We can finally see the beautiful cherry blossoms in full bloom.
The day before yesterday, it was raining and windy. I thought the petals hadn't yet bloomed enough to scatter in the wind, but unfortunately, some trees were already starting to scatter.
More than anything, it's the wind. Apparently the wind at this time of year is elegantly called "cherry blossom rain," but at our farm, we're more concerned with the fields. The wheat has grown all at once, and has suddenly become greener. At the same time, the weeds have also grown vigorously, and the sense of urgency in maintaining the landscape on the farm has suddenly increased.
The season of flowers is finally here, starting with plum, peach, magnolia, daffodil, cherry blossom, Chinese quince, and forsythia. The herb and plant shop is filled with a wide variety of spring flowers and herb seedlings, making it a very colorful place.
In the Japanese herbal world, there is a journal called "The Herbs" (published by the Japan Herb Society). It is a long-established journal, and our company was featured in this year's spring issue, issue 315. The special feature was "Seasonal Herbal Life Spring," and we wrote an article on the theme "With Herbs." I've been involved with herbs since the late 1980s. It's been a long time, if you think about it.
Knowing the power of herbs, my husband wanted to use them not only for humans but also for pigs as a pig farmer, and to produce high-quality pork. I think ours was the first pig farm in Japan to create herb-containing feed. We launched the brand name "Herb Pork," but herb-containing feed quickly spread, and we also had the experience of being a failure because a major manufacturer used it first. (I didn't write about that.) There are many stories related to herbs.
And this year too. From June 15th to July 7th, we will be holding our annual "Tategamori Herb Festival" in time for the lavender bloom. This year, we are planning to invite Professor Mitsuyo Kitamura, a legend in the herb world, to give a seminar. He is someone who is like a godsend to me, so it is truly a dream come true to be able to welcome him here.
He will be coming from his home in Kamakura. We hope you all look forward to it! For more information, please see our website.
Shizu Hashimoto
