Naeme is a pesticide-free edible flower and herb farm in Kamogawa, Chiba. It also offers foods made from wild produce foraged in the surrounding woods. Ryutaro Inoue had been growing edible flowers and herbs for four years when he met local distiller Hiroshi Eguchi, owner of Mitosaya Botanical Distillery in Otakicho. They established Naeme together in 2018 aim to create the place where puts more weight on the quality of the taste and environment naturally than on the yield or productivity.
Naeme aims to create “a farm like a meadow” by respecting the natural traits of each plant and growing them in conditions as close to the wild as possible, without relying on pesticide or synthetic fertilizers. We love their approach to agriculture, and that is how our partnership began. (See here for more detail on our collaboration). We asked them about their passion for herbs and their future goals.
It all started in Kamogawa, which is ideal for growing plants because of its mild climate. Its proximity to Tokyo also made it possible to deliver fresh produce to restaurants and bars who were their main clients at the time. From a humble 600 square meter farm, they have grown to own nearly 2 acres of farmland including 8 greenhouses and 1.2 acres of the surrounding woods.
Ryutaro’s vision was to create “a farm like a meadow.” Unlike monocultural farms that prioritize productivity and efficiency, their greenhouses indeed look more like natural meadows with many different herbs and edible flowers growing together. The herbs they grow change with the season, but they have as many as 100 varieties at any given time.
His love for foraging was inspired by a special experience with wild food forager Mark Williams in Islay, Scotland. There Mark showed him how he walks the woods, tasting and gathering various leaves, flowers and roots as they went along. We actually had a similar sensual experience in Ryutaro’s greenhouse trying different herbs – each herb surprised us with the intensity of their taste and fragrance.
Ryutaro says his ultimate goal is mixed farming. “In order to farm without pesticide, you need everything,” he explains. “For example, keeping chickens may help the soil, while bees can contribute to the yield through pollination. We want to do everything so we can create a healthy environment for native plants and animals to grow.” Next year they are planning to plant wheat and start a vineyard, which should be a new addition to the landscape. Herbs, edible flowers, vegetables, fruits, grains, animals… To realize his dream farm where everything is linked in the circle of life, Ryutaro’s to-do list is seemingly inexhaustible, just like his energy. How will this Naeme (“seedling”) grow from here? We can’t wait to see.
