 Mr. Kobayashi holding a daikon radish he harvested. |
We visited Mr. Tadashi
Kobayashi, an organic farmer of thirty years, who produces the vegetables
for the Miho Museum restaurant. Mr. Kobayashi lives in Tokushima City,
where the clear stream of the Yoshino River flows. In 1975, Mr. Kobayashi
retired from the prefectural office, where he worked for thirty-two years.
Through his job, he encountered various problems related to social welfare,
disability, mental illness, and the harmful effects of chemicals, none
of which have readily-available solution. In dealing with these issues,
he often thought about what he could do on an individual basis, when he
was introduced to a natural farming method that used no chemical or organic
fertilizer or any other agricultural chemical. Mr. Kobayashi’s farming method is extremely simple. After planting his seeds, he immediately covers his fields with miscanthus. The crucial point, here, is to spread out the reeds as soon as the seeds are sown. That way, the reeds dry and become light, when the seeds begin to germinate, allowing for the perfect condition for the plants to grow. This method has been the most effective devised over many years of experience. |
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| Mr. Kobayashi says, “In natural farming, if you consciously try to produce something, you will fail. It all begins with the soil. A harvest is proportionately dependent on the quality of the soil. Soft, gentle soil produces delicious vegetables, you can’t make anything edible out of hard, dried-up soil.” Good soil allows water to easily pass through when rain falls and does not dry up in the dry seasons. Mr. Kobayashi’s beautiful and nutritious vegetables give us a true appreciation for the art of agriculture. |  Vegetables from Mr. Kobayashi’s fields. |
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