【Harvest Experience】Summer Vegetables for 500 yen! A holiday spent with family at "Tsuzuki Harvest Minami-Hata" which uses no pesticides

A family harvesting experience of summer vegetables at "Tsuzuki Harvest Minami-Hata" in Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama. Participation fee is 500 yen, harvesting eggplant, cucumber, and Fushimi peppers in a pesticide-free field. I will report on a holiday that reset my daily routine.

A harvest experience where you can touch the soil for 500 yen per person, I approached with some skepticism

On a weekend in July, I went with my family on our bicycles. The harvest experience in the fields had a participation fee of 500 yen per person. I had the image that it required elaborate equipment, but what we actually prepared were just work gloves, clothes that could get dirty, and a towel to wipe off sweat.

I remember thinking on the bike ride there, "Is it really okay with just this much?" as I was a bit skeptical about how affordable and easy it was to participate compared to what I had imagined.

While I thought, "I want to show my child how real vegetables grow," and "I want to refresh myself by touching the soil," the agricultural harvest experience somehow felt like it had a high barrier to entry. I thought it might be troublesome with reservations and preparing tools, and that the more serious it became, the harder it would be to casually participate. What overturned such misconceptions was "Tsuzuki Harvest Minami-Hata" located in Tsuzuki Ward, Yokohama City.

The reception was simple, and all we borrowed were scissors and a basket

When we arrived on site, the first thing that caught my eye was the much more spacious scenery than I had imagined. The fields extended deep into a land resembling a valley flanked by green hills on both sides. In the distance, the city’s buildings could faintly be seen, and I was surprised that such an open rural landscape remained not far from the city. I couldn't help but exclaim, "Is this really inside Yokohama City?"

By paying a participation fee of 500 yen, you can borrow scissors for each adult and a basket to put your harvested vegetables in. Before departure, I was planning to carry multiple bags, so this lightness unexpectedly made me feel a bit taken aback, bringing a sense of relief.

Once you enter the field, all that's left is to enjoy the harvest.

In one corner of the field, there was also a small stand selling miso and other products. Seeing the items lined up that were made by local farmers made me realize that this is not just a recreational facility but a community-rooted activity. Living within a distance where I can casually stop by such places suddenly felt very precious.

I harvested eggplants, cucumbers, and Fushimi peppers in succession.

The vegetables harvested during this experience were three types: eggplants, cucumbers, and Fushimi peppers.

And I could taste the tomatoes right there. Since I was "playing in the dirt," I had imagined a much messier experience, but in reality, it was just a matter of snipping off the stems with scissors. I thought this seemed like something I could easily participate in anytime.

The sensation of cutting the stem with scissors is something that you absolutely cannot experience when shopping at the supermarket. Along with the crisp sound of the snap, a gentle sense of accomplishment wells up.

Cucumbers are often hidden under the leaves, and there was a small sense of achievement each time I found one. It felt like a treasure hunt, and not just the kids, even I as an adult couldn't help but become engrossed.

Fushimi peppers are a variety with little spiciness, so even children can help harvest them with confidence. The sight of the long, shiny fruits extending gracefully offered a different kind of joy in harvesting compared to eggplants and cucumbers.

Eggplants were more glossy than I had expected, and just looking at the freshly harvested ones lifted my spirits. The deep purple color lined up in the basket was so beautiful that it made me want to take a picture.

According to the NPO Tsuzuki Harvest Association, they grow vegetables in this field without using pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and I could taste the clear sweetness of the tomato I bit into right there, free of any unnecessary off-flavors. That one bite of sweetness honestly left quite an impression on me.

The children enjoy the farm at their own pace

My 6-year-old son is completely absorbed in searching for bugs rather than harvesting vegetables. He crouches between the rows, peering under leaves, exclaiming, "There's something there!" Honestly, the bug hunting is more exciting than the harvest itself.

On the other hand, my 4-year-old daughter seemed to be enjoying the harvest itself.

She proudly held up a cucumber with both hands, saying, "Look, look!" and went to swing on the wooden swing by the edge of the field multiple times. Even in the same field, their ways of having fun are completely different.

I felt simply grateful as a parent to have a place where they can move around in nature as they like. I had brought them intending to let them harvest vegetables, but before I knew it, for my son, it turned into a place for bug hunting, and for my daughter, it became a stage for swinging and showing off her harvest, making me chuckle.

It was a feeling of calmness in my mind that came from touching the soil.

As I crouched down in the field searching for vegetables, I realized that I had unknowingly stopped thinking about work and my daily schedule. The time spent moving my hands and concentrating on finding the vegetables in front of me cleared my mind more than I had imagined. For me, who had been thinking "I want to refresh myself," this was a small discovery.

Next to me, while the children were absorbed in their own interests, I faced the vegetables at my own pace. Being in the same place yet enjoying different experiences may be the spaciousness of this field.

The distance I bike to get here also contributed to the goodness of this experience. There’s no need for special equipment or long travel time, and it seems I can easily plan to come again whenever I feel like it.

The harvesting experience can be participated in by the whole family with just gloves

On the way back with a lot of vegetables, I find myself thinking about what kind of dishes to make with the eggplants and cucumbers I harvested today. Unlike store-bought vegetables, those I harvested with my own hands mysteriously evoke a special attachment.

In the end, for dinner that evening, I made a potato salad with cucumbers and deep-fried eggplant, enjoyed with dipping sauce.

Fushimi peppers, as taught by the local staff, are stir-fried with sesame oil, soy sauce, and dried fish, resulting in an irresistible deliciousness. The little tips learned during harvesting translate directly into a dish on the dining table, which is unique to this experience.

My son, on the other hand, was completely disregarding the harvested vegetables and kept repeating, "I want to see that bug again," which I thought was a fitting conclusion to the day.

When I actually went there, the assumption that "harvesting experience is a high hurdle" was easily dismantled. As long as you make a reservation, you can participate casually with just a pair of gloves, and the price of 500 yen is gentle on the wallet. I am looking forward to visiting again with my family to harvest different seasonal vegetables.

Tsuzuki Harvest Minami-Hata
Location: 1003 Ikebe-cho, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture
TEL: 045-945-7174
Business hours: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Tuesday to Saturday)

Reported by: SYURI

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