Please come visit the ALL NEW Earth Embassy website and blog.

We will be updating the new site with news and photos regularly.

Be sure to change this bookmark, as we will be phasing out this existing blog and bringing you all of our new news on the new new site.

http://www.earthembassy.org/earth-embassys/new-blog/

This is the first year we have grown peanuts, with apparent great sucess! Have you ever seen a bigger peanut?

Kou Okuma, our newest assistant joined us in the fields today for a bit of fall harvesting. Kome, the kitten abandoned on our doorstep last week also helped out by catching some crickets.

We found the best drying space for our herbs is in a well lit and aerated space. 5 days drting on our stage our herbs are crisp and green and ready for packaging. Move over Elvis, Mr. Mint is here!

This year's crop of eggplant is our best ever! The marigolds help keep away the moths and nematodes. Tonight we feasted on eggplants marinated in garlic and roasted over a pine fire. Mmmmmmm.

Suxin and Eli are interns at the Solar Cafe and Mt Fuji Mint Tea Farm. They have joined the team from Skidmore College in Saratoga for three months and are doing amazing work keeping our farm growing. Eli has been cooking amazing Lentil burgers for us in the evenings and Suxin is our resident philosopher.

This is how we do our little permaculture....the sheep cut the grass, the mint keeps away the bugs, and the nasturtium protects the eggplants. so simple.

Our eggs were mysteriously disappearing. One Sunday we found the culprit asleep inside the chicken coop. Jake took the large grass snake for a walk into the woods and had a long talk with him. We tried to be kind but forceful, explaining we didnt mind sharing a few eggs, but taking them all for his fat snake self was just not fair. Seems to have worked as the snake hasn't been seen since!
私たちの卵を不思議に消えていた。 1日は、鶏小屋の中に眠って原因を発見した。ジェイクは、森に散歩には大きな蛇草を取り、彼とは長い話をしていた。我々が強制的なことに、私たちの心を数個の卵を共有didn't説明試みたが、すべての脂肪ヘビ自衛のために公正なことだけではありませんでした。蛇として働いているようだから見ていない！

Our three years of planting, weeding and tending our raspberry canes have paid off. This year we ate lots of fresh berries, made jam, shakes, and a couple sweet raspberry cakes. This fall we will be harvesting the leaves and adding them to a mixed tea with our mint. The raspberry leaves have certain medicinal properties for women's cycles especially.

You have to eat this pie to believe it! The wild mulberries trees around the cafe are in season and our team has been picking them everyday. The apples are from Tomeko Miura's trees in Nagano. And the crust is our original Vegan whole wheat crust (really crispy and not too oily). This is actually a healthy pie!

Our wild mulberries are natural farming, permaculture and bio-dynamic farming at it best. The area around the Earth Embassy used to be used for growing mulberry leaves for local silk production and the trees have been growing here for hundreds of years. We use no chemical or machines and the trees simple grow wild on the edges of our fields, providing homes and food for insects and birds as well as giving us jam and a freezer full of berries for our shakes and cakes throughout the year. The jam goes great on Emiko's fresh Irish Soda Breads too!

共生植物,コンパニオン プラント
One of our basic permaculture and organic techniques is Companion Planting. Certain herbs and vegetables grow well together and reduce the need for fertilizer and pesticides by producing compounds that aid each other in growth, discourage insects, and can improve flavor. Instead of 'mono-culture' fields where only one crop is grown, we plant companions together in rows. For example marigolds prevent certain insects and nematodes (round worms) from attacking plants. Our eggplants are planted between rows of onions. And nasturtium surrounds our peppers, protecting them from aphids while giving us delicious flowers and leaves for our salads. In the foreground of this picture you can also see our hedge or oregano that surrounds the vegetable field, providing us with herbs for our pizza sauce and salad dressing, and also discouraging bugs from attacking our crops.

Cabbage is very hard to grow without chemical because of the "aomushi" cabbage moth. This small white moth loves laying eggs on cabbage leaves and the large green caterpillars that result can eat an entire field in days. We have been trying to convince our neighbors to go organic for years, but they say it is impossible. So we are trying to develop a technique to grow organic cabbages by planting them between rows of mint. The cabbage moth dislikes the menthol oil of mint, and hopefully our mint stalks will sufficiently hide the young cabbage plants from the marauding moths. If we are successful, we will bring by the locals and encourage them to follow a similar practice. The other advantage is that the mint serves as a cover crop, lessening the need for weeding and herbicides, and produces a valuable crop in the unused spaces between the cabbage rows.

After years of no-till farming, this year we finally decided to try a bit of roto-tilling and find that for certain plantings, a bit of tilling goes a long way. Natsuco our field manager is here trying her hand at turning soil to break up the weeds and fertilize the soil for a new of Raspberries. Next volunteers Diane and Carol dig a trench to mix in our home-made horse manure fertilizer before planting.

Our intern Carol has begun teaching stained glass workshops for guests. Here is Eric joining her in the greenhouse to make his masterpiece. Eric is one of our original guests, having attended our first event, the Fujiesta Earth Networking Weekend way back in 2001. The stained glass workshops are available through June 2009. Hope you can join us.

当社のインターンキャロルゲスト用ステンドグラスのワークショップを教え始めている。エリックは、温室での傑作を彼女に参加しています。エリック自分独自のユーザーのことです私たちの最初のイベントは、 2001年の地球ネットワーク週末Fujiesta帰りに出席した。ステンドグラスのワークショップは、 2009年6月までご利用いただけます。ご希望に参加することができます。

Our new chickens have arrived, a beautiful bunch of white Ukokes, donated by the Kawaguchiko Town. Here Matt is making friends with the default leader of the chickens, whom we have dubbed Twisty, because the poor guy cant seem to hold still and his head is constantly twisting from side to side, and usually leading him around in circles. When we were selecting chickens to bring to our farm, most tried to run away, but Twisty-san just ran in circles at my feet, so he was the first to get caught. He is actually very friendly, and kept Matt company all day while he was working on painting our new signs.

Earth Embassy's Mint Tea is HERE! 地球大使館のミントティーはこちらです！

At long last, after 3 years of planting, planning, pruning and preparing, we proudly offer our 100%, All-natural, no-chemical mint grown on MT Fuji in Yamanashi. Our mellow mix of white peppermint and spearmint make for a smooth tea, hot or iced, and the special apple mint we add is so sweet you wont need sugar!

ついに、植栽、計画、準備中の3年後の剪定と、誇らしげに、当社の100 ％、すべての自然を提供する化学ミント富士山の山梨県で栽培。ホワイトペパーミントとスペアミントのまろやかなミックス当社の円滑な紅茶、ホットまたはアイスで、私たちを追加して、特別なリンゴミントwont必要があるので、砂糖は甘い！

We would like to tell you it is Organic, but we cant as the word is certified by the government and the inspection and registration will cost us about $3000. SO until then, you'll have to take our wrod for it, its darn good!

Available by mail-order in 10 tea bag packages. Contact us for pricing and ordering info. info@earthembassy.org Tel. (81) 0-90-9346-3774

私たちは有機なのかわかりますしたいと思いますが、その言葉は、政府と私どもの検査とregisrtationによって認定されている価格は約￥30,000をカント。それまでのSO 、あなたはそれを私たちのwrodを取る必要があるでしょう、そのせい良い！

メールで使用可能な- 10ティーバッグのパッケージでご注文ください。お問い合わせ価格や情報発注。電話info@earthembassy.org 。 （ 81 ） 0-90-9346-3774

Our spring cleaning left us with a lot of stuff and nowhere to put it. So we decided to take the pile of wood and make it into a barn, in a day! We did the structure with almost no cutting, using the pieces as is. And it is very organic, not a single 90 degree angle in the whole building! We finally have a place to keep our bikes, farm tools and lumber. Hoping little elves might come do the roof for us some night soon...

我々のものをたくさん春の大掃除と言えばどこにも私たちを残した。だから、木の杭を取るし、それをするの納屋には一日に決定！私たちは、ほとんどのカットでは、作品を使用して、構造でした。そしてそれは、建物全体を90度の角度ではなく、単一の有機です！私たちは最終的に我々のバイクを維持するには、農場のツールや木材があります。私たちのための夜の屋根はすぐに来るかもしれない小さなエルフ願って...

Gentle Rueben couldn't wait for breakfast in the yard, so knocked out a door and invited himself in to eat! With the warm weather, he and Eva are back on the farm now and starting early on our weeding.

穏やかな庭で朝食Ruebenので、ドアをノックするには、自ら招待待ちと食べることができなかった！暖かい気候では、彼の農場では、エババックされ、初期の除草を開始する。

With winter here, and weeds to eat on the farm in scarce supply, we decided to move the sheep to Jake's house until spring. Tom O'Brien, our Irish architect intern, helped build a bamboo greenhouse shelter for them. The house was abandoned about 20 years ago, so the sheep will be helping mow down the jungle that has grown up around the building, and fertilizing the soil in the greenhouse for Jake's kitchen garden next spring. The picture here doesn't really show the whole struggle, but it was a battle getting those two into the van. Darren McKellin is inside the van, fearfully but bravely holding Rueben while Jake is somehow lifting Eva's 140kg frame into the vehicle. The ride was fairly uneventful, no broken glass or ruptured upholstery, and the sheep were very happy to find their new home a bit warmer and in the center of the village. They are such social animals really.

冬はここで、供給不足の農場で雑草を食べるには、ジェイクの家に春まで、羊を移動することを決めた。トムオブライエンは、アイルランドの建築家のインターンは、かれらのために竹の温室避難所の構築に寄与します。その家は約20年前なので、羊には、建物の周りを栽培しているのジャングルを打ち負かす支援され、放置され、ジェイクのキッチンガーデンの温室内の土壌施肥来年の春。ここは本当に画像闘争全体が表示されませんが、これら2つの戦いは、ファンになっていた。ダレンMcKellinのファンの中では、おそるおそるですが、どういうわけか、車には、ジェイクエヴァの140キロのフレームを持ち上げている勇敢Rueben開催。ライドはかなり、割れたガラスや破裂張り、羊は非常に新しい家を少し暖かくし、村の中心部に見つけること満足していた平穏無事だった。彼らはそのような社会的な動物よ。

私たちのそばのフィールドも、今年は完全に有機的成長維持のほとんどは、何とかして野生のイノシシ、シカの訪問者は、しばしば、これらの日に食わ取得脱出した。 Saikoによって私たちは湖Iyashinosato村では伝統的なかやぶき屋根の家で部屋を借りて、マリア幼稚園からの子供がいた私たちは成長に貢献した穀物からsoab noodelsするjois 。子供が好きで、いくつかの美味しいラーメンが、とても面白い形です。私が最も優れているのは、三角形や四角形のパスタを発見！

富士河口湖町役場からのスタッフは非常にスムーズな一日を実行することに役立つと我々は彼らが2009年以上で働くことを希望した。また、村内のそば店では、ローカルマスタは、子供たち、およびポインタの束を与えたし、私たちにとっては、昼の時間食事を調理。

今、私たちは大豆の豆を乾燥され、すぐに子供と一緒に味噌を別のワークショップをしてみたい！
Our soba fields did well this year, grew completely organic and with very little maintenance, and somehow escaped getting eaten by the wild pigs and deer who visit so often these days. We borrowed a room in a traditional thatched roof house at Iyashinosato Village by Lake Saiko and had the children from Maria Kindergarten jois us to make soab noodels from the grain they helped grow. The kids loved it and made some delicious noodles, with VERY interesting shapes. I found the triangle and quadrangle pasta to be most excellent!

The staff from the Fuji Kawaguchiko Town Office were very helpful in making the day run smooth and we hope to work with them more in 2009. And the local master at the soba shop in the village gave the kids a bunch of pointers, and then cooked up the noon time meal for us.

We are now drying our soy beans and hoping to do another workshop with the kids soon to make miso together!

This year the Eden Farm School grew a field of corn, beans and soba (buckwheat) for the children of Maria International Kindergarten. We had a good crop and only lost a few ears of corn to the deer and wild pigs who come down to visit from the mountains. The kids came over to harvest and were great little workers. Next month we will be processing the soba and the kids will be making dango cakes with the grain.
今年はエデンファームスクールのトウモロコシ畑、豆、そばマリア国際幼稚園の子どもたち（そば）増加した。私たちは、鹿や野生の豚を降りてくる人は山からの訪問に耳を失ったコーンの数は良い作物としていた。子供たちは大きな収穫だったし、ほとんどの労働者になった。我々と処理され、子供たちは、そば粒団子とケーキを作っ翌月されます。

This year we have had a great crop in the fields on Mt Fuji. Pictured here are some cucumbers, mini pear tomatoes, turnips, soy beans, peppers, basil, parsley, arugula and nasturtiums. The weather has turned chilly but the fields are still green and red and yellow with veggies. A big thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who helped make the farm such a success this season. And a big welcome to all of you looking for some good homegrown meals. Come visit!

今年は富士山の分野では、大きな収穫があった。ここにいくつかの写真きゅうり、ミニトマト梨、カブ、大豆、唐辛子、バジル、パセリ、ルッコラ、 nasturtiumのです。肌寒い天候が、フィールドはまだされ、赤と緑の野菜と黄色になっている。すべてのスタッフとは、農家など、今シーズンの成功に貢献するボランティアへの大きな感謝します。そして、いくつかの良い国産の食事のすべてのあなたの求めには大歓迎。是非訪問して下さい！

Local friends often come by on Sunday to help out with our fields. Hitoshi lives nearby in a 200 year old house he has made into a cute little gallery and lounge space, and often comes by the Embassy to help out with events and eco-homes work. He works at the local fruit farms picking cherries in summer and has also become the slow-life handy-man for the little village at Shojiko, and helps the grandmas with any house and yard chores for 800yen an hour (cheap! they love him) plus snacks. Hitoshi is the master of living the good slow life. He left the 9-5 world of Yokohama and now runs his occasional business from 10-3 only. He and Jeannie spent the day helping taking care of some of our baby trees. Are they working or chatting? Hitoshi's shirt looks a little too clean here...

Our lovable TV star Rueben the sheep is on air again. This time he was invited by TBS to join a penguin, a tortoise, a rooster, a mini goat and a cute pink pig! We did two days of shooting at the studio in Yokohama. A series of tests to prove which animal is most devoted to its owner. Rueben wasnt able to pull Jake out of the hole, or save him from the faked heart attack, but he was the favortie of the camera crew, following around the staff and licking their knees all weekend.

On-air Sunday June 15th, TBS channel 6, 8pm.

We are lucky to have such great staff and volunteers. Marty and Michelle came to help this spring and have been key to helping us get the cafe open for the season and the farm planted and growing. Marty is a mechanical engineer and will be going to Germany this fall to get his masters degree in renewable energy. Michelle is a professional educator and aspiring yoga sensei. They are hard workers and enjoy taking care of the hardest job we have, keeping our sheep out of the neighbors cabbage fields!

After 4 days of hard shooting, the TBS Doubutsu Kisotengai show is in the can and ready to air on Oct 21, Sunday at 8pm, Channel 6 (nationwide!). Rueben played his part of the loner sheep perfectly. HE loved knocking the TV stars around, Irie and Yabe from the Karate-Ka comedy team. Exactly on cue, he would smash them into the props and knock over the set. He wasnt so good at socializing with the other sheep. Everytime we had a shot where he was suppooosed to interact with them, he ran over to the TV crew and started licking the camera. He is too much of a ham and I think the stardom has gone to his fuzzy head. Also sad to say that he wasnt much of a hit with the ladies. They seemed interested but he is either too shy, or maybe doesnt realize he is a sheep. He kept following the cute assistant director around all day and licking her knees. But we are not giving up hope. Eva, our female sheep on the farm, was very glad to see him when he got home with his new haircut, and we are hoping they may be making baby sheep these coming cold nights. Remember to watch. Oct 21, 8pm. TBS.

Assistant Director Adachihara-san testing out sheep models.

Here is Irie-kun of Karate-ka, and Jake kissing a seal for fish.

And Yabe-san wating for his meal....

And the staff and students of the Tokyo Wildlife College giving Reuben his biannual haircut and getting him all beautiful for the girls.

Many thanks to Director Maeda-san, TBS Television, AD Adachihara, AD Murasei, and Yabe and Irie of Karate-ka. And of course the Solar Cafe staff for all the hours of cutting grass for Rueben, rain or shine. Thanks all. jr

Our Mint Master Hiromi is here in her new drying space. She built racks on a shoestring budget and is drying nearly a kilo per week. Come up for tea anytime, or visit the HappyAll refelxology shops in Shibuya and Shinagawa for a fresh organic mint foot bah and massage!

Rueben is back on TV again with Doubutsu Kisotengai.

Our old friend, Maeda the producer, was up to meet with Rueben and discuss the role. Rueben will playing the role of Rueben, a sheep who just cant get a girl. He will have to compete with other male sheep, and the two guys from Karate-ka comedy team, dressed up in giant sheep costumes(to boost Rueben's confidence1?!). Then Ruben will be introdcued to a number of girl sheep in a traditional Japanese "Omia" introduction party. Good luck with the Ladies Rueben! The show will air in October on TBS.

Kuku our little black chicken, joined us from the forest 5 years ago, today!!! He was a wild chicken living alone in the forest until the day we saw him wandering around the yard. He became friends with our other chickens that evening and has lived with us ever since. The foxes got all the others, but Kuku sleeps up in the pine and has managed to be the last surviving chicken! Good job Kuku!!! We are always happy to hear your calling at 2am, 3am, 4am, etc. We promise not to eat you even though you are such an early riser. Hope to have you around for your birthday next year too!

Just a few more of Adam Shane's amazing photos for our colletcion. The May 4 & 5 festival was a great sunny experience for all who came. Hope you make the next one!!!

Mana and her son Harley have finally moved up to Mt Fuji full-time to help establish the Eden Farm School's new science programs. Congratulations on the new house!

Shimizu Kuniaki, a very famous Japanese comedian, stopped by at our Eden Kids Festival to demonstrate his amazing chain saw carving for the kids. He took a big log and in about 15minutes a big smiling girzzly bear appeared! Shimizu went home pretty soon, he is busy building his own treehouse to live in nearby. But the Bear stayed! Come by to visit, and be sure to bring some berries for him.

May 4 and 5 on Mt Fuji, the Embassy will host the first annual Eden Kid's Festival at our newly opened 366square meter classroom space, with organic meals at the Solar Cafe and activities throughout the farm. Horseriding, hiking, giant soap bubble making, yoga, karate, raspberry and mint planting, Okinawan live music, Andean pipe music concert, ultimate frisbee, top making and spinning Olympics, instrument making and kids jam, staff rave produced by Baleric Sunrise (for after the kiddies have gone home) and special appearances by a few famous Japanese musicians and tv celebs.