洋食と喫茶「コスタ(升金の蔵)」
横駐車場
Unzen City in Nagasaki Prefecture , where we farm, has a warm climate and is rich in volcanic ash soil. Traces of human life can be seen since the Jomon period, nourished by mineral-rich waters flowing between the sea and mountains, and energized by the surrounding volcanoes.
We don’t use pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and we mainly grow native and heirloom varieties that can produce their own seeds. In addition to vegetables, we also grow rice, mochi(sticky) rice, black rice, and seed potatoes. Everyone can eat our vegetables with peace of mind. We aim to practice agriculture that can increase the lives of the creatures that live on this land, in our rivers, and in the sea.
The beauty, diversity, and vitality that vegetables show us are truly huge works of life. We wish to be a part of their life cycle, nurturing them with care, with love, and sending them out into the world.
Seeds
We focus on growing traditional vegetables, harvesting seeds from those crops, and planting them again to grow new ones. By saving the seeds, they learn and adapt to the local climate, making them better suited to this land. These seeds have survived through all kinds of weather conditions over a long history, and it is nothing short of a miracle that they are in our hands today.
Traditional Vegetables
In Nagasaki, where we live, we have some beautiful traditional vegetables like the Nagasaki Red Turnip and the Unzen turnip mustard greens. These vegetables have been carefully preserved and treasured by our ancestors to be inherited. In fact, it used to be said in Nagasaki City that “you can’t have New Year’s without Nagasaki Red Turnips,” since it was a gorgeous addition to Nagasaki city’s New Year’s dish “Osechi”. However, in recent years, traditional vegetables have become rare in supermarkets. Instead, vegetables from F1 seed varieties, which are a one generation type of vegetables with uniform shape and color, are lined up in stores nationwide. Traditional vegetables now make up less than 1% of what’s available on the market. This is part of a bigger trend worldwide, where traditional vegetables are disappearing—reportedly, 94% of heirloom varieties were lost in the 20th century.
Seed potatoes
These potatoes are a natural variety that were developed by the late Masahiko Tawara in Nagasaki, where potatoes were first introduced to Japan. To create a disease-resistant variety, he deliberately grew them in infected fields, selecting and cultivating only the potatoes that remained disease free. It took Mr.Tawara around ten years to cultivate a single variety of seed potatoes.
At our farm, we continue to grow the same seed potatoes inherited from Mr.Tawara and sell them to farmers and home gardeners across the country.
Offering
Tours and Events
We run tours and events several times a year!
One of our key events is the Vegetable Harvest Festival, where participants can enjoy harvesting winter vegetables, including traditional varieties from Nagasaki.
The event starts with seed collection, followed by harvesting vegetables that have grown strong with the blessings of nature. Participants have the unique opportunity to work in the fields, harvest the vegetables themselves, and take them home. During the harvest, we provide guidance on proper harvesting techniques and offer detailed explanations about the vegetables.
We encourage you to taste the vegetables you’ve personally harvested. The experience offers valuable lessons that can only be learned in the field, and it’s an excellent opportunity to learn about children’s food education, making it a popular event for families too.
The vegetables we harvest differ depending on the season, and we also have events such as seed gathering experiences throughout the year.
For more details, please check out our Instagram page "Takeda Katatsumuri Farm" or feel free to contact us.
Connecting with Seeds
When we talk about connecting with seeds, it might feel distant or irrelevant, especially for those living in urban areas where soil and seeds are less noticeable. However, if we become more conscious of our surroundings, we can recognize that the foundation of our daily lives—food, clothing, and shelter—originates from a single seed. Common items like rice, soybeans, and coffee beans are all seeds. Clothing made from cotton or linen, as well as vegetables and timber, all come from just one seed.
For those who find it hard to get involved in cultivation, it’s important to choose natural foods and materials that originate from seeds in our daily lives. Whenever possible, choosing higher-quality products contributes to a more sustainable society. If we choose unnatural items that do not return to the soil, then in the end, what can't be burned will be sent to landfills both domestically and internationally. Considering that rainwater flows through these landfills and eventually makes its way back to our oceans, I feel it becomes clear how our choices related to food, clothing, and shelter are connected to nature.
Being conscious and caring for the nature outside of our bodies also protects the nature inside our bodies. Please find ways to connect with seeds that you can. Let's all experience the changes in ourselves, our surroundings, society, and nature.
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Purchasing Heirloom Vegetables and Processed Products
Heirloom vegetables often have a short season and may not grow uniformly. To address this, many farmers cultivate a diverse range of heirloom varieties and offer them in vegetable sets. Additionally, some farmers and cafés create processed products to minimize waste. By purchasing these items through major supermarket chains, online shops, or hometown tax donations, consumers can help farmers continue their seed-saving practices.
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Cultivating Traditional Vegetables
Consider growing traditional vegetable seeds in your garden at home. Sharing the harvest with neighbors, friends, and family helps promote these heirloom varieties. When fewer people grow certain traditional types, seed companies may discontinue them, so increasing awareness and cultivation among a wider audience is crucial for preserving these seeds.
Recommended Seed Shops (Online)
●Green Field Project
●Tane no Mori
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Volunteering on a Farm
When growing a diverse range of vegetables, it can be challenging for farmers to purchase machinery suited for each variety. There’s always work to be done, from sowing seeds and weeding to thinning (removing seedlings to prevent crowding), bagging produce, and harvesting onions and potatoes, as well as rice cutting and spreading straw. The more helping hands available, the more efficiently these tasks can be completed. Many farmers across the country welcome volunteers through initiatives aimed at supporting agriculture. We encourage you to reach out to local farms to inquire about volunteering opportunities.
You may find that spending time in nature can be more beneficial for your body and mind than going to the gym.
Our farm also welcomes volunteers, and we would love to have you join us!
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Making Donations
You can support small businesses and organizations by donating to groups with clear purposes, such as those involved in environmental or educational activities. While awareness of such initiatives is still low in Japan, many large charitable organizations may lack transparency about how donations are used, often directing funds toward employment, salaries, or advertising costs. Smaller organizations, which often cannot afford advertising, truly need financial support.
At our farm, we operate with the help of affordable used machinery. However, we face various expenses, including repair costs, parts for aging equipment, materials, fuel, and electricity to power our large refrigerator, all of which can be quite significant in costs. Currently, we are also repurposing some salvage material from old buildings to renovate our home.
Moving forward, we aim to enhance the facilities around our home and farm, inviting more visitors to experience the charm of traditional vegetables and the importance of seed preservation. We will continue our efforts to share this message with the world.