In May and June, The Japan Foundation supported reciprocal visits between organic farmers and food professionals from both Japan and Kansas.  Global Partners for Local Organic Foods  (www.gplof.org) is  a project of the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) in cooperation with the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements – Japan (IFOAM-Japan). 

Farmers hosted visitors in both countries, and the trips were filled with visits to farms, value-added businesses, school cafeterias, and cultural events.  Participants have maintained close ties, and are working toward transplanting the best policy, research, and farming ideas through mutual mentoring and visits. These photographs were taken on Japanese organic farms and illustrate some of the tools and techniques that would be useful and easily adopted here.

At right, details of a high tunnel that has small-gauge steel hoops spaced closely.  The exterior and interior sidewalls can be rolled up independently.  The interior roof also can be rolled down or up to increase heat retention at night and light transmission during the day.

Below: All the farms we visited grew grains as well as vegetables. The straw, rice straw in this case, is bundled and used to build the frame of a hotbed inside the tunnel for seed germination. We also saw these straw hotbeds used to grow sweet potatoes.