Japan Farmers Markets

A sweet little chokubaijo near Shimoda. Dare I say it, but I caught a whiff of summer - that heady scent of flowers on a warm, humid breeze - this morning when I walked to the garden. It is but around the corner, which means this is the perfect opportunity to warm-up those market muscles with a trip to one of these lovely events this weekend. For those wanting to, quite literally, get their hands dirty, join a crowd of fun-loving farmer-types for Tambo Art Planting in Soma this weekend or in Sammu on May 28th ! Oiso Farmers Market Sunday, May 15th This little gem of a community shindig is one of the best things going outside of the Earth Day Market, and I don't say that lightly. A nice little community affair started a handful of years ago, it blossomed into a full-on monthly festival that just happens to feature Shonan area produce in its fresh, seasonal form as well as pickled, dried, and prepared-hot-in-a-bowl. In summer it turns into a night market, but in fall it wi

Suwa Shrine. Yanaka, Tokyo. There are those who come to Tokyo in search of the new and shiny, the latest technology or to find where the city gets it's freak on. I can see the appeal, but the places I return to again and again are the older, more homey feeling places. These are the communities where community still exists, where pots of flowers line the sidewalks and amid the bustle old people and children mix and mingle as they go about their lives. These are the places where wooden buildings still exist and where people tend to be outside on the street talking and doing rather than inside hidden away. These also happen to be the spots where some of the best food can be found, which I firmly believe is no coincidence. One of my favorites is Yanaka. Set on one of the circles of the Yamanote Line and up a rather steep hill, this district is worth every effort to discover and explore. Read my article about it here at Metropolis , and then put on your walking shoes and go. And p

Seedlings ready to roll in a Kathmandu Market. Spring is turning her attention to summer even as I type. Tomato and nasu (eggplant) seedlings are filling rows and fields all around, which means that sooner rather than later they will be filling market tables and turning up for dinner. These are exciting times, to say the least. Be part of the action by heading on out to one of these great markets this month to find the latest and hippest fruit and veg available this season! Oiso Farmers Market Sunday, May 15thnd This little gem of a community shindig is one of the best things going outside of the Earth Day Market, and I don't say that lightly. A nice little community affair started a handful of years ago, it blossomed into a full-on monthly festival that just happens to feature Shonan area produce in its fresh, seasonal form as well as pickled, dried, and prepared-hot-in-a-bowl. In summer it turns into a night market, but in fall it will swing back to regular daylight hou

Haksai in bloom. Linda Gould, friend and fellow writer, came down to my garden the other day for a chat. The resulting interview is the first in a series of videos she plans to do about ordinary people doing interesting or extraordinary things. I don't feel like I'm either of those, but I'm always glad to talk about food and farming, and even happier to talk with Linda. Hope you enjoy it!

Welcome to Sotto Co! Somewhere between coffee shops I stumbled on a brand new yaoya (vegetable store), and the vegetable geek in me couldn't resist. Ruby red tomatoes and bright red cucumbers dazzled my eyes, while some purple-stemmed mizuna and emerald green pea pods shimmered nearby. All laid out with an attention to detail usually only found in high-end boutiques, Akemi and Fumihiko Inagaki, aim to inspire their Shimokitazawa neighbors with some of their own passion for good, fresh food. "We can hardly keep them in stock," Akemi tells me when she sees me admiring the tomatoes. I'm not a big fan of tomatoes out of season, but when she tells me the grower uses natural farming techniques, I give in. I pick up two for dinner that night. (For the record, I was not disappointed.) Some of the fresh veg on offer. The Inagaki's moved to Kyoto with their young child in 2011, and stayed for about a year. While there, they discovered a number of organic farme