Other than Farm Blog

Green tea in the traditional Okinawan lifestyle, not only provides essential antioxidants but also a healthy catalyst for socializing with family and friends. While many Americans drink green tea to increase antioxidant intake, Okinawans typically incorporate it into a meal or into the ritual of receiving visitors.  Without conscious effort, culture and habit give health.  When you incorporate green tea into your day as an enjoyable routine, your health and well being can also be improved without trying. In the Okinawan diet, green tea is not the only source of antioxidants.  "The Blue Zones" by Dan Buettner mentions that turmeric, mugwort, bitter melon and seasonal fresh vegetables are also commonly consumed and give an additional boost of antioxidants.  The traditional diet is mostly vegetarian with frequent use of soy and occasional use of pork. Book "The Blue Zones" by Dan Buettner gives a glimpse of Okinawan centenarians lifestyle. Okinawan secrets of l

Baked Lilikoi Mochi from our 6th Annual Open Farm Day  10/11/14 Adapted from Unbearably Good!  Mochi Lovers' Cookbook by Teresa Devirgilio Lam We had a great turn out this year and I don't know if it was because of the good company, happy children, or the snacks.  Assuming it was all 3, try baking this Lilikoi Mochi as the final addition to your next great party!  It seems like a lot of lilikoi but I assure you - your guests will be pleased! 5 c. Mochiko (sweet rice flour) 3 c. Brown sugar 1 tsp. Baking soda 1 can Coconut milk 2 c. Fresh strained lilikoi juice (passion fruit) Kinako powder (roasted ground soybeans) Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix mochiko, sugar, baking soda, milk, and juice of ripe lilikoi in a large mixing bowl.  Stir batter until smooth.  Pour into a greased 10 x 15 1/2 inch pan.  Bake for 45 minutes. Remove pan from oven and cool.  Cut into small pieces with a plastic knife.  Dip cut edges in kinako powder to serve. Easy and del

1. The relationship between wild grown tea plants and pests 2. How modern tea farming amplify the pest and disease problems, 3. What pesticides they use to treat the problems, 4. As a consumer how to avoid heavily sprayed tea There are several ways you can easily reduce your pesticide exposure Buy spring tea - Spring teas are generally less contaminated because colder winter and early spring seasons have less pest activity and disease occurrence.  Many farmers manage with no spray at all.  Major tea pests for spring tips are aphids.   Taste the difference - Heavy fertilizer application tends to allow plants to grow out of proportion and can attract more pests and disease.  Learn to taste the fertilizer.  Any professionally trained tea educator should know this.   Growing environment - Learn about farm environment.  Higher altitude has different pests and disease.  Tea typically prefers cool, moist environment.  If tea is grown in dry hot area, they tend to experience more s

Overlooking the city of Kagoshima and Sakurajima volcano  Tea has been a dominant beverage in Japan for centuries although recent years they have experienced major shift in styles of tea consumption.  I had an opportunity to visit famous tea regions in Kyushu and Okinawa to learn their way of tea production, quality control and tea as part of food culture. Japanese are known for their politeness and perfectionism with a touch of wabi sabi (imperfect impermanent beauty) and zen in many aspects of their culture.  Maintenance of their tea fields is no exception.  Everywhere I go, tea fields are precisely manicured and the flush can be machine harvested to exactly 2 leaves and a bud.   Large fields are very common and designed for easy harvester access.  Transport systems and processing facilities to work together in timely manner to keep the tea leaf fresh and in optimal condition. Fukamushi (deeply steamed) Sencha   Green tea made in Kagoshima is mostly fukamush

1. The relationship between wild grown tea plants and pests 2. How modern tea farming amplify the pest and disease problems, 3. What pesticides they use to treat the problems, 4. As a consumer how to avoid heavily sprayed tea 5. Organic and wild harvest tea 3. What pests and pesticides? The following is a list of typical pests and recommended pesticides in major tea producing area in Japan.  This is just to show tea has lots of pest problems.  Some minor pests are not even mentioned here to keep it simple.  The pesticides are used to prevent pest damage from happening. The types of pesticides used may be replaced with pheromone traps, BT, bordeaux mixture, and organic pesticides that are derived from natural source and has less environmental impact, but typically result in higher cost.  Some lab testing claim that the pesticides recommended below have less human and environmental health impact from pesticide residue.  Some developing countries may not have regulations restri

However busy we get, it's important to live with the value that we believe in.  We have to ask ourselves sometimes why we farm and live in the country. During busy harvest season we still need to maintain our business and our lives, but often we get so overwhelmed by busy-ness of everyday life.  Yes, we are doing farm work, but what is it that made us want to farm at the first place? We want to grow our own foods that meet our expectation and life that revolves around seasonal changes.  It's easy to say, but when we try to do all these, it's a lot more work than we imagine. Winter-spring crops are ready to harvest now.  We make pickles and kimchi with cabbage and fruit wine with noni, jaboticaba and seasonal ingredients. Each bite, each sip, they bring us back to our value of living on the farm and life in the country.

 Pests and disease are inseparable parts of tea farming, thus pesticides to prevent and treat the pest and disease problems.  In this series we will look at: 1. The relationship between wild grown tea plants and pests 2. How modern tea farming amplify the pest and disease problems, 3. How and what pesticides they use to treat the problems, 4. As a consumer how to avoid heavily sprayed tea 5. Organic and wild harvest tea Part one focuses on the first two topics. 1. The Relationship Between Tea and Pests Wandering into old mountain forest of Japan, I have encountered wild tea plants growing sporadically in their own natural habitat.  There are not abundant tender supple tips to harvest, but in general plants are healthy.  The wild tea shows small signs of pests and disease, but it is minimal.  The plants vary widely in their leaf shape, size, color, and even growth form.  Some even appear as bonsai trees found in Japanese garden.  The plants seem 20-50 years of age, could be

The CTAHR Tea Project and Risk Management Hawaii present: Tea 101: Tea Production and Processing Basics *Space is limited to first 12 to pre-register; others will be on waiting list for future sessions. Cost: $25 cash or check at the door. RSVP to Didi or Perci at 887-6183 or email  mddiaz@hawaii.edu  by 02/05/14* Wednesday, February 12, 2014 8:30 am – 3:30 pm UH-CTAHR Mealani Research Station 64-289 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 Crop diversification is one strategy for managing risk. Tea has potential as a new crop for Hawaii. Tea 101 is a monthly event where participants undergo basic training in tea production and processing. They will also learn about the tea research being conducted at the University of Hawaii - College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) Mealani Research Station in Waimea. Some of the topics include: Introduction and market feasibility of Hawaii grown tea The basic types of tea (includes tasting)