D.I.Y.

By dennis

Stinging nettle is a for most people an annoying weed. A noxious weed that can easily take over your garden.  They sting and leave a long lasting itch and burning sensation.
Maybe change your view of these plants and play with them a bit as they are actually very useful. Edible as they are, they make a delicious and cheap spring vegetable. When cooked they loose their sting and are delicious in a stir fry. Blended up into a pesto and mixed with the wonderful Kyoja niniku and almighty bacon makes a great spring pasta.
Also healthy as tea afterwards.

When you want to get rid of them, put them with you compost as they are a great source of nitrogen or,  like i do, stuff them in large  buckets and fill them up with water. Like all goodness comes from fermentation, you end up with a potent liquid fertilizer or even more handy :a pesticide.
It works great on caterpillars, aphids and the likes. Mix some of the concentrate with water and a bit of green soap and attack the grubs.
Leave them in the buckets with a lid on and stir occasionally and wait for a week or 3-4, depending on the heat outside. Strain, but use the left over pulp as fertiliser.
Just don’t  forget to bring some proper gloves!

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Hot house

By dennis

building

We get so much snow every year that we have to rebuild the greenhouses every year. The snow is light and fluffy at first, but always ends up as ice.
To prevent the green house from collapsing we have to take the plastic off and just leave the frame in winter. Even then the weight of the snow bends the pipes and does a lot of damage.
Also by having to remove the plastic every year it reduces its transparency and life span. We can only use it about 3 years. Living in one of the snowiest places on the planet doesn’t make life easier and certainly can get costly.

Anyway, here is a timelapse of how we put the roof back on. ( click ‘ building ‘ on top)
or on youtube 

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By dennis

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By dennis

One crop that does well in a short season climate is garlic. It's not popular just because it's delicious and healthy but also because it's relatively easy to grow. Planted in autumn and just about a week free from snow these garlic shoots are already bright green and loving life. They will be ready for harvest late July, early August. But before that we can harvest the garlic shoots sometime in June when they start to flower.

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Dennis, Sho and Hiromi preparing seedlings

By ben

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Seed potatoes

By dennis

For anyone who is planning to grow some potatoes this year, can come and buy some Danshaku seed potatoes from us. Available from now on. Just come to the farm to pick them up, or we can send them to you with takkyubin.

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First colour.

By dennis

For 5 months of the year our landscape is pretty minimal and natural colours are pretty somber.
When the first spring flowers emerge they make quite a contrast to the still white backdrop.
Still a wait for the last 60-70 cm of snow to melt, but with flowers around, we know it will be soon.

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Butternuts and rainbows.

By dennis

On October 3rd we got treated to the 2nd coldest and earliest frost on record. It didn’t mean much good to our butternut squash that was still ripening in the field,  ready for harvest.
While harvesting the next day these amazing rainbows came out, so hopefully it brings some good luck, or at least some better weather for next season.

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Autumn Fest.

By dennis

The Sapporo Autumn Fest is on again.
Niseko Green Fram is selling organic veggies and hopefully some bbq-ed corn soon when the rains stop.
Come by for some Autumn goodness or a glass of organic wine.

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Whole lotta veg.

By dennis

With late summer in full swing, the count down till the first snow begins.  Veggies galore now, the best time of the year, really. Everything ripens to their seasonal best and with the nights cooling down a bit as well, plants get some rest at night and get to bring out their best.

Our veggie boxes are loaded now with all the fruits of the field. All grown for their right season and not artificially created in green houses. Some very tasty melons and watermelons coming up too.  We got some seed for the French Charentais melons, and we grew a bunch. Apparently the tastiest melon on the planet, but who are we to decide. But we will add it to your veggie box so you can decide.
Let us know as well, we like to hear you feedback.

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