These days, Japanese consumers have become even more stringent with regard to the safety and quality of agricultural products, including those from livestock farms. In this issue of Farming, we visited some young farmers who are conscious of this growing trend, and have responded accordingly by maintaining healthy soil and using the least amount of chemicals possible. Such meticulous actions have led to the cultivation of good-tasting, high-quality organic produce.

Farm Yamane is one example. By sticking to their motto, “maintaining vigorous soil,” Farm Yamane has been cultivating tasty, “safe” rice. Having succeeded his father who is now retired, Mr. Yamane runs the farm with two other employees who are also in their early thirties. Some years back, his father started using an organic fertilizer mixture containing cow manure, rice husk, soybeans, and had a minimal amount of chemicals, which Mr. Yamane continues to use today. The young trio currently working at Farm Yamane handles all aspects of the farm operations, from cultivation of rice, wheat, and soybeans to Internet sales.

What sets Farm Yamane apart from many other farmers is the firm belief in the virtue of organic farming, and in minimizing the use of chemicals to the greatest extent possible. This belief came about after searching for the best way to produce rice that they would want to eat. Low chemical doses mean that the crop being cultivated demands lots of care and attention, and soil preparation is therefore critical. For this, Farm Yamane uses manure obtained from cattle farms. This is a clear example of the so-called recycle-based farming - what’s obtained from the soil must be returned to the soil - which has recently been gaining much attention here.