1kg of frozen blueberries grown without pesticides or fertilizers
1kg of frozen blueberries grown without pesticides or fertilizers
Regular price
¥3,500
Regular price
Sale price
¥3,500
Unit price
/
per
*We are sorry, but we are not selling fresh blueberries this year. Thank you for your understanding.
Frozen blueberries grown without pesticides or fertilizers by Hirose of Nishihara Village, Kumamoto Prefecture
This time we will be selling very rare blueberries in limited quantities.
Please be sure to purchase as soon as possible.
Hirose Blueberry Farm, nestled in a land rich in nature
Varieties
Varieties
Producer
Producer
Producing area
Producing area
Nishihara Village, Aso District, Kumamoto Prefecture
Farming method
Farming method
Fertilizer-free and pesticide-free cultivation
Species Information
Species Information
Fruit trees
Size and Capacity
Size and Capacity
1 kg
Nishihara Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, where Hirose Blueberry Farm is located, is a naturally rich area located on the east side of the Five Mountains of Aso.
Rice fields and dairy farms are thriving, and there are also many cafes and restaurants that use the produce grown on the land. Mr. Hirose originally ran a "B&B and blueberry tourist farm," but after it was partially destroyed in the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, he only grew blueberries for a while.
Now, in between his busy schedule, he also runs a rental villa, saying, "I have the building that my father had partially built, so I can use it."
These blueberries are domestically grown without the use of any pesticides or fertilizers. Blueberry trees line the vast land
We value hand-picking and hand-selecting
When I visited in late June 2021, the fruit was just beginning to turn color.
Like all crops last year, blueberries seem to have grown about a month faster than normal.
Among the young pink berries there were also some ripe purple berries.
Strong winds during the "flowering season" which produces the fruit resulted in few fruits being produced, and having witnessed this myself, I was impressed by the way the fruit grew.
There were many large berries on the ground, and we had the luxury of having the experience of harvesting them ourselves.
The staff, who were visiting for the first time, were taught how to pick the fruit by Hirose, and then got to work... We had a lot of fun, but in reality, at the height of the harvest, they have to do this work all day long in the scorching heat and rain.
Most of the work is done by one person, so even if you work all day it is difficult to harvest a large amount.
Each and every grain is carefully picked and hand-selected by Hirose. Sometimes several varieties are planted side by side.
Did you know there are two types?
In addition, Hirose hand-selects each and every blueberry he picks.
When it comes to shipping the raw produce, "we have to be careful about the order in which we pack it so that it fits neatly," he says.
Of course, the ones to be frozen are hand-selected one by one before being frozen.
Because it is not made by machine, it takes a lot of time, but I believe that it is because it is made by hand that each and every grain can be delivered without being crushed, and I felt a strong desire to cherish Hirose's desire to continue making things by hand, because "I don't want the people who receive them to be disappointed."
Hirose's thoughts on the blueberry farm
The blueberry farm is about 5 tan in size. It is so large that at a glance you can't even see the trees in the back, and the berries are lined up so close together.
The business started about 35 years ago when her father-in-law inherited it from a neighbor, and has continued to this day. However, because blueberries were cultivated at a time when they were not yet common, Hirose, who came to live with her husband, witnessed the family's struggle to find a buyer.
These are trees that my father-in-law has protected through overcoming these hardships, and also through the difficulties of cultivating them without relying on fertilizer or pesticides.
Currently, Hirose does most of the work by herself, and it is hard to manage the vast blueberry farm, but it was wonderful when she said with a smile, "For now, I'm enjoying these two busy months, thinking of them as a summer event."
For Hirose, the blueberry farm is "something irreplaceable that I want to continue to protect." His words were filled with so much emotion, such as thoughts, gratitude, hardships, and joys, and they really struck a chord with me.
Second from the left is Hirose-san with a lovely smile.