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Part-time farming
She'll make almost anything and still go to work, Mrs. Yokoyama. 99.12.05/ Temperature: 5C/ Weather: Rain/ Wind Direction: W
Start: Sekikawamura 38 04 30 N 139 34 53 E
Destination: Kurokawamura 38 01 09 N 139 29 46 E
Distance Traveled: 13 kmWalking along the Oishi River in the chilly December rains, I happened upon a middle- aged couple doing their best to mix farming customs of the old days with current changes of an increased standard of living and new difficulties in achieving economic stability. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yokoyama make their living as part-time farmers.
Almost all residents of Kubo and many surrounding villages are part-time farmers. 'Part-time' however, is not an accurate description. Most part-time farmers have one full time job while juggling time to meet the demanding needs of farming. Mr. Yokoyama, whom I met on the side of the road, and his wife both have regular jobs in addition to farming a few hectares of land. Without an alternate source of income, it would be difficult to provide for themselves economically.
Mr. Yokoyama explains to me about being a part-time farmer. In the background, persimmons are hung out to dry. Most impressive about the Yokoyamas is the fact that in spite of their busy working schedules, the couple manages to continue many of the tricks to living that I have discovered along the way. Persimmons and daikon (Japanese radish) hung outside the window drying to be preserved for the long winter, the house has been fully protected to withhold the winter snow. Mrs. Yokoyama proudly told me that almost everything on the table before me is homemade: the rice, miso, pickles, and vegetables. She manages to do all of this, farm and work!
The lifestyle the Yokoyamas are leading now is one which continues to utilize some of the daily wisdom passed on from their farming parents, however they have managed to overcome many of the hardships that once burdened farmers of the area. "In the past people made their own foods out of necessity. I use tricks from their clever way of living to make my own foods. It doesn't cost anything, it's enjoyable to make, and I can make foods that suit my own tastes," explained Mrs. Yokoyama smiling proudly. Biting into a perilla wrapped miso stick (Miso is spread lightly over a perilla leaf, rolled into a stick, then fried. The sticks can be preserved in the freezer for up to a year.) my mouth watered. Mrs. Yokoyama has taken advantage of economic stability and the availability of sugars and spices to develop her own home flavor.
Mmm! Perilla wrapped miso stick As appealing as it may be that the Yokoyamas have continued many clever ways of living passed on for generations, it is not all fun and games. Mr. Yokoyama explained. "Now may be even more difficult than in the old days. At least in the old days we had a chance to rest. Now we work all day, work on our fields when we get home and work on the weekends. We are too busy." The profitability of farming has become so low that there are very few full-time farmers. It is almost impossible to live solely off of farming.
Rice paddies of covering the hilltops of Sekikawamura. Mr. Yokohama shared with me his thoughts on returning to the single profession of farming. "If we lowered our standard of living, we might be able to get by only on farming. We could pay for electricity and gas. Cars, television, newspaper, etc. would all have to be cutout of the budget. It would be possible to live off of only farming but I would choose to have an additional source of income."
Many middle-aged farmers throughout Japan have taken on the difficult task of both farming and working full time. Though it is a busy and demanding double-profession, part time farming seems to carry on a tradition which utilizes some wisdom of daily living at the same time it creates a source of income in order to live in the market dominated economy. This is by no means an easy path to take, but it seems to be the best solution for the Yokoyamas at the time.
What do you all think? Would you all be willing to sacrifice some of your daily conveniences in order to lead a less hectic life?
Greg
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