Lecture: From Seaweed Fertilizer into Organic Farming
One of the CIL Research Members, Associate Professor MAHICHI Faezeh held a lecture on November 8th 2021 entitled “Seaweed Fertilizer & Kandori Farm” with the speakers Mr. and Mrs. Kandori who are the founder of Kandri farm as a part of her CIL research. The detailed report is shared as follows.
Learn more about the research.
Lecture: Seaweed fertilizer and Kandori farm
As a part of the CIL research with Associate Professor MAHICHI Faezeh as principal investigator, examining the potentials and challenges of grassroots activism as a pedagogical framework for implementing inclusive sustainable development in societies, locally, regionally and globally, Mr. Makoto & Mrs. Hiroe Kandori, the founder of Kandori Farm, delivered a lecture to APU students on November 8th, 2021.
The Kandori family shared their eureka moment of utilizing seaweed as a fertilizer on their farm which became their first experience as organic farmers. The talk covered their experiences from moving to Kitsuki while building their farm brick by brick, the collaborative projects with companies and education institutions to being featured on Japanese media and donating Yuzu to Kitsuki city in hopes that the community would get to eat healthy and tasty organic products from their farm. The lecture further covered the following themes;
a) impact of seaweed fertilizer as an organic farming method and flourishing biodiversity
b) “Umi kara Yama E”/ From the Ocean to the Mountains (the concept of circularity of nutrients)
c) collaborative projects with local companies, institutions & getting recognition from Televised stations to local government
d) the story of the bond created from connecting with former APU students
strive in creating a healthier world beyond their home, the Makoto Kandori san and Hiroe Kandori san concluded with a message to the students to believe in themselves, to never expect a reward from it and to do what they love. The talk invited several questions and discussion during the 30-min Q&A session. A number of students were impressed by the knowledge that Kandori farm shared in this session, especially students living near coastal regions who had no idea that such organic fertilizer was just meters away from their homes near the ocean. They expressed interest to stay in contact with Kandori farm, and who knows, we may see sustainable organic farming projects through the kandori methods be shared across islands in the near future. The diverse set of APU students attending the online course were encouraged to investigate the challenges and the percentage ratio of organic farming area relative to cultivated land area in their home countries at the end of the course. Along with an assignment for the students to design a unique logo for Kandori farm. We hope such a collaboration will not only enhance the learning experience for the students but build trust and cooperation with community in Oita, in Japan and globally.
Students’ Assignment for Kandori Farm Talk. Sample Logos Designed by APU Students
Screenshot of Online Class with Professor Mahichi (left), Makoto san (middle), Hiroe san (right)
Sources
1. Organical Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OrganiCal-Organic-LoCal-104913145174102
2. Kandori Farm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kandorinouen
Report by: Minami Teramae, supervised by Associate Professor MAHICHI Faezeh
Acknowledgements: Ms. Motoko Saito (translation), Associate Professor ROUX Petrus Willem (EDLSC)
