Naturally grown potatoes (Sayaakane) (Ueno)

Naturally grown potatoes (Sayaakane) from Ueno in Kumamoto Prefecture

The skin of "Sayaakane" is pale pink.

When heated, it becomes fluffy and has a slightly sweet taste, so it is recommended for potato salads and croquettes.

It also retains its shape well, making it ideal for simmered dishes such as stews and pot-au-feu.

Ueno has been committed to natural farming since he started farming

Masuhisa Ueno, a natural farmer who started farming in 2011, is now an indispensable part of Purely.

He encountered Purely when he first began farming and has been farming using natural farming methods from the very beginning.

Ueno talks about his efforts at natural farming.

At first, the crops did not grow well and there were even reports of total destruction.

"At first, I didn't know anything about natural farming, so I just copied what I saw. But it didn't work at all. When I started growing onions here, almost all of them died after about two years."

Although Ueno can now laugh about his failures, he says that it was extremely difficult at the beginning.

Nevertheless, he has managed to look at his failures in a positive way, and has proactively participated in lectures sponsored by Purely and training sessions organized by the National Natural Farming Promotion Association.

"Looking back, this failure taught me the importance of soil preparation," he says, and he has continued to make steady progress.

Ueno-san takes care of organically grown crops.

Now, among Purely's partner producers, they produce a wide variety of naturally grown vegetables, which is one of the best.

Most of the produce is produced from seeds we collect ourselves or purchased fixed varieties, and we are committed to natural cultivation from seeds.

"I want to make natural farming a normal part of agriculture. I believe I can do it, and I want to continue spreading the word by continuing to focus solely on natural farming." Ueno is passionate about natural farming and works hard at it every day.

Please enjoy Ueno's naturally grown potatoes, which are full of his passion.

Chatting with Purely staff. We chat about natural farming in the fields.