Aigamo-ducks Are Working Hard In Rice Paddies In Hachioji

On my previous post on May 25th, I introduced a farmer cultivating rice with “Aigamo-duck Method” in Hachioji. 

In Japan it is well-known as an organic rice-farming method with "no waste". Aigamo-ducks are a hybrid between wild and domestic ducks. They help keep the rice paddy free of insects and weeds. As you can see in the photos the rice paddy has beautiful rice plants because the ducks are really working hard and have eaten all the insects and weeds. Furthermore, when the ears of rice are formed, the ducks are sold for their meat. So, they are agricultural products at the same time they are workers of the farm.

The reason that Aigamo-ducks are specifically used for this style farming is that they grow faster than wild-types and easily adapt to the environment. In fact the ducks work only for several months after farmers planted rice seedlings into rice paddies. They will be harvested right before the rice years start to come out, because they are too diligent to eat up all the ears of rice.

After Aigamo-ducks were released into rice paddies with enclosures they are left free, but it is not difficult to catch them at harvesting. The farmer said that the ducks remember the farmer because of imprinting and also he sometimes gave them additional food as treats, so they come out of the rice paddies when they hear the farmer's voice as you can see in the lower row of photos. It is important because the farmer can’t leave any ducks left behind not only for protecting his rice but also for a regulation of environmental preserving that tells these types of hybrid created by human must not be released into nature.

Apparently, their meat is very good for making soup broth although it is a little too hard to eat as meat dishes. Probably their hard work makes their body muscularity, but anyway rice and a soup with duck broth would be a wonderful set for a meal. Hope you have a chance to taste them!

Introduction of Local Agriculture in Tokyo 1

It might be against the typical image of Metropolitan Tokyo, but you can still find farms inside Tokyo as I introduced before. There are even full-time farmer families who have kept their land for generations. Since rice has been the most important staple food for Japanese from ancient times, rice farming had given a lot of influence to Japanese culture and many farmers used to grow rice in addition to other vegetables. It can be said that farmers are handing down a certain part of Japanese culture. However, the situation is becoming more and more harder for them due to increasing costs and lack of successors and imported cheap rival products. I’d like to introduce two farmers in Tokyo this time as examples of Japanese agriculture.

Sawai Farm is run by a 12^th generation full time farmer family in Hachioji. Surprisingly, Mr. Sawai said, his family history goes back to the early 17^th century. He is growing rice and raise pigs on the land which has been handed down for generations. He took over his family business after graduating from university about 20 years ago. The business circumstances were already not good at that time because people preferred to buy rice from prefectures like Niigata which are famous for good rice brands. Then he started to grow organic rice using "Aigamo-Ducks Method". At that time the issue of conservation of nature and organic farming were getting people’s attention. Word got around that his rice was safe because it was pesticide-free, so it became popular and sold out every year.

Unfortunately, the good condition got an end suddenly in 2011. Many of his customers started to buy rice from western Japan because the area is farther from Fukushima. 

However, Mr. Sawai is not giving up. He is even taking over his neighbor’s rice paddies which were about to be abandoned due to lack of a successor. Also he is trying to build new connections with consumers by holding farm tours to see the debut of Aigamo-Ducks in rice paddies and selling his rice through the internet. Since Hachioji is a major residential area in Tokyo, his farm is easily accessed to hold the tour, and also the cute ducks are helping to attract people!

Takaharaya Farm is also run by a family who has kept the family business for generations in Hachioji. They are cultivating various products including rice, and trying to make a new local specialty from Hachioji to liven up the local market. 

They said that the size of farming area and the amount of agricultural products in Hachiohij City are both No.1 among the cities and wards in Tokyo but somehow there has been no famous agricultural specialty of Hachioji since old times. Although Takharaya Farm was growing more than twenty different vegetables and fruits, none of them was a Hachioji special. Therefore, 7 years ago they decided to grow passion fruits. The reason they chose tropical fruits was because of the climate conditions of Hachioji. Hachioji is known as the place of “hotter in summer and colder in winter” compared with other places in Tokyo. So they thought the hot summer in Hachioji would fit the image of passion fruits and started to grow the fruits with several neighbor farmers. 

Now the new product has gotten some local attention, as some local cake shops started to sell new sweets containing Hachioji passion fruits, such as Swiss roll cakes and Japanese traditional sweets, Dorayaki. Hope Hachioji passion fruits will be spread widely as a new specialty in Hachioji!