First challenge after marriage to a farmer: first harvest of potatoes

Growing up on Japan's northern most island, Mayu Katsuta enjoyed a childhood in the farming town of Ozora, Hokkaido. Now, as a member of the Katsuta Farm and family, she experiences first-hand with her husband, Norimasa Katsuta, all that the farming lifestyle has to offer. When we visited Mayu in October 2008, she was busy in the countryside fields, with a seven-month swollen belly quietly announcing that her first days as a farming mother were also on the way.

Mayu's own mother worked part-time in the farming fields of Ozora, with her daughter playing close-by with her friends. Norimasa attended the same junior high school as Mayu, and was two years ahead of her in school. Having practiced Kendo, Japanese fencing using a bamboo sword, from her elementary days through high school, Mayu has become an expert in the art, and she once participated in tournaments all throughout the island of Hokkaido.

Although Mayu did not actually grow up on a farm, she had no hesitations about marrying into a farming family, and helping with the family business. She had gained a lot of exposure to farming through her mother’s working experience, and she has been a proud member of the Katsuta Farm since January 2008, dealing with a wide range of crops including carrots and potatoes.

The Katsutas annual schedule begins with field preparations in April, followed by seed planting for potatoes, carrots, and other crops during May and June. The wheat harvest takes place from late July to mid-August, after which they begin harvesting carrots. The potato harvest season lasts from September to mid-November, with the peak of the harvest occurring during October. With the help of their Grimme potato harvester, the Katsutas carry out the potato harvest from seven o' clock in the morning until six in the evening every day. It is a busy schedule - during the peak periods, the Katsutas can only find time off from their work on rainy days.

During our interview with Mayu, she was most excited when talking about her baby on the way. The young couple was enjoying their days off, which were few and far between, by going out shopping for new baby items. All members of the Katsuta Farm were looking forward to having a new member, and Mayu was excited that her farming lifestyle would be even more enriched by a new bundle of joy. As she welcomes someone new into the Katsuta family, Mayu will also continue to grow in the agricultural life as a farming mother.