JA Maps: Tracking the Neighborhood Farm

When I can't make it to one of the farmer's markets or my garden is at in-between stage, I pull out of our best finds yet. It's a handy little map from our local JA (Japan Agriculture) office. One side shows a map of the area with all of the local farms and farmstands clearly marked. On the other side are photos of some stands with a short description of their produce, plus a handy chart showing when assorted vegetables are in season and can be purchased. The best part of all? More often than not the field or orchard where the kiwis came from is visible just over the fence.

The map is all in Japanese, but that isn't much of an obstacle. Familiar friends like broccoli and cabbage will undoubtedly lead to experimenting with an assortment of new vegetables - daikon, satoimo, and komatsuna, to name just a few - as well as a little language practice!