The Power to Grow and the Environment that Nurtures It | Kikuko Ota (Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care)

January 13, 2015

The season has arrived when Orion, surrounded by the Winter Triangle and the Winter Diamond, shines in the southern night sky. Under the starry sky, the vegetables in the field are covered in frost, quietly enduring the cold.

Last summer, my family started attending a "hands-on farming experience," and I began to help out from time to time. Although I have no farming experience whatsoever, we grow vegetables by repeatedly receiving instruction from the farm owner, our instructor, attending his lectures, and putting them into practice.

We were taught everything, from how to use farm tools to how to mix fertilizer and apply pesticides. I also learned new terms like "mulch," a plastic ground cover, and "cheesecloth," used to protect the vegetables. In early September, we made ridges in the field, which had been nothing but brown earth, planted seedlings, and sowed seeds. By October, the leaves that had grown from the seeds had developed enough for us to thin them out. It was a slightly nerve-wracking task, wondering which ones to keep and which to pull, and if I was really doing it right. After mid-October, the field turned into a sea of green, and by November, it was overgrown like a forest, so dense it was hard to find a place to step. The vigorous growth of the vegetables was astonishing.

I wondered what would become of the broccoli and cauliflower as only their leaves and stems grew, but after about 60 days, their familiar florets appeared. The napa cabbage leaves spread out vigorously in all directions, so much so that I worried they would just keep growing outward. But after about 50 days, the spreading leaves began to form a head at the center. The daikon radish, which started as tiny seeds just a few millimeters in size that could be blown away by a breath, began to poke its head 10, then 20 centimeters out of the soil after 90 days, bearing almost overly magnificent leaves. When I pulled up a daikon, as if urged to harvest it quickly, and a straight, white root weighing over two kilograms emerged, the feeling was truly special. The vegetables we grew were much larger than those you typically see in stores. They were all fragrant, fresh, and full of umami, allowing us to fully appreciate the deliciousness of vegetables. It also made me feel a little proud when those who ate them expressed their delight.

I learned that about 100 million microorganisms are active in a single gram of soil. It is apparently important to adjust the soil with fertilizer to maintain a pH of 6.0–6.5, which is suitable for vegetables, and to replenish the nutrients absorbed by the plants, thereby maintaining a soil environment where microorganisms can thrive.

While grateful for the instructor's teachings, it was a valuable experience that made me realize that even an amateur can grow wonderful, delicious vegetables with good seeds and seedlings, fertile soil, and proper care.

What I deeply feel is that seeds possess the inherent power to grow on their own. If provided with a healthy environment, they will grow freely, each at its own pace and in its own way. This has renewed my determination to work hard in my daily tasks, valuing the importance of creating a good foundation, much like preparing the soil.