Baby steps to Giant strides: Studying every night, he planted rapeseed in a wasteland to earn oil for his reading. The experience of harvesting about 14.4（8升）liters from just a handful of rapeseeds, growing discarded seedlings in a wasteland with great care, and harvesting one (straw) bagful of paddy in the fall brought about the blessings of nature and human beings. Along with knowing the wonders of power, they also learned that the accumulation of small efforts is important, and this becomes the basis for their subsequent actions and thoughts.

【Product name】
Tochiotome
【Type】
Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne ex Rozier, Fragaria L.
【Producing area】

Monoi, Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture (Moka City, Mashiko Town, Haga District, Motegi Town, Ichigai Town, Haga Town, JA Hagano, JA Zennoh Tochigi)

【Origin of name】
It was named because it was born in Tochigi Prefecture, which is a famous production area.
【Major features】

In October 2022, the 200th anniversary project for Sontoku Ninomiya (1787-1856: Kinjiro is famous as a person who contributed to the reconstruction of rural areas from the Kanto region to the south Tohoku region at the end of the Edo period. Born as the eldest son of a relatively wealthy farmer in Kayayama Village (Odawara City, Ashigarakami County) on the Ashigara Plain, he was educated by his well-educated father from an early age, and on the other hand, he was blessed with the love of his kind mother and lived happily ever after. growing up. Unfortunately, however, the Sakawa River flooded repeatedly due to abnormal weather, and the devastated fields could not be restored. He was entrusted to his uncle Manbei’s house, but despite adversity, he showed outstanding talent. In between his work, he planted discarded rice seedlings and rapeseed in vacant land and harvested them. In addition to rebuilding the household affairs of his close relatives by making use of this method, the Hattori family, the chief retainer of the Odawara clan, started a financial mutual aid system called “Gojoko” (A financial system based on morality that requires the protection of the five virtues defined by Confucianism: benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith. Later the beginning of the credit union), and helped rebuild the Hattori family. It seems that he showed his talent by being requested. Before long, Tadazane Okubo (1782-1834), the lord of the Odawara Domain, recognized his excellent ideas and practical ability, and entrusted him with the financial reconstruction of the Sakuramachi territory in Tochigi Prefecture, a shogunal retainer who was a relative of the lord of the Odawara domain. It seems. He took this as an opportunity to push forward with the work of financial reconstruction and rural reconstruction. The reconstruction of the Sakuramachi fief was a difficult undertaking that took ten years of hard work, but its success quickly attracted the attention of the neighborhood. In his later years, he was appointed as a shogunate vassal and devoted all his energy to rebuilding Nikko Jinryo and some other territories of the shogunate, but at the same time he seems to have continued to guide the reconstruction of various families and territories through his excellent disciples. Also, he seems to call his ideas and methodologies ‘Hotoku’. In response to his idea that “everything has good points (virtues), and that they should be utilized (rewarded),” Tadazane, the lord of the Odawara clan, said, Your method is the virtue of the Analects. (Reward virtue with virtue). These “Hotoku ideology” and “Hotoku method” seem to have been inherited and spread by Sontoku’s descendants and disciples. Eiichi Shibusawa (1840-1931), Zenjiro Yasuda (1838-1921), Tozaburo Suzuki (1855-1913), Kokichi Mikimoto (1858-1954), Sakichi Toyoda (1867-1930), as well as. It is said that he had a great influence on representative managers of the Showa and Heisei eras, such as Konosuke Matushita (1894-1989), Toshio Dogo (1896-1988), and Kazuo Inamori (1932-2022).) who was appointed to Sakuramachi, sponsored by Sakuramachi Ninomiya Shrine in Monoi, Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture, began. On the 20th, when he is said to have been appointed to Sakuramachi, the 200th anniversary celebration of his appointment seems to have been held at the same shrine. In addition to implementing the “Sontoku Festival”, the project promotes festival events and local culture related to Sontoku. He also researches the rural reconstruction he worked on and disseminates such information. In 1823, the entire family was assigned to the Yashu Sakuramachi territory (currently Moka City), which was the territory of his branch family, on the order of the domain lord. It seems that he had already visited in 1822, the previous year, when he was appointed to a new post. After that, he seems to have worked on the reconstruction of farming villages around Sakuramachi for many years. It seems that this project was started because the relationship between Sontoku and Sakuramachi spans 200 years. Co-sponsored by the nearby temple “Soto Zen Renjoin” (Ninomiya Town, Moka City) and the Mononobe District Mayor’s Council. It seems that about 15 people participated in the Shinto ritual on the 20th. At Sakuramachi Ninomiya Shrine, Yanagida’s chief priest sings a prayer and presents a special soba. Nobuo Toyoda (the producer of Tochiotome strawberries introduced in this article), chairman of the shrine’s shrine parishioner association (as the name suggests, people who live in the area where the shrine that enshrines the tutelary deity is enshrined) said, “On the 200th anniversary festival, I want more people to know about Sontoku Sensei’s great achievements.” On November 17th of the same year, the anniversary of his teacher’s death, the 200th Anniversary Grand Festival and the Sontoku Festival Commencement Ceremony are scheduled to be held at the same shrine. In March 1997, the Hagano Agricultural Cooperative, located in the southeastern part of Tochigi Prefecture, established six JAs in Haga District City (former JA Moka, former JA Ninomiya, former JA Mashiko, former JA Motegi, former JA Ichikai), covering plains to mountainous areas. , former JA Haga) was merged and formed. The total number of union members is 15,234 full members and 4,760 associate members, totaling 20,030 (as of February 28, 2021). In the same JA jurisdiction, both rice and barley and horticultural crops are thriving, but strawberry cultivation is particularly popular among horticultural items, and it is the number one production area in Japan in terms of both production volume and sales value. The main gardening items in the jurisdiction seem to include eggplants, pears, melons, tomatoes, chives, etc. in addition to strawberries. With the aging of producers in the same JA jurisdiction, it is becoming difficult to produce heavy vegetables and heavy fruits and to invest working hours. It seems that I have been. It seems that they are promoting horticultural items to rice farmers and solidifying the production base by utilizing the greenhouse for raising seedlings of paddy rice, cultivating summer and autumn eggplants in summer and edible chrysanthemum from autumn to spring. Also, the combination of summer and autumn eggplant and edible chrysanthemum seems to play a role as a first step for those who newly start farming because of the low initial investment. It seems to be a basic crop type, but it seems to be a crop type in which purchased seeds are sown in connecting pots in early to mid-September, and lateral shoots of stocks planted in mid-to-late October are harvested in late November. Harvest ends between late March and mid-April. In recent years, a cropping pattern that extends the harvest period by re-sowing seeds has been adopted, and by repeating this, there are examples where cultivation is possible for about 10 months except midsummer, and it is cultivated almost as a year-round crop. It seems that the edible chrysanthemum subcommittee has been formed with the goals of “improving yield and quality”, “ensuring safety and security”, and “securing and supporting new growers” in order to strengthen the production base through the cultivation of excellent edible chrysanthemum. In 2020, the committee has 78 members. In the same subcommittee, it seems that in the “improvement of yield and quality”, fertilization design based on soil diagnosis is carried out at the guidance meeting, and sowing / planting workshops and on-site review meetings are held. Through these, it seems that they are leading to improvements in yield and quality by providing guidance on appropriate fertilization management and cultivation management that keeps points in mind. In order to ensure safety and security, we hold workshops on the safe use of agricultural chemicals, test residual agricultural chemicals at least twice a year, verify cultivation diaries three times a year, and GAP (Good Agricultural Practice: Agricultural production process management) In order to ensure safety and achieve better agricultural management, in agricultural production, not only food safety, but also environmental conservation, work safety, etc. To ensure the sustainability of the production process management). This seems to raise the awareness of the members of the department regarding the safe use of pesticides and production process management. In addition, for “securing and supporting new growers”, JA public relations magazines are used to recruit new growers throughout the jurisdiction, and individual visits are promoted in cooperation with the agricultural promotion office and agricultural economic relations. I have heard that three years after joining the subcommittee are regarded as newcomers, and training sessions on sowing, planting, and packing are held for newcomers, and support for cultivation is provided. Regarding shipping form, it is one type of 3 kg cardboard (packed in 150 g bag), and it seems that there are two types of standards, AL and L. It seems that the production system is such that the producers harvest, sort, bag, and box the produce, then ship it to each collection point and inspect it at JA. Also, at the beginning of the merger, the same JA seems to have been sold as a successor to the transactions of the old JA. As a result, there were a large number of trading markets, and it seems that the shipment volume and unit sales price were unstable because the sales lot was not organized. After that, it seems that by consolidating the market and setting up a dedicated department in charge of sales, the lots are grouped, and the aggregated production area information is communicated to the market and sales destinations, leading to an increase in reserved bilateral transactions. In addition, due to the work of the specialized department in charge of sales, close cooperation with production areas, sales destinations, and related organizations strengthens traditional face-to-face sales, and seems to increase stable transactions. In terms of approaching consumers, the company seems to be making various efforts to increase unit sales prices outside of the demand season. Strawberry cultivation in the Haga region introduced here is said to have begun in the early Showa period, when a potted strawberry plant was purchased at a flower shop in Moka City, and seedlings were propagated and cultivated using this as the parent stock. It seems that it started to be cultivated in earnest around the 1960s. After the 1997 merger of the agricultural cooperatives, the Hagano agricultural cooperative’s sales were the highest in the country. The varieties are Danner strawberry, Reiko strawberry, Nyoho strawberry from 1985 to 2002 (At that time, it was called East Nyoho strawberry, West Toyonoka strawberry), Tochiotome strawberry from 1996 and now It seems that it has reached Tochiotome strawberries come in large balls and have a rich, rich taste with a perfect balance of sourness and sweetness. The pericarp is glossy and bright red, and you will love it once you take a bite. Producers seem to carry out various tasks throughout the year in order to deliver delicious strawberries. Especially in recent years, it seems that work will start around June in order to match the shipment from the beginning of December. First, producers purchase parent seedlings. The first child seedling that emerges from the parent seedling is called Taro seedling, followed by Jiro seedling and Saburo seedling, and these seedlings are replanted in special pots called pots. This work is expected to be completed between the end of June and mid-July. Seedlings replanted in pots are grown well in a nursery greenhouse during the hot summer months. It seems that temperature control and moisture control are important for raising seedlings. Especially right after planting, water is applied several times a day so that the seedlings do not wither, so they are very careful about water management. After that, an experienced person checks 1-2 sample seedlings for flower buds with a microscope. The period until flower bud differentiation is about 45 days in the cold season and about 30 days in the warm season. The inside of the greenhouse is always kept warm, around 28°C in the morning and less than 25°C in the afternoon as the humidity is lowered. In addition, they use natural mating with honeybees, and it seems that they are released in the greenhouse until the end of April. As I have mentioned many times before, the Tochiotome Strawberry, which boasts the largest production volume in Japan, the large, beautiful color and shape of the Skyberry Strawberry, and the sweet new Tochiaiika Strawberry, are all popular. I am earning. The specialty “Tochiotome Strawberry” has a perfect balance of sweetness and sourness and is of high quality, and is highly appreciated by the market and consumers. Shipments continue from October to the end of May of the following year, and the peak season seems to be around January to February. JA seems to operate sightseeing strawberry picking in Moka City and Mashiko Town, Haga District.

There are many people who are newly engaged in agriculture, and it seems that the decrease in the cultivated area is small. It seems that agricultural cooperatives and producers are working together to reduce costs and stabilize the income of producers. “Tochiotome Strawberry” (From the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Variety Registration Website), Application number 6947 Date of application 1994/06/21 Registration number 5248. Kei 511 Strawberry × Nyoho Strawberry) Registration No. 3452 Registration Date March 17, 1993. The date of extinction of breeders’ rights was March 18, 1995: Tochigi No. 11 strawberry. Name of variety registrant Tochigi prefecture and below. It is a cultivar selected and bred from the obtained seedlings. It has vigorous grass, large cone-shaped fruits, and a rather small number of flowers per inflorescence. It has a medium form, strong vigor, a little tall plant, moderate tillers, and a large number of runners. The leaf color is dark green, the leaf shape is upward, the thickness is thick, the number of leaves is medium, and the petiole thickness is thick. The color of the pericarp is bright red, the shape of the fruit is conical, the size of the fruit is large, the color of the flesh is light red, the color of the heart is reddish-red, the luster of the fruit is good, and the grooves of the fruit are very few. The flower size is medium, the petal color is white, the number of flowers per cluster is rather small, the peduncle is quite thick, and the peduncle is long. Firmness of fruit is quite hard, seedless zone is almost non-existent, seed drop is moderate, anthocyanin coloration of seed is light, number of seed is medium, fruit aroma is medium. It has a single season, early flowering, medium maturity, flowering position at the same level as the leaves, fairly short dormancy, fairly high soluble solids content, medium acidity, and long shelf life. Compared to “Nyoho Strawberry”, the leaves are thicker, the color of the core is reddish red, and the anthocyanin coloration of the seed is lighter. It is said that they can be distinguished from each other by their light red color, reddish color of the heart, and hard hardness of the fruit. Date of registration 1996/11/21 Duration of breeder’s rights 15 years Date of extinction of breeder’s rights 2011/11/22 Period expired. A Tochigi variety with a good balance of sourness and sweetness, and excellent compatibility with sweets such as fresh cream. Instead of “Nyoho strawberry”, it became a representative strawberry in eastern Japan, and it is the most produced variety in Japan.

At JA Hagano, together with related organizations, we determine the timing of planting, hold fertilization guidance sessions, and hold cultivation management seminars. It seems that they are trying to introduce new technologies and materials that can reduce labor. In order to deliver peace of mind and safety, it seems that they also check that there is no illegal use of pesticides. In addition, only products that have passed strict inspections are shipped, and it seems that they aim to be a production area that is trusted by market participants, consumers, and overseas.

Producers have a pre-cooler in their homes, and after harvesting, sort and pack them before shipping them to the agricultural cooperative. It seems that they mainly ship in 1 to 2 kg cardboard and containers. It ships from November to the end of May. Within the service area, the transportation time is short because it is relatively close to the Keihin market, a large consumption area. It seems that expansion of.