From the Shining Land
The other day, I visited Suzuki Farm, an organic farm founded by Mr. Ken Suzuki and located in Delmar, Delaware.
Living in the US, I crave Japanese food. When I am about to cook, I often have this thought: “Darn, I don’t have this ingredient, so I can't make it." I really want to eat vegetables like shungiku greens, komatsuna greens, Japanese cucumber, shishito, and Japanese eggplant. During summer, I want to put myoga ginger or sansho leaves on top of cold tofu, but I don’t have it here. As such, I am often discouraged from cooking Japanese dishes. Organic vegetables in the US are tasty, but sometimes I really crave Japanese vegetables that are only available in Japan.
Today, I’d like to write about Mr. Ken Suzuki, a wonderful farmer who has harvested Japanese vegetables in a foreign land and brought the finest flavors to market for 38 years.
Chestertown, Maryland, where I moved to, is located on the Eastern Shore, on a peninsula across from the Chesapeake Bay that is connected by a bridge to the mainland. The western part of the Eastern Shore is part of Maryland, and the eastern part, facing the Atlantic Ocean, is Delaware. Chestertown is surrounded by rivers and a gulf and is a historical port town that had thriving trade businesses. Delmar, Delaware, is located 75 miles south of Chestertown, near the Maryland border. I heard that the soil there was of great quality, containing an abundance of minerals from the ocean. I drove through vast farming areas in a relaxed mood for about an hour and a half, and after I passed through one forest road, a landscape similar to that of a Japanese farm spread out in front of me. Chives, daikon radishes, and green onions in the field vigorously grow along with weeds. (I was told the weeds are removed manually.)
Mr. Suzuki paused what he was doing by a field growing sweet and tasty tomatoes and said, “I am glad you enjoy our vegetables. I wish people would grow vegetables from seedlings so that they would understand how vegetables grow and ultimately appreciate the flavors more.”
Suzuki Farm is famous among Japanese communities on the East Coast. The 28-acre farm organically grows more than 30 kinds of Japanese vegetables. Its vegetables are not only sought after by high-end Japanese restaurants on the East Coast, but the farm has also received an increasing number of orders from individuals during the pandemic. I found that fresh vegetables have a distinct aroma and flavor in their leaves and roots and are really tasty. Shiitake mushrooms are also aromatic and have a robust flavor — the way the flavor spreads in my mouth makes me so happy. No seasoning is necessary.
Mr. Suzuki moved to the US in 1974 to work as a chicken breeder. He then did research and explored agriculture to learn how to be a farmer, and strived to grow tasty vegetables. The road for him was rough and rocky, however. In a desolate and lonely neighborhood with no other Japanese people, he confronted the vegetables earnestly and overcame tough situations. (By the way, there are still no other Japanese people there :-) “Going forward is the only way,” he said. He stuck to his beliefs and accomplished his dream — the dignity in his cool eyes was very beautiful. “If you fell off a cliff, the only thing you can do is climb. Haven’t you had such an experience?” His comment struck me.
This reminded me of this advice from my teacher, the late textile designer Junichi Arai: “Live hard as though you are cutting a big tree down. Live smoothly and beautifully like pristine water streaming. Let me see Yuh Okano fighting and seizing great success while I’m alive!”
I guess I have more work to do ... I must continue!
Like plants growing leaves and flowers facing the sunlight, I should stand on the ground firmly, arms spread up to the sky, and start the day.
As the soil increases in temperature, the seeds sprout. What you sow can determine your future harvests, and you will get ripe fruit in the future. Some strange force is pushing me forward — I feel it these days.
Yuh Okano, June.2021
