http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ 王BD・ファームは、調合剤を必要とする人々のために調合剤を作り、多くの人々がバイオダイナミック農業者になるのをできる限り応援したいと思っています。私たちは、私たちがいるところを愛し、行うことを愛し、共にいる人々を愛するでしょう。愛は、私たちが必要とするすべてであるからです。世界人類が平和でありますように！ ja Copyright 2010 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:08:20 +0900 http://www.press328.com/press328/produce/49.html http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Some of my ideas for how the Tokachi gov't can help the organic movement in Tokachi. One idea is to educate the schools about what is organic agriculture.This can be done with a slideshow presentation followed by a farm tour to some of the Tokachi area organic farmers.The slideshow should be presented in every high school and college in the Tokachi area and later to other parts of Japan.It will take several months to put a good slideshow together.The government can talk to the schools and get their permission and compensate the presenters expense's such as slideshow materials and gas,etc.We will need an audition and review  with the school and government when we are ready.We hope the Tokachi organic network can benefit from this idea not only financialy but as publicity too.The slideshow will consist of organic methods we are useing and some places where they can learn more about how to grow organically and where they can buy organic products and why it is healthy for you and our planet.We will try not to condemn the chemical farmer as much as possible. Another idea is to make a place for formal training for new farmers i.e an organic school.Konomi is heading up this project with ideas from an organic school in Shi ko ku island. Another idea is an apprenticeship placement program for new farmers who are looking for their first farm.For older farmers near retirement that are willing to turnover thier farm to an organic new comer they will work together in transition from conventional to organic production with support from the Tokachi government and the Tokacho organic network.The government can subsidize both farmers and help to create a market through JAS or any other system that is agreeable to the farmers.We can work with Honbetsu city hall to get these empty fasrms filled with organic farmers and use the empty school to start our organic school.Honbetsu has many oppurtunities for growth in the organic movement and we can help and the town can benefit as well. Another idea is to improve the experimental or research centers.We need to know what is going on in there.Let us participate as research farms come and look at what we are doing and learn from us.We can work more closely together.The reasearch centers need a qualified organic farmer not just a scientist. Another idea is to hire teachers to teach organics in the schools.We can teach until the school finds someone to take our place.The Honbetsu college is close to us if you can talk to the school we can teach there and at the agriculture high school. We are already conducting workshops and have plans to start our own school.We want to train apprentices and have help from our city hall to get our graduated apprentices a farm near us that can takeover a retireing farmers farm and convert it to organic/biodynamic methods.Somehow we would like some support during this transitional period.We will need help from people who are not farmers.We are farmers trying to farm and help the organic movement.Can the government pay  someone to help us with this movement?As a biodynamic farm community we can help the organic movement with producing a lot of organic/biodynamic food and set a good example of growing our food and teaching while living a healthy family lifestyle.How can the government help someone who has graduated from an apprenticeship program or an organic school local or abroad get his first farm and get help converting the farm during the transitional period?How can the young people find out where to go for organic education?Why not have an organic teaching team to visit each school in the Tokachi area and later other parts of Japan.Why can't the government hire someone to do these things or pay the Tokachi Organic network to do it through someone we choose?Does the researh center have qualified organic farmers to do their research?What help can we give to the research centers to help make organics work like it is suppose to?Do they experiment with biodynamics there?Need someone to do that?Maybe we can help there too.How is the best way for the government to help us with the organic movement?Do you have any other ideas or suggestions?We don't have much time to go into much details now but we can give them our ideas and see if they do something with them.One thing they must know is that this organic movement is going forward with or without the governments help.It is inevitable.The world is slowly changing to enviromental issues and cocerns for the future.We in Japan want to help too.Obihiro is a green model city,organics is green.Lets make the Tokjachi area an organic model for Japan and the world.Please tell us what we can do to help?What more can we tell the government?I'm new here and don't know how to help.I am willing to do whatever i can to help save our planet.Biodynamics is my way.]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/416.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/416.html ベン／ Ben Campbell Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:08:20 +0900 Hi diary,It's time to write again,but things are happening so fast it will be hard to tell all.Our grand opening was a grand success.We met over 40 people and made pizza and sold some bread and made contacts so we can sell more.We  have been taking orders and we are happy with this system so far.We try to push our csa movement too and got one person to sign up now we have only 5 csa members.Getting the garden started and recruiting new csa members is our next major priority.After the grand opening we had a small party our friends from Date city who will join our community in the end of March came and played music. Trevor and Mika.Trevor is an organic/biodynamic gardener and plays the guitar and mandolin and also is a teacher.We will be very glad to have him here with us,Mika his wife is baker and such a sweet person.She is very intelligent and pretty.Trevor brought with him his guitar and mandolin.Our friend Ken Satioh and his wife Atsuko also came.Ken is a multitalented gentleman who played Trevor's guitar.I cannot play an instrument but i like to dance and i did.We all had a great time that night. A couple days later i went ski walking in one of the most beautiful places in Hokkaido.It is near a volcano and a sister mountain called Akan Fuji,at the bottom of these mountains in lake Onneto.The lake was frozen so we crosted it and were the first ones across it.Behind the lake was a magnificant veiw of the mountain.Our trail led us to a hot spring where water was coming out of the side of a bank.It was not the kind of ho9t spring where we could take a bath.When we got back to the parking lot there was a hot springs bath there and we soaked ourselves there.It was a wonderful experience being in the great outdoors and seeing nature up close.Later the club had another ski trip to anther hot spring but i could not go as Konomi and I gave a workshop to the Tokachi Organic Network at the Tokachigawa onsen hotel. We talked 50 minutes about the biodynamic calendar.It was the yearly social meeting and we dicussed the networks business.We were also informed about a letterbi recieved from the Tokachi Government wanting to get our advice about what the nTokachi government can do to help the organic movement.We talked almost allnight about what we could say to them.We will get this chance on March 8 in Obihiro.I have written down my ideas and have posted them in our diary too.Ken Saitoh-san will be there with me to translate for me. Before that we went to Tohma a organic model city for Hokkaido for an Hokkaido organic conference to hear 3 people talk about organics.One guy Kukuchi-san talk about "why now  organics"We heard this lecture from him before.It was just exciting as the last time.He did a great presentation and mentioned Al Gores "an incovinenttruth" many times.That movie really changed my life.After seeing that movie i told myself somebody has got to do something.So i started on my way to where i am now.That was in the pring of 2007. Another speaker was very interesting he spoke about his organic school on Shi ko ku island.After his talk we got to talk to him and learned that he got a lot of support from his city hall.We want anj organic/biodynamic school near us too.We want to have in our community some people to teach the organic/biodynamic method so they can be farmers too.Hopefully near us in the Honbetsu area or at least the Tokachi area, but really anywhere would be great too.Afterall the earth needs to be healed and there is earth everywhere. Another guy talked about eels in rice paddies.Some of these eels are very rare due to the use of chemicals and poor farming techniques.The eels help eat the algae in the paddies and are very beneficial to organic rice production.I must admit i wasn't to muchninterested in this one but we met some really nice people there at this convention and expanded our network a great deal more.Soon we hope everyone in Hokkaido that is interested in organics will hear about us.Its true we are only begining our farm but our network for information is growing very fast.We know a lot of people who are farming organically and we want them to know we are happy they are doing it.With all this networking i'm afraid Konomi is going to be on the computer or in the office more than she wants to.She is a good worker especially in the office keeping records but she would rather be on the farm doing farm work.My hands are tied.I can't speak or write Japanese yet so i'm stuck doing the farm work,which is where i really want to be anyway.Sowhile I'm doing the farm work to show a good farm Konomi is there telling people to lets work together for the organic movement.So we are both doing our part for Japan's organic movement.And soon we will have some great help from Trevor and Mika,plus some wwoofer's and apprentices and maybe more community members soon. Our priorities now are recruiting csa members and getting our garden started,getting Trevor and Mika moved in,keeping our bakery business alive,which is doing very well now,and making a plan for the future school and community.The weather is getting milder everyday so the snow is melting very slowly. Our cow Betty is due her first calf on the 28th.Next is Tomi due in April,then Sara in June,then Ichigo due in July.Its going to be excitig to have some new babies on the farm to show our visitors children.The calves are very cute.And i hope we get some girl babies.We hope to get other livestock too as we get time and organic feed for them.Orgaic feed is hard to comeby so we will need to grow our own feed.We should do it antway to become Demeter certified. After the government talk we will attend a meeting with Masuya-san a bakery who sponsors an organic farmers market in his parking lot.We were invited to participate last year but we didn't have enough time or vegetables.We hope maybe with Trevor and a few volunteers and enogh vegetables we can attend this year and profit from it,as well as help the organic movement. Our next event besides the csa gathering we will have here and there is the spring equinox workshop Konomi is still working on the details and i can't ask her yet so that i can tell you so we have to wait　until next time i write. There is an interesting movie out now about an organic school lunch program.Wouldn't it be nice if the children in your area could eat organic/biodynamic food for lunch and maybe be csa members and feed their children an organic breakfast and dinner too?I wish we could have a garden that big to do that much food or have a network for this project.So many ideas and opportunities but it is still too early in the spring to think about how to grow that much food.We are just beginning and there is so much to do.Lets get together and feed people some good healthy food they deserve from a local environment.We'll try to see and show this movie soon>Konomi says she can rent the movie and show it at some　of our csa gatherings. I guess by now you are saying to yourself "wish i could help".Well you can just give us a comment and suggestions and support.Pray for us.thats enough for now.Thank you for your support.Love and peace.Ben. Our hope is to help the organic movement not only for the earth's sake but so we can convert organic farmers to the biodynamic method too.]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/415.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/415.html ベン／ Ben Campbell Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:10:30 +0900 宇宙の高みから力強く 魂の中へ流れこむ光、 その光の中には魂の謎を解く 宇宙思考の確かさがある。 この光線に力を結集して 人の心の中に愛を目覚めさせよう。 　　　　　　　　魂のこよみ　ルドルフ・シュタイナー著 本別町活込（かっこみ）生活学校BDファームの朝焼け 毎日が飛ぶように過ぎていきます。 その中で、今週のシュタイナーのこの言葉は、私に強さと目覚めを与えてくれます。 私たちがこれからしようとしていること。 それは宇宙から示されていることであり、私たちはそれを行う使徒であり、道具です。 私たちの行動を通して、多くの人の心の中に愛が生まれますように！ 毎日、大小さまざまな緊張を伴う出来事が起こりますが、特に来週始めに、ひとつの大きな機会を私たちはもちます。十勝で初めて十勝管内の有機農家を集めての話合いが十勝支庁主催で行われるのです。 何がそのとき出来るか、何がそのとき起こるか、よりもそれに向かって準備している私たちの今がとても大切に思えます。 世界を平和にするために、私たちは有機推進運動をこの地域の人々と働けることをとてもありがたく感じています。 ]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/414.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/414.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:50:08 +0900 沢山のフルーツが入ったカントリブレッド　フルーツは私のお気に入り。 すべて有機のレーズン、プルーン、イチジク、クランベリー、くるみが入っていま〜す！ ]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/413.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/413.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:03:53 +0900 前列左からベン・キャンベル、中富良野の有機農家太田さん、瀬川さん（当麻）、山下さん（高知）、菊池さん（上川農業試験場場長）、新谷さん（北海道水産孵化場）その他当麻町のスタッフの皆さんだと思われます。 山下さんの有機農業実践のお話、菊池さんの「なぜ今有機か」のお話、有機田圃にドジョウをいれるお話などみんな興味深く、大変勉強になったのですが、何よりもすごいなあと思ったのは、この当麻町の有機農家人口とその活動です。 なんと駅に隣接して自然食品店があり、 その中に有機農家マップがあり、、、 それだけの有機農家さんが増えた理由を聞いたところ、今当麻有機農業推進協議会の代表と今年から北海道有機農業研究会の代表もされている瀬川さんが２０年前から勉強会を始めたことから、このような広がりになったそうです。 誰かの力がそこにあることで、そのまわりが変わる。それを見て勇気と希望を沢山頂きました。 ありがとうございます。 私たちも前に向かって頑張ります。]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/411.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/411.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:44:53 +0900 http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/412.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/412.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:28:42 +0900 今週のパンは、シードミックス・サワードウパン、プレーンカントリーブレッド、くるみとレーズンのライ麦パンです。 ただいま、シードミックスを作っています！ カボチャの種、ひまわりの種、ゴマ、オート麦がたっぷり！ 種という生命エネルギーは特別な栄養食ばかりでなく、すばらしいエネルギーの宝庫です！！！ 焼き上がりが楽しみ！ 明日には焼きたてをご注文いただいた方々にお届けします！ もうしばらく、お待ち下さいね。。。 ]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/410.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/410.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Wed, 17 Feb 2010 21:35:06 +0900 十勝毎日新聞社ニュースに載りました！ オーガニックパン工房開設　本別・キャンベルさん夫妻 2010年02月11日 14時36分 工房に設けた石窯の前で、手作りパンを手にするキャンベルさん夫妻 「ＢＤ農業へ理解深めて」 　【本別】有機農法の“最高峰”といわれる「バイオダイナミック（ＢＤ）農業」に取り組む町西美里別のベン・キャンベルさん（５２）、このみさん（４５）夫妻が１１日、自宅敷地内にパン工房「かっこみオーガニックベーカリー」を開設した。有機栽培の原料を用いた手作りパンを広く消費者に提供し、ＢＤ農業への理解を深めてもらおうとの発想。原料や製法にこだわる夫妻は「健康的なパンを多くの人に」と張り切っている。 　ベンさんは米国バージニア州、このみさんは横浜市出身。岩見沢市から２００８年３月、更別に。居を構えて本格的にＢＤ農業を実践しようと昨年１１月、知人の紹介で本別に移住した。消費者が会員となって営農経費を負担、収穫時に農作物を受け取る特有の営農法も導入し、今季から本格的に取り組む。 　パン工房の開設はＢＤ農業の普及活動の一環。有機栽培の道産小麦・ライ麦の全粒粉、自家製の天然酵母を原料に手作業で生地を練り、ベンさん手作りの石窯で焼き上げるこだわりよう。牛乳や卵を使わないため、「麦そのものの素朴な味わいが特徴」（このみさん）という。 　ライ麦と小麦をブレンドした「ライ麦パン」、小麦だけを使った「カントリーブレッド」、酸味がある「サワードーブレッド」の３種類をベースに、ナッツやレーズン入りなど十数種類を用意。１個４５０〜７００グラムで価格は７００〜９００円。売り場を設けず、すべて注文販売する。 　将来的には自前の圃場（ほじょう）で収穫した小麦を原料に使うことも視野に入れており、ベンさんは「有機農法や地産地消、循環型の農業の素晴らしさに理解が深まるきっかけになれば」と期待している。注文はファクス（０１５６−２４−２９００）とＥメール（Ｉｎｆｏ＠ｏｕｂｄｆａｒｍ．ｃｏｍ）、郵送（〒０８９−３４４３　本別町西美里別７０７ノ１）で受け付けている。（杉原尚勝） http://www.tokachi.co.jp/news/201002/20100211-0004338.php]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/409.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/409.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:46:15 +0900 ３月末までのオープン特別キャンペーン 会員様(※１)価格で、３月末までお買い頂けます！ 来週のパンは、２月１８日（木）受取です。 １、シードミックス・サワードウ・ブレッド （北海道産有機小麦全粒粉と無農薬、無化学肥料で作られた北海道長沼メノビレッジ産ライ麦で作った少し酸味のあるパンの中に、ひまわりの種、カボチャの種、ゴマ、オーツ麦が入ったパンです。自家製有機小麦天然酵母、大島自然塩） 丸ごと　７５０円（約６８０g）　半分　４００円 ２、プレーン・カントリーブレッド （北海道産有機小麦全粒粉１００％、自家製有機小麦天然酵母、大島自然塩） 丸ごと　７００円（約６８０g）　半分　３８０円 ３、レーズンとクルミのライ麦パン 　（北海道産有機小麦全粒粉とドウ・ブレッド （北海道産有機小麦全粒粉と無農薬、無化学肥料で作られた北海道長沼メノビレッジ産ライ麦、自家製有機小麦とライ麦の天然酵母、有機レーズン、有機クルミ、大島自然塩） 丸ごと　８００円（約６８０g）　半分　４３０円 申込期間を少し延長しました。 ２月１６日（火）の午後０時（お昼）までにご注文下さい！ ・配達料は１回５００円（帯広近郊）です。（本別、足寄、CSA会員、また受取場所※２まで取りに来ていただく場合は１００円） ・１回に３０００円以上のご注文がある場合とかっこみオーガニックベーカリーに取りにきていただく場合の配達料は無料です。 ・お支払いは郵便口座振込でお願いします。次週もご注文いただく場合は合わせてお振込下さい。 次週の予定（２月２５日受取分）は、ひまわりの種サワードウブレッド　７５０円、レーズンとクルミのカントリブレッド　７５０円、プレーンライ麦パン７５０円です。 ※１：会員について 会員年会費　２０００円　４月〜翌年３月までの１年間有効　会員特別価格＆etc特典あります！ ４月以降会員以外の方は、上記金額に２００円プラスになります。 ※２：受取場所について 今現在、本別のドン菓子の対馬商店、帯広のspace A to B(帯広市東４条西４丁目4-26)、ランチョエルパソ（交渉中）その他拠点拡大中 申訳ありません！！！ 朝からやっているのですが、申し込み用紙をネットから受け取れるようにする方法がわかりません．．．．。 どうぞメールでも、FAXでもコメントでも結構ですので、お申込したいパンの種類と個数、お名前、ご住所、受取希望場所をご明記の上、お送り下さい。 （どなたかエクセルで作ったデータをネット上につける？またはクリックすると取出せる？ようになる方法を教えてください！！！ パソコンのことよくわかっていませーーーん！！！！！！！汗々！ どうぞよろしくお願い致します！]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/408.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/408.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:05:11 +0900 本日、かっこみオーガニックベーカリーを開店しました！ 本別やその周辺、遠くは伊達からも沢山のお客さまにお会いすることが出来ました。 こんな身近にハードパンを好きな方が沢山いらっしゃるとは思ってもいなかったのでとても嬉しいです！ 本別で新しい繋がりがもっともっと広がりそうです！ 石釜薪オーブンの構造を新得共働学舎の宮嶋サンの片腕、村上さんに説明するベン。 ここに写っていませんが、本別町のドン菓子屋さんの対馬さん、足寄町ありがとう牧場の吉川さん、本間さん、浦幌の山崎養鶏の佐知子さん、生活学校の林さん、敏子さん、今回も泊まりがけで手伝いにきてくださった帯広の本間サン、マサ君、その他沢山の方々に支えられ、素晴らしいオープンとなりました。 ここで改めてお礼を申し上げます。 本当にありがとうございました。 どうぞこれからよろしくお願い致します。 私たちの友人、斎藤ケンさんのレギュラーラジオ番組でベンが、明日午前10時半より約30分間の中で電話出演することになりました。実際スタジオの中でケンさんが私たちのパンを食べて実況中継してくださるそうです！ お時間のある方はお聞き下さい。 FMウイング　10時半〜11時　ラジオが入らなくてもインターネットで聞けます。 こちらにアクセス下さい。今日の十勝毎日新聞の私たちの記事を載せていただいているそうです。 また、明日10時半からFMウイングでベンが電話インタビューで出演することになりました。パンのことを中心にお話下さるそうです。 ラジオが入らない方はネットで聞けます。 こちらにアクセスしてください。 http://www.simulradio.jp/ よろしくお願い致します。]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/407.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/407.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:47:40 +0900 やっと看板あげました！ 国道沿いにも立ててあります！ これらの看板を見つけてください。 みなさまのお越しをお待ちしています！！！]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/406.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/406.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:10:16 +0900 石釜作りの工事が終わり、これで営業許可申請をして許可を取るだけ！と思っていたところ、水のことでまたそれから時間がかかり、開店の準備が遅れ遅れになって染ましました。 それで、今日、やっと看板を作ることが出来ました。 手作り感あふれるものですが、見つけてください！ 今日から出す看板です。 目立つようにカラフルにしたのですが・・・ 一応シュタイナー教育で水彩画（にじみ絵）の３原色の使い方を意識したのもですが、ちょっと技術が・・・・ ]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/405.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/405.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:44:57 +0900 こんにちは！ 少し寒さも緩みましたが、お元気でお過ごしですか？ ギリギリのご案内になってしまいましたが、この度、新しくベーカリーをオープンすることになりました。 ２月１１日グランドオープンに、是非お越し下さい！ ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ グランドオープン かっこみオーガニック・ベーカリー 2010年2月11日(木)祝日 午前11時~午後7時 オーガニックな素材、そして自家製の天然酵母、天然の日の力を生かした石釜でじっくり焼く、噛み締めるパン 大地と宇宙のリズムに根ざしたバイオダイナミック農業の農場に生まれた、農家のパン屋。その大地に根付いたしっかりと重みのあるパン 是非、お手に取って、味わってみてください。２月１１日のオープン日以降は、注文販売でのみ販売致します。 自家製天然酵母+石釜焼きパン、Loveアースほっとサンド、本別ドン菓子、足寄ありがとう牧場のサラダビーフの販売、浦幌平飼い鳥の卵 十勝有機ごぼうコーヒー、 新得共働学舎のチーズ、放牧豚のベーコンなどの販売もあります。(変更の可能性もあります。ご了承下さい) 当日、石釜で焼くフリー（無料）ピザ＆フリーティーあります！！！ 生活学校＋バイオダイナミック・ファーム （旧　王バイオダイナミック・ファーム） ベン＆このみ　キャンベル]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/402.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/402.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:30:03 +0900 s]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/404.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/konomi/404.html このみ／ Konomi Campbell Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:28:02 +0900 Hi diary,We have now pasted our inspection for a bakery business permit so now we are introducing our grand opening on Feb 11 from 11am until 7pm.We will give a welcoming speech and introduce ourselves and try to tell you what we are doing on this farm.We will have bread and other baked goods for sale along with free samples of bread and free pizza and tea.We hope to have a musician to come and play music for us but we are not sure about that yet.We want to tell you that we are not only opening a bakery but we are finally settled in and are open for business.That means we are accepting csa members and bread orders. We will have a list of upcoming events here on the farm and other events that we are involved with to promote the organic/biodynamic movements.We are accepting community members and volunteers workers.We are starting a biodynamic community and we are not able to take care of them yet.But If someone wants to join us we can only offer shelter.We can probably get food from our friends and nieghbors to give to our community members.We have spent all our money on getting things setup for this community.and now we are ready to start business.We will get money from bread sales and csa signups.We have already ordered our seeds and will recieve them in a couple of weeksThis is really big news for us to announce our grand opening we are finally in a position to do what we came to Japan to do.We wanted to make the Biodynamic preparations,operate a csa,conduct workshops on how to use and make the Biodynamic preparations,and try to help establish a Biodynamic association that can get the Demeter certification to Japan.We hope we can becomeDemeter certified.We have a good chance for that here.We have an agricultural college nearby where we hopefully can attract college students to be interested in organic gardening and farming.There are lots of opportunities for the organic movement in this area.We can get access to an abandoned elementary schoolhouse for large events.In order to do these events of course we will need help.Not only for these events but for all the work that needs done on the farm.We can teach an apprentice a lot about farming and gardening.I've probaby told you already about our future goals so i'll move on to other things to talk about. One thing is that J.P.I. is hosting their 9th annual prep makers conference and will feature the preparation 508 which is the horsetail weed spray.Some people don't use the spray but in Hokkaido i think it is very necessary because of all the rain.Horsetail prep or 508 is suppose to help protect plants from fungus disease which usually happens when there is too much rain.It is also used as a susquential spray amomg other preps to encourage rain or reduce the rain.It will not actually stop the rain but helps the air balance it's enviroment.I made some 508 last week and it will be ready in about a couple days.This is my first time making the 508 and it was harvested the first year we were here,so it has been dried for two years, after it is made it will stay good for up to 6 months then we'll have to make more.There is two recipes that i know of.One is from freah horsetail and the other is to ferment it.I used the fermented tea method using the dried herb.Later during the summer, probably at one of our workshop i'll make both kinds.To make the 508 I used the recipe from J.P.I. newsletter this month.A doctor from Dr Steiners days made a recipe that most people use now.Her name is Lilly Kolisko she also wrote a couple of books about biodynamics and was a scientist who helped develop homeopathy among other things.Her husband was a scientist too. his name was Eugene.One of her books is now back in print but costs around $80.00.Wish i could afford it.It will probably sellout very fast. I’ve been working on our yarrow flowers.We harvested them after the sun was in scorpio and on fruit days.last summer.Now is good time to pick the flowers of the stems.We now have 17 deer bladders.This spring when we make our 502 we will have lots of deer bladders and hopefully enough yarrow to fill them.We may share some of the deer bladders with B.A.A.J. and Pokawapa in Kyu shu.And maybe get some more before then. Other things that have been happening here lately is that we went cross country sking with a club in our area in Honbetsu.Here what we did was considered ski walking with cross country skis or nordic sking.Later this month we will go on a trip with a ski club to a hot springs to ski 8 kilometers out and 8 kilometers back and then a hot bath. Sounds like fun in the great oiutdoors.We met some people there who were very nice and we decided to join the club and get some exercise.Plus we might find some people who want to be our csa members.Usually people interested in their health would want healthy food for themselves or for someone they know who needs good healthy food.Intelligent people and young parents are usually good candidates for csa members. We got a delivery van from Konomi's mom Thank you mom.It is a diesel 4wd 5 speed and big enough for our first year csa and our bread delivery route. We like our new van very much. We sent one of our cows to the slaughter house and picked up the meat yesterday.This cow was very mean to the other cows and would not get pregnant and was a good size cow for beef.Hayashi-san will sell the beef to his friends and clients from the farm corporation. Thats about it for now.Just a little bit about our plans for the future and our present status.We still love each other very much and are working hard to make a good place to make a biodynamic farm community happen.It is going to be our first year here and we have a lot to learn but you can learn with us as we will learn from our nieghbors.We haven’t had time to make friends around here yet but now we are finally settled in and are ready to live productive lives and have fun doing it. Our next event after the grand opening is the spring equinox festival and some csa gatherings in between.Please try to come by or keep us in your prayers as we start what we came here to do.We are finally starting business yeah!!!!!!!!! Love and peace.Ben.]]> http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/401.html http://diary.oubdfarm.com/ben/401.html ベン／ Ben Campbell Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:44:56 +0900