was in charge of the camera, delivered the scenery with the desire to "show you the apple orchards in winter!" Thank you very much.
First, let me introduce the NPO LAMP (hereinafter referred to as LAMP).
LAMP is a Yonezaki apple farm that was established in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture in 2016.
This is an organization that has taken the Tohoku earthquake as an opportunity to face the town's agriculture and future head-on.
Food Hub has had a long-standing relationship with Yonezaki apples, and Yonezaki apples have been used extensively in Kamiyama Town, including apple pie and apple sauce, and this year a new bread product called "Ringo-chan" has become a hit.
LAMP's apples are also very popular in Ginza. Their popularity has spread by word of mouth, and some people even stop by the store just to buy apples. Many people here process the apples into baby food, smoothies, and other foods to eat every day.
So even though we have a deep connection with LAMP, when we actually talk to them, there are many things we don't know!
It was very interesting, so I'll give you a brief summary here.
You can watch the full story here!
Q1: What kind of people are involved in growing apples?
"We have six members, two of whom are in charge of growing apples (!)
We manage five apple orchards that are connected to us by our elders in the local area, mainly on abandoned farmland that has lost its farmers due to aging. We expect to harvest about five tons this year.
The people who work here have different backgrounds, including those who came to Rikuzentakata as volunteers after the disaster and those who returned to their hometowns. Each person has their own role to play, such as public relations or sales.
Agriculture seems to be all about growing things, but it can only work if there are people who communicate and deliver that information. Surprisingly, agricultural companies have people with a variety of roles!
Q2: What kind of work do you do outside of harvest season?
"In February, when the harvest is mostly over, we prune the branches, imagining the direction of the leaves that will grow in the spring. We do this so that all the leaves can receive abundant sunlight and grow healthily. We work while carefully watching the condition of each and every branch.
After that, we prepare for replanting. Replanting means cutting down old trees that have been working hard for decades and planting new trees. To do this, we need to bring large machinery into the farm, so we prepare by picking up fallen branches and clearing the paths.
Once the replanting is finished, the next step is weeding. Weeds keep growing even though we don't ask for them to. The work of diligently removing them by hand continues.
By the way, it takes about seven years for a baby tree to be able to produce apples. That's tough!
Q3: One of the characteristics of Yonezaki apples is that the farm has a view of the ocean. What effect does this have on the apples being grown?
"One of its characteristics is that it grows in ocean air that is rich in minerals.
Also, because the fields are terraced and slope down towards the sea, the sun shines evenly on each tree, which is why all the apples grow healthy and delicious.
However, working on a slope is tough. When you finish work and come back, you have to go up a slope. It's really hard work, you're out of breath, and it's hot in the summer.
Most of the farmers around Rikuzentakata are over 70 years old. The LAMP members work hard every day to produce delicious apples, receiving encouragement and encouragement from their seniors.
The Yonezaki apples grown by LAMP are very sweet, yet have a nice sour taste and a great texture. Every time I eat them, I feel like I want to keep eating them.
It was a time when I realized once again how important it is to keep buying the things that I want to keep eating, and to be conscious of working together so that we can keep making them.
I hope the next broadcast will be during the season when the apple blossoms are in full bloom.
If you have time, please check out the full video on Instagram .
Finally, we would like to introduce a YouTube video that turns Lamp's activities into a picture book.
This video is about 10 minutes long, so please take a look when you have time.
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