It is a confident crop grown mainly with organic fertilizers. It is delicious rice even when cold. This rice is grown by preparing the soil based on fully ripe rice husk fertilizer, three types of organic fertilizer, and homemade rice bran fertilizer. Each grain stands firmly and has a chewy texture. The deliciousness of Shimasaki Farm (Masato Shimazaki)'s rice Point1: Mineral-rich snowmelt water from the Ou Mountains Shimasaki Farm's rice fields are located in the Rigo district of Nanyo City, Yamagata Prefecture. There are no convenience stores nearby, and it is an area specializing in agriculture, with many farmers who grow fruits, vegetables, and rice. Located at the foot of the Ou Mountains, surrounded by mountains from east to west, the rice produced in this area is said to be of high quality, although it is hot and humid in summer and heavy snowfall in winter. The representative, Mr. Shimazaki, is the 10th generation. We have been working on pesticide reduction for more than 40 years and are focusing on rice production that is more concerned about taste than yield. Point 2: A solid observation eye makes rice stronger Mr. Shimazaki's commitment is to make the soil and firmly root it. In addition to compost, we use original organic fertilizers made from seaweed and rice bran to grow the soil firmly, so that the rice takes root deeply. Even in seedlings, we sow fewer seeds and longer the seedling period than usual to create strong seedlings with strong roots. We make detailed observations and adjustments in every process, divide the rice fields into lots, and check the taste of the harvested rice. Point3: Pass on the baton of deliciousness Mr. Shimazaki told me that if there are people who give up the rice fields, he is thinking of taking on more and more of them. Once the rice fields are desolate, they cannot be easily restored, so they want to protect the local rice fields in order to pass on delicious rice to the next generation. His determination to take on the role of a local community has given him the food to take on new challenges every year, and he has left a brilliant track record such as winning an excellent gold medal in a contest. Mr. Shimazaki will continue to pursue the deliciousness of rice while protecting the rice fields in the area so that he can pass on the baton he has received to the next person.