 Agroforest
Welcome to our agroforest page.
Picture - The access
road to our property.
We
Purchased a Mountain
On July 15, 2021, we purchased a mountain in the Northern section of
Tanegashima
island. We are now in the process of converting our forest into an agroforestry
project. |
A Bit About Our Mountain
We are already supplying close to 100% of our fresh food needs with our farms
and now it was time for the next step, which in this case, meant buying a
forested mountain. The mountain backs to a reservoir which supplies
drinking and irrigation water to the northern section of the island. The total land area of the mountain is over 18,000 square meters, which is
about 193,750 square feet for those of you still using the Imperial measuring system, or
about 4.5 acres. The mountain is loaded with hinoki, sugi, and oak trees and has
beautiful views of the reservoir. Public facilities are located directly across
the reservoir and include a huge park, sports fields, a community center, and
several bathrooms. A small cabin style bathroom is located a mere 4 minute walk
from our property in a small park and includes flush toilets, a public source of
drinking water, and picnic tables. |
What
is an Agroforest?
The Wikipedia definition is:
An agroforest, or more specifically Agroforestry, is a land use management
system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland.
Although I agree with this definition to some extent, it seems like adding trees
to existing farmland is nothing more than a glorified windbreak. For me, real agroforestry is more in the form of transforming an existing mountain forest
into a productive, yet sustainable, ecosystem where the native trees are kept
undisturbed with crops being the new introduction....not the trees.
Continue reading
for a more detailed description of agroforestry.... |
|
Our Progress
The work on our agroforestry project seems slow, but after a year and a half of
work, we were able to grow our first crops during the Summer of 2023. During
that same Summer, a typhoon wiped out much of our crops but we were still able
to salvage quite a bit. The project has been difficult from the beginning due to
the many challenges we faced, and continue to face, along the way.
Continue reading to see our progress listed in reverse chronological order.... |
Challenges
The work on our agroforest has been hampered by numerous challenges both
personal and situational.
Personal Challenges
Probably the most difficult personal challenge has been working on our
agroforest with three kids. As of 2023 they turned 14, 7, and 3 years old.
Meeting their needs and still trying to be productive is a difficult balancing
act. That said, They are very cooperative, they help a lot, especially our
oldest son, and all of them enjoy our family time up in our mountain. On a more
personal note, I am 63 years old as of 2023 and my wife is 43 years old. My
physical condition has made the work on the agroforest painful but I still
manage to put in full work days when we are up there. A few years a go I
incurred an inguinal hernia, not long after a bicep injury to my right arm, and
during the Summer of 2019 developed symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. The hernia
has become tolerable, the bicep injury is somewhat limiting my strength, and I
am managing the arthritis through exercise and diet. The reasons for not getting
dealing with these problems are many and will be discussed in a future post.
Situational Challenges
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