Concerted efforts to resuscitate fallow land are presenting new possibilities for the area

Due to a decline in the number of farmers, the aging of farming communities, and a lack of successors, areas of fallow or uncultivated land have been on the rise.

Mr. Tsuneharu Tajima is chairman, and an essential member, of the “Kitamoto City Scenic Crops Promotion Association.” The association organizes “the Nanohana Matsuri (canola blossom festival)” which seeks to foster an eco-friendly community by growing canola on fallow farm land. Their concerted efforts to resuscitate fallow land have generated the interest and involvement of the area and its citizens. The actions have translated into the development of new canola related products, such as honey and canola seed oil, which in turn have been generating new energy and possibility in the community.

Kitamoto is located in Saitama Prefecture (just north of Tokyo), and comprises a small geographical area with a population of roughly 71,000. The cultivated land area is also limited, and most of the people who are engaged in farming are considered to be part-time farmers. Due mainly to the aging of the local farmers and a lack of successors, it is said that approximately 67,000m² of land in the area is now fallow.

In an effort to prevent the dilapidation and lost opportunity of fallow land, the Kitamoto municipal government has been encouraging farmers to grow buckwheat. In addition, the government contacted Mr. Tsuneharu Tajima, who was chairman of the local residents’ association, to gain his help in promoting the planting of “scenic crops” on fallow land. The idea had already gained a little bit of momentum in near-by municipalities, where flowers such as cosmea (cosmos) and lavender were the main focus. In order to distinguish itself from other municipalities, the Kitamoto city government asked Mr. Tajima to promote the planting of crops that are good to see and good to eat as well.

Mr. Tajima, who is actually a retired HFT employee, is originally from Kitamoto. He has lots of friends and acquaintances in the town from many years back. Motivated with the passion to contribute to the local community, he began to gain the involvement of the leaders of residents associations in five adjoining areas. The group looked at the alternatives, and chose to go with canola as the scenic crop that they would promote. Canola is not only pleasing to see, but it is also the source of honey and oil, and it can be utilized as fertilizer as well. So, it is thought that canola is an eco-friendly, cyclical crop. Within two months of being contacted by the municipal officials, Mr. Tajima and his ten recruits had already cultivated 1.5-hectares of fallow land with canola seeds, and that was just their start.

Their canola cultivation has expanded to 4.5 hectares this year, which is a threefold increase from last year. The Scenic Crops Promotion Association, which started from the initial ten people, has quickly grown its area and membership. It is now up to 120 members. The number of visitors to the Nanohana Matsuri exponentially increased from 50 a year ago to roughly 4,300 this year. Mr. Tajima intends to develop honey and canola seed oil into local specialties, which would further reflect his attachment to his native area.