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Norwegian Ambassador and Wife visit….

The Ambassador from Norway, Arne, and his wife Anita, a CNN reporter, visited recently to see our farm, lend a hand in the fields, and visit the village restoration at Lake Shojiko. We are hoping to work together to develop some organic products on their farm in India!

Chilis and Jalapeno…Coming Soon !!!!

the BIGGEST pumpkin!!!!

This is SHIZEN NOHO as professed by Masanobu Fukuoka. We didnt plant these, they just come up naturally in our sheep areas, and every year they are getting bigger, and BIGGER!

Organic Apple Trees

Rob weeded and fertilized our young apple trees, and this year we got our first apple! Well, the deer got it actually, but at least someone in the family is eating well.

We placed organic fertilizer from Seigos family cows in the center, and a ring of cedar shavings to keep off weeds on the outside.

Entrepreneur Mentorship Initiative

Jacob was selected as a participant in the 2010 Entrepreneur Mentorship Initiative, sponsored by the US State Dept., the Japanese Government and the American Chamber of Commerce Japan. Donald Nordeng of JAS and Eco-Cert will be providing guidance and mentorship. The opening ceremony was held at Ambassador John Roo’s residence in Tokyo.

Traditional and Hi-tech Japanese Farm Tools

Hirata-san, our rice farming teacher, shows us here the traditional Japanese hand tool for weeding rice fields.  The wooden machine with the skis is old style.  The long pipe with the chains is Hirata-san’s original tool!  He is using ancient know-how, a simple hand pulled device, with modern ideas.  His new tool can do 10 rows at once, instead of one at a time like in the past.     This is the type of  re-innovation that organic farmers are developing to reduce the need for chemicals and still be able farm efficiently.

Japanese Cedar Soaking Bath at the Shojiko House

This soaking tub was retro-fit into the bathroom at the Shojiko reformed Minka home. We also added a large step for easy access and a spot to sit and swing your legs over the edge into the tub for elderly bathers. The double pane windows were added for extra warmth, and the original maple leaf glass on the north side was retained for charm, and so we actually have triple paned glass there. The house is available druing our summer campaign for Y29,800,000. Please contact Jacob Reiner @ 090-9346-3774 or info@earthembassy.org if you would like to arrange a viewing.

UA came to visit the cafe again!

One of Japan’s biggest divas and recording stars, Ua, came to visit the cafe again this year. She and her husband have a farm in Nagano and she stops by for lunch with her kids once in awhile on her way through our area. She is one of the brave ones, a pioneer in J-pop as well as the new farm cuisine trend, as so many Japanese love to stare and point at our cafe as they drive by, but are afraid to come in. Having traveled abroad and with an appreciation for home grown food, she apparently likes our relaxed vibe, good grub, and the free space for her kids to play. Hoping to invite her by next year to sing at one of our events!!!

Wow! That rock flew out of Mt Fuji!!!

Our neighbor Watanabe-san was digging away with his tractor, bringing up rocks to sell for stone wall building, and one day the tractor was stopped for a few hours so I went to see what was up. I found him in this 5m hole with a hammer and chisel, breaking up this behemoth by hand! These local boys know how to get it done. I think he is secretly planning a pyramid.

1 Day Mini Farm House

At the Solar Cafe Farm we have 2 new interns, Jane and Marc, agricultural and business students from a university in southern California have joined us for a three month program. We have 5 interns now and a lack of rooms, so we decided to put up a quick summer home with materials on hand. The 19mm greenhouse arches will hold a large blue-sheet tarp which will make a large waterproof roof to extend the living space around the tent. We will fill in the walls with “yoshi-zu” a bamboo reed curtain to give privacy, wind block and provide shade. All together we are spending about $60. the used tent was $20, the pipe connectors $15, and the tarps and rope about $25.

Mulch, the Organic Farmer’s best friend.

The biggest challenges farming organically are bugs and weeds, and resisting the temptation to use chemicals. At the Earth Embassy, our basic method for weed control is mulch, mulch, mulch. The beauty of mulch is:
1) it can be harvested locally. We use fallen leaves from the forest and the trimmings from the grass and clover that line our fields.
2) it holds moisture and warmth in the soil by reducing evaporation, and thus limits our need for watering.
3) weeds dont like it! According to Robert’s professor at Cobelskill, you need mulch at least 3-5 inches (7-12cm) deep to keep the weed from sprouting.
4) as the mulch breaks down, it becomes fertilizer for the crops.

In this picture we have cleared and mulched fields ready for planting.

The greenhouse is planted!

the Desert at Night

one digital camera on the roof of my car, in a dark black night, with a 6 second shutter speed…..   speaks a thousand words….

Arcosanti, Sustainable City in the Dessert

This amazing project, Arcosanti, has  been going nearly 40 years.  With 100 residents, metal foundries, a music center and theater, olive groves, greenhouses built into the cliff side which provide heat for the entire city, a cafe, shops and so much more.  This is the original Arcology, 100 years ahead of its time.   Look it up online for more info…..

Sky City Pueblo

This is the longest inhabited Pueblo in America.  It was abandoned once when the plague came in the late 1600′s and the Apaches raided.  But they returned, rebuilt and have been living there ever since.  The valley was so beautiful, I could have stayed for a lifetime….

Carrizozo. A ghost town revived

The sweet little town of Carrizozo, you can still see the shadows of the dusty cowboys leaning against the sun bleached buildings.  The days of over-development and gleaming crap in Las Vegas are not behind us, but far far away, and in some small places, people see the value in the small and old.  This little town is a dimond in the rough, and some of the big city money is flowing back out to the quiet places, in the form of art galleries and very bright colored paints! (note the Post Apocalyptic Recycling Shop!!!!   lol !!!)

Man building Nature

The Spanish conquered the American South West, first through violence and disease, but ultimately through spiritual decay.  This massive stone cathedral was built by Indian labor, to honor the ‘one’ god. The natives were awestruck simply by the scale of the building, made from the same rock they had been building their tiny homes with for millennium.  But 400 years later, it has become a natural feature of the landscape.  Man made cliffs.

Our Animal Family in the Southwest, going strong….

It is easy to think that the environment is going to hell in a handbasket made of polyester.  But traveling around the wide open lands of New Mexico, I saw so many of our wild brother and sisters still thriving and living well.  Not that the battle is yet won, but it was so good to see so many still living free under the clear blue sky.  Brother Coyote was still right behind Sister Road Runner, but not getting any closer.   The Ibix were once African, but now are well established on the grasslands of North America.  The bobcat sat and looked at us a long time before bounding off.  And the Thompson’s Gazelles are the sweetest looking little families you could imagine.  Greetings from all….

the Grandest Canyon

I wasn’t planning on visiting the Grand Canyon, but it was only 200 miles north of my path, so I decided to stop in.  The drive was long and I had to be in Albuquerque by 6, so I was getting frustrated by the time I got to the visitor center and was walking around the shops and toilets and couldn’t find the canyon.  Was thinking maybe it was a waste of time, all the cars and tourists. But when I finally found her and the view opened up through the trees, that first glimpse was so awe inspiring, it made the 4000 mile trip completely worth it in an instant!   You have to see it to understand. 

Wind Powered Shipping

Free trade is bringing us cheap products from around the world and allowing diverse economies to interact with each area drawing on their own specialities.  But it is not really free when you consider the fuel cost and CO2 production involved in trans-oceanic shipping.  Take pickles; cucumbers grown in China and vinegar made in Japan are shipped to the Phillipenes to be made into pickles which are then shipped back to Japan to sell in supermarkets.  One little cucumber travels 4000miles!  A number of companies have began using enormous kites to pull the ships.  SkySails of Germany has begun producing these sail for commercial shipping, and it seems to be taking off.

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