Organic Farmers’ Efforts for Safe and Sustainable Tea Farming

Dear our valued customers,

We hope you are doing well. Here in Japan, summer vacation is finished at the end of August for school children. It will be autumn from next month according to the calendar, but still summer season is continuing with around 30℃（80℉）.
During this season, the tea will be interval of the harvest, but the farmers are struggling with weeds and insects for managing the tea fields. Especially in the hot and humid summer of Kagoshima, it should be an excellent condition for them, fortunately or unfortunately.
In organic farms, the use of chemically synthesized pesticides is prohibited, and the use of pesticides such as naturally derived pesticides must be used, so the use of pesticides is restricted. Therefore, at one of the organic farms, insects are blown away and removed by a machine that uses the wind.

Furthermore, farmers use various methods to protect their tea fields against the weeds.
One of these methods is to use steam to heat treat the fields, making it difficult for weeds to grow.

You can see this in the photo below.
Using this machine is not only very helpful in growing safe tea without relying on pesticides or chemicals, it also reduces the burden on farmers.
It is also a revolutionary method at a time when soil pollution is a concern all over the world and sustainable farming methods are being called for.
Maintaining our safety and health is of course important, but we also want to think of methods that are kind to the earth and consider the environment for the future.

This time we talked about the farmer’s efforts against insects and weeds.
Thank you very much for reading.