Growing New Life in Tohoku up at Ecotwaza

A community garden in Sendai.
Not set up by Peace Boat, but giving comfort, hope and produce, too.

One of the things I really love about the writing I do is being able to discover great stories. I've met some absolutely amazing people from all over the world doing terrific things, seen some extraordinary places, and eaten some of the best food ever.

One of the groups I've been lucky enough to find is Peace Boat. My husband and I volunteered with them in Ishinomaki after the earthquake for a week. It was many months later, but we knew help was still needed and that morale needed to be boosted. It seemed the least we could do for a country and people who have given us so much during our short time here.

My latest article at ecotwaza is part of a series about Tohoku, the region most directly affected by the triple disaster, and what's happening there now. Most stories focus on food and farming, and this one is no different. Peace Boat's project to build gardens for survivors was a wonderful tip from a friend, and a story that I am grateful to be able to tell. Read on for yourself and learn how a garden is more than just a vegetable or two.

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Finding Heirloom Seeds in Japan

Drying pods of heirloom Hutterite Soup Beans. Since moving to Japan eight years ago, one of my greatest challenges as a farmer-gardener has been to find heirloom or open-pollinated seeds. The majority of seeds available are not GMO (genetically modified organisms) as Japan, at this point, doesn't accept this material. Most seeds, though, are nearly all F1 varieties. Heirloom and F1 Varieties In plant breeding, F1 is the name given to the first generation of a cross between two true breeding parents. For example, if I decide to cross an Amish Paste Tomato with another heirloom variety tomato such as Emmy, in hopes of getting a gold paste tomato, the resulting generation of fruit is F1. In order to get that tomato of my culinary dreams, I'll need to choose members of that first generation that are headed in a direction I like - early ripening, medium-sized fruit, good taste - and save their seeds. I'll plant them and repeat the process again and again over time unti

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Japan Farmers Markets

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