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winter fundraising campaign 2009

2009-12-12T21:47:13Z

Changing “What a Waste” to “Thank you”

Give your support to Second Harvest Japan for its winter fundraising campaign.
Your gifts will deliver food to those in need.

You can make a gift here.

Currently 2HJ is having a Winter Fundraising Campaign.

As the holiday season approaches, Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) staff and volunteers are trying even harder to deliver mottainai food* to those in need. This food is a great help to children at orphanages, who cannot spend time with their families even during the holidays, struggling single-mother households, elderly people without families, and those who lost their homes because of layoffs.

So far this year, 2HJ has delivered hundreds of tons of mottainai food to those in need. But the season of the most need is yet to come. Every day, 2HJ receives phone calls saying, “I need your help. Please send us food!” We will deliver food to even more people so that those in need at least know where their meals are coming from during the holiday season.

Many mottainai food donations come to 2HJ’s warehouse every day. To deliver the food to those in need, we need your support. Your gifts will deliver food to those in need. Please make a gift for 2HJ’s winter fundraising campaign.

Your 1,000 yen gift will deliver 14,000 yen worth food to those in need

2HJ receives not only phone calls asking for help, but also many calls saying, “I received your food. Your help meant a lot to me. Thank you so much!” We cannot showcase all these voices but they are so grateful for your support. We thank you on behalf of our clients.

You can make a gift here.
Thank you very much again for your understanding and generous gift.
Your gift will deliver food with your warm-heartedness to those in need!

* What is mottainai food ? Food manufacturers, sellers, and farmers usually make and store more food than they actually sell because it is extremely difficult for them to predict exactly how much of their products consumers will purchase. Also, because of consumers’ high standards, even slightly damaged products such as dented canned goods are not good enough in commercial markets. 2HJ collects those mottainai food and distributes them to people in need. 2HJ would like you to join us to accomplish the great dream of expanding this cost-effective system to every town and village all over the country.

Volunteer interview No.3

2009-10-02T13:15:16Z

Volunteer Interview No. 3

For the third interview of our series of Volunteer to Volunteer Interviews, Cylinda Marquart talks to Waseda University volunteer, Kanoko Uegaki about how she became involved with 2HJ and her plans for the future.

Q: How did you hear about 2HJ?

A: I’m a full-time student studying Cultural Anthropology of Sport at Waseda University but I also work part-time in a coffee shop in Chiba. From time to time we throw a lot of food away and I think, “mottainai”, or “What a waste!” That was when I heard about 2HJ from a friend of mine and started volunteering here regularly in April. I usually join in on Friday cooking activities and also help pick-up food donations. I’ve also helped serve food to recipients in Ueno Park.

Q: I’ve heard you speaking very fluent Chinese while we cut vegetables, can you tell us more about that?

A: I’ve been studying Mandarin for the last one and a half years at Waseda and in September I will move to Beijing to study at Beijing University. I’m hoping to improve my language skills as well as introduce Chinese people to Japan. After the 2008 Olympics, many young Chinese became interested in volunteering and the world around them. I’d like to meet some of these people and join their volunteer activities as well as travel. In the future, I’d like a career in the media that bridges our two countries.

Q: What does the food that 2HJ prepare taste like? I’ve heard the donuts are good!

A: The donuts and other bread we pick-up on Fridays are excellent! The soup is really tasty, too. A few months ago we served a chanko-nabe which was good enough to sell in a restaurant. The Saturday soup kitchen menu usually includes potato salad, pickles, bread, rice, soup and even dessert. This summer I’m hoping to pass out the cold ice cream!

Q: What do you like about 2HJ?

I like meeting other volunteers. We come from many different backgrounds and ages that include cooks, teachers, retirees, business people and one of our members who you can see on a TV drama as an extra.

(Postscript by Cylinda)

2HJ wishes Kanoko-san, ‘good luck & safe travels’ for her time in China. We’ll miss her sense of humor and positive attitude while she is away.

Movie Screening

2009-09-09T07:58:59Z

The documentary “Sour Strawberries – Japan’s hidden guest workers” was shot in March 2008 by a German-Japanese film crew in Tokyo. The movie shows migrants fighting for their rights as workers and citizens. The persons concerned are always at the centre of interest. While describing their situation, they are the protagonists of the movie. Contains interviews with NJ workers on their treatment, with input from people like migration expert Dr Gabriele Vogt, Dietmember Kouno Taro, Keidanren policymaker Inoue Hiroshi, labor rights leader Torii Ippei, Dietmember Tsurunen Marutei, and activist Arudou Debito, who gives us an animated tour of “Japanese Only” signs in Kabukicho.

http://www.debito.org/?page_id=1672

「LIVING WITH ART アートと食の共演」

2009-09-08T07:54:21Z

An Evening of Fine Art and Fine Dining
For Charity Benefit for Second Harvest Japan http://www.2hj.org
Silent Auction of 12 Artworks
DATE Tuesday, September 15 18:00-21:00
VENUE Mario i sentieri
Nishi Azabu 4-1-10 Minato-ku 03-6418-7072
Price Y 11,500 paid by September 10, Y 12,500 at door
RSVP by September 10 (080-3150-3610)　
Info 080-3150-3610 / http://www.theasiancollection.com

Voices from Saturday Volunteers

2009-07-22T14:11:38Z

“The program is accessible and it is easy for first-time participants to join the activities because each shift is about 120 minutes long.”

“May hat’s off to staff members and volunteers for their constant outdoor work regardless of weather, even in the rain!”

“”I felt the activities were very practical. By providing a new route for excessive products and building unprecedented links between suppliers and consumers, 2HJ activities can be seen as a business model as well as an economic activity. Sometimes volunteering is too skewed to “aid the poor” based on idealism, but it was wonderful for me to be able to volunteer without expecting any gratitude from the people who were helped since the 2HJ program is clearly a part of economic activities.”

“Time went by so fast because I was having so much fun. At Ueno park people receive the food with such beautiful smiles and as I watched the people hold the food so preciously, I couldn’t help but reflect on myself and how I can be so wasteful at times. I also had so much fun getting to know the other volunteers. Although I came in with the mindset of ‘giving time’, it seemed like in the end, I gained more from the experience than being able to give.”

“My perspective on the homeless changed entirely. Before, I used to think to myself, ‘the homeless are people who have nothing to do with me’. However, now I realize that the homeless are all humans who live in the same society, the same way I do.”

“Before, I used to distance myself from volunteerism as I never had such a positive impression of it, imagining it to be somewhat dull. However, at Second Harvest their work is so concise and simple and the people so lighthearted. More importantly, there lies a fundamental feeling of care that vibrates amongst the people there.”

“I think it is beautiful that there are so many people supporting the activities of Second Harvest. I thought to myself that I could see the world slowly becoming a better place.”

“I think that when people think of the word ‘volunteerism’, many imagine a world of difficulty and self-giving, a world reluctant to go near because of the fear of not being able to break away. Granted, there are such worlds out there but the environment of volunteering at Second Harvest is nothing like that. At Second Harvest, I think they are aiming to create a world that is ‘large and welcoming’ instead of what people tend to imagine the world of volunteerism as which is ‘deep and limited’”.

“The concept of giving help to all people in need is difficult and with such broad intentions it is also hard to find people who want to be supportive and involved. It is thus inevitable that such world of volunteerism is being reduced when the intentions are so distant and unimaginable. Instead, having the sentiment of ‘change being something that results from every body giving just a little’ will surely increase the number of supporters and will strengthen this world of volunteerism.”

“I think that it is clever that Second Harvest divides the activities into three shifts, giving the volunteers the choice of when they want to work. I am very content with my weekends whenever I help with the activities. Providing such volunteer opportunities is a rather new and modern concept and I was impressed by the balance and stability that Second Harvest is able to sustain.”

“From the perspective of a business that is a donor of Second Harvest, I have always been impressed by their professionalism—they take their time to preserve and protect the image of the companies they receive donations from, the soup kitchen is run under a solid and effective system, and all recipients at the soup kitchen are registered in an organized manner.”

“Everything was a new experience for me and I became so captivated that I can’t really put into words what I experienced yet. However, I did feel that there was no sense of ‘giving and receiving’, but rather, every body simply doing what they were meant to be doing.”

“To be honest, I was simply astounded by the amount of ‘unneeded’ food there was. When people thanked me when they received the food, there was only one thought that came to my mind: ‘thank you for receiving this precious food that was going to go to waste otherwise’. It is ironic to be thanked in situations like this, as I wanted to thank them for letting me be able to enjoy and be content with every second of my time there.”

“Food demand and supply ratio, waste ratio, unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and ‘net café refugees’—on one hand, these words describe the realities of communities of people living at the edge of society. However, on the other hand, there are crowded department stores, expensive foods, high-end brands, an entirely different side of the same society that exists in Japan today. My experience at Second Harvest was an opportunity for me to finally face the reality of the unfairness and hidden despair that exists in society and has become a starting point for me to give thought to the current situation in Japan.”

Volunteer Interview No.2

2009-07-22T13:57:28Z

For the second interview of our series of Volunteer to Volunteer Interviews, Watanabe-sensei talks to Friday morning participant, Cylinda Marquart about her interests in cooking and Second Harvest Japan.

Q: Why are you interested in Food banking?
A: I like food banks because I don’t like wasted food. Watching the news at night we hear about food shortages all over the world, while in developed countries we have so much food that we are throwing it away. Food banks are one way to make sure that we make good use of our resources and spread around our wealth to those who need a hand. As a child, my family and I helped out at soup kitchens for the homeless. Everyone was full of smiles and gratitude as they served and shared a meal together. At university, I’d often have “The Dollar Lunch” at a church across the street from my school. The church received food donations from local supermarkets and food distributors and cooked cheap, delicious and nutritious lunches for college students and the poor. No one was ashamed to be eating a cheap lunch, but instead they were happy that the food wasn’t being thrown away. In the last few years I’ve gotten involved with “Share Our Strength” an American food bank that wants to eradicate childhood hunger in the US. http://strength.org/

Q: Food seems to be really important to you; did something growing up make you feel this way?
A: I come from a multi-cultural family that includes French, German and Chinese. Because of my father’s work we often met other families from different countries. With so many different cultures, the one ‘universal language’ people could share was food. There would be parties with people eating American-style fried chicken and potato salad, next to Korean kimichi and German sauerkraut. I’ve seen pictures of my third birthday party, and I’m eating sushi. Food was also important to me because it was the only way I could communicate with my maternal grandmother, who is from Hong Kong. Through her very complex and elaborate Cantonese-style cooking, I had my first gourmet experience.

Q: Tell us about your time in Japan and thoughts about the food culture here.
A: I moved to Japan from Taiwan, where I had been working in publishing and broadcasting. My life had been quite fast-paced and marrying and moving to rural Fukuoka gave me time to slow down. My first friend was my neighbor who brought me vegetables from her hatake (field) and home-style Japanese food like nikku jagga and tsukemono. Ikeda-san’s food was all organic, seasonal and of course, locally-grown. Because of Ikeda-san’s perfect ingredients and all the care she took in growing vegetables I became more and more inspired to put the same kind of energy into my cooking. Ikeda-san’s secret ingredient was ‘love’; it was the same love I tasted in my grandmother’s cooking and also what I try to bring to my vegetable chopping at 2HJ.

Q: What do you do at 2HJ?
A: About two or three times a month I join the Friday morning cooking crew in chopping vegetables and preparing the ingredients for Saturday’s meal distribution. From time to time I’ll bring friends to 2HJ so they can practice their cooking skills, too. The mornings go by very quickly as we stand around the tables chopping and laughing, telling stories and adding that special ingredient to all of our cooking.

Cylinda is a writer & editor that has been living in Japan for five years. Last year she started food consulting and a personal chef service. Check out her blog of recipes and food philosophies at: http://lovesoupcooks.typepad.com/

Please read other voices from Saturday volunteers.

Volunteer Interview No.1

2009-06-15T01:44:17Z

2HJ is holding an interview relay involving volunteers who are active in the Friday and Saturday programs. The premier interview features Mr. Yoshiyuki Watanabe who is one of our regular volunteers on both Fridays and Saturdays.

Former principal’s motto is “Let’s have fun!”

Yoshiyuki Watanabe, 69, has a nickname of “Sensei (teacher)” because he was a principal in Tokyo before he retired nine years ago. In his 37-year career in teaching, he worked at a Japanese continuation school in New York as well. It was a news show on TV-Asahi broadcast in April, 2008, that he learned about 2HJ.
　
The first volunteer work he did at 2HJ was to deliver food with Mr.Haijima, one of 2HJ staff who happened to be his pupil. Later, he helped with food delivery to care facilities. And now, Watanabe joins preparation for the soup kitchen every Friday and the soup kitchen activities on Saturdays. On Friday, he cuts vegetable all day long, and on Saturday, he sets up the working area so that other volunteers can work smoothly. He also shares his “grandpa’s knowledge” about how to handle kitchen tools and food.

“I am so happy that I can do things for others, while learning something new. It’s also nice to be able to meet various people,” Watanabe says cheerfully. He hopes that more people can help each other by having the spirit of “co-existence.” In order to do so, “we have to enjoy doing volunteer work,“ he says.

“I’m hoping that 2HJ establishes a nationwide network sometime soon,” says Watanabe who sat in on a food bank meeting held in Yamanashi. After he and 2HJ staff delivered food donated from companies in Tokyo, the car became full of potatoes and turnips from Yamanashi on the way home. Watanabe says that 2HJ faces some challenges, such as securing more drivers and cars, but his dream is growing as he warmly watches young leaders grow.

Yamato Cup Tournament Donated 120,600 yen to 2HJ

2008-11-28T06:16:05Z

On October 11, 2008, The Yamato Cup, an international street hockey tournament held in Tokyo, a fundraising program was created where players asked friends and family to pledge money for each goal the player scored.
Members of the Tokyo Street Hockey Association (TSHA) and the Misconduct Hockey League (MHL) participated in the program, and raised raised 120,600 yen for Second Harvest Japan.

Tokyo Street Hockey Association (TSHA) -> http://tokyohockey.com
Misconduct Hockey League (MHL) -> http://www.misconduct.co.jp
The Yamato Cup -> http://yamatocup.com

New 4-ton truck added to 2HJ’s vehicles!

2008-11-10T08:01:12Z

At long last, 2HJ has become the proud recipient of a 4-ton truck! The purchase of the truck was made possible by generous donations from NuSkin Japan. We sincerely thank NuSkin Japan for this important donation.

Soon after we received the truck, we took it down to Nagoya for a delivery. In Aichi and Mie, we delivered food to agencies in cooperation with Second Harvest Nagoya. We used to be able to deliver less than 2 tons of food at a time, but with the new truck, we can deliver more than 3 tons at a time. This means we can deliver more food in a more efficient manner.

So far, the truck has also shown outstanding performance for pickup of baby food and industrial refrigerators. Those who are most in need of food assistance are people like low-income single mother households and elderly households. They do not necessarily belong to any agencies, so one of our biggest goals is to establish a food assistance system for them. This truck represents the capacity for a big step toward that goal.

As the photos below show, this 4-ton truck really stands out in the streets. If you spot it somewhere, please wave hello to the driver!

2HJ’s new 4-ton truck

Loading the 4-ton truck

Looking for Delivery Volunteers

2008-10-28T04:35:21Z

Second Harvest Japan is looking for volunteer drivers who can help food deliveries to agencies.

1) Volunteer drivers

We are looking for volunteer drivers who can drive our trucks and pick up foods from our donors and deliver them to our agencies. Our staff will give you good trainings so that you can learn exactly how you conduct pick-ups and deliveries. Clean driving record is needed. We will make a photocopy of your driver’s liscense.

2) Driver’s club

We are also looking for volunteers who can make deliveries with his/her own car. Now we have five people in the driver’s club and they make food deliveries to agencies in Yokohama, Saitama, West Tokyo.

The followings are messages from our volunteers.
Mr. K: People at orphanages are very happy when I deliver foods. That makes me really happy. It’s very nice for me that I can volunteer at my own pace.
Ms. S: Meeting recipients gave me opportunities to know that I am being helpful to somebody. That gave me a happy feeling.

If you want to volunteer as a driver please contact us at volutneer@2hj.org.

Book on Second Harvest Japan to go on sale July 18, 2008

2008-07-09T01:06:00Z

On July 18, 2008, a book on Second Harvest Japan titled The Challenge of Food Banking: Between Poverty and Plenty, written by Etsuko Ohara, will be published by Iwanami Shoten.

This is the first book to cover food banking from its birth in America to the stage it has reached today in Japan.
Making something that’s “not quite perfect” useful to society. This new angle reveals wealth and strength that give insights into every aspect of our own lives.

What is food banking?

Perfectly edible food is thrown away in large amounts every day. A label might be crooked, or a box might be dented. “Not quite perfect” means not saleable; just one imperfection is enough. At the same time, in the supposedly affluent country of Japan, many people have trouble affording the food they need.

Taking food that would otherwise have been thrown away and redirecting it to those who need it: this is the work of a food bank. Food companies reduce their disposal costs while people in need save on grocery bills. This unique system provides a new social service that benefits everyone by transforming “what a waste” into “thank you.” Food banking has entered the public limelight, and efforts are under way to spread the activity throughout Japan.

A little thing, something you can do. A lot of those little things put together can add up to a power that changes society. This book is offered with a hope that each person who reads it will be inspired to take a fresh look at how they eat and live, even just a little.

Price: 1,900 yen (plus tax)

Details
Language: Japanese
Length: 200 pages

Orders
Please order at your local bookshop, or contact:
Iwanami Shoten Book Order Section (Shipping costs will apply)
Phone: 049-287-5742 (Monday-Friday 9:00-17:00)

Harvest News: 2008 Issue No. 2

2008-05-26T04:32:00Z

Harvest News, Second Harvest Japan’s newsletter, contains stories and information related to 2HJ and food banking in Japan. Download this color version to share with friends, family, and coworkers!

Contents for 2008 Issue No. 2 include:

-Chilled deliveries with new vehicle
-Growing with new warehouse space
-Daikon gleaning
-Global FoodBanking Network visit
-Volunteer story: Friday cooking
-2HJ news bites

Click to view 2008 Issue No. 2 [PDF: 2,665 KB]

Global FoodBanking Network Visit

2008-05-13T12:24:00Z

The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) recently held its second annual food banking training in San Antonio, Texas. This was an opportunity for food banks from around the world to come together to learn about the latest developments in food banking and to share their struggles and successes. GFN made a significant effort this year to meet the needs of the participants. At the end of each day they handed out a questionnaire and modified the following day’s curriculum based on the answers given by the participants. When it became apparent early in the week that participants wanted less explanation on the fundamentals of food banking and more opportunities to discuss, GFN responded by building in discussion time for each session.

Sixteen food bankers from ten different countries representing a range of different stages on the development spectrum participated in the training. Some food banks had been around for many years delivering several tons of food each day, while others were just beginning to develop a systematic means of picking up and delivering food. South Africa, to which GFN made a significant commitment by assigning two full time staff to the country, was making the transition from independent food relief operations to a national network of food banks. That country’s story was by far the most fascinating because representatives from the various food relief operations and the government were present. Each party had its own take on what was actually happening, the struggles being faced, and the very real challenge of balancing the needs and interests of the various stakeholders. It will be interesting to see how successful GFN will be in helping this transition happen.

As the GFN representative member for Asia, 2HJ played a role in getting a seat for the representative from the Philippines. Food banking there is in its early planning stages and it was very helpful for the country’s representative to meet representatives from countries with similar socio-economic challenges to learn how they have been able to develop food banking. The training visit was also an opportunity for 2HJ to continue to network and make contact with donor companies such as Kellogg and Procter & Gamble, which are GFN supporters. Procter & Gamble wants to start making donations in Asia and has looked to 2HJ to provide the leadership in the region.

H-E-B, the largest supermarket chain in Texas with stores also in Mexico, hosted the GFN training at its headquarters in 2007 and 2008. Walking around the grounds of the headquarters and talking with the employees imparts a sense of what a truly progressive company can look like. While it is committed to its bottom line, H-E-B is also committed to food banking and has put in place innovative programs to reach those in need, from purchasing a mobile kitchen (see photo) valued at over $1 million and capable of producing 25,000 meals an hour, to working closely with the company’s reclamation center to make sure that tons of food donations are sent to food banks in Texas and Mexico each day. On top of this, the company has fundraising programs that allow customers to directly give money to food banks.

When H-E-B contributes relief supplies to communities hit by crises or national disasters, this mobile kitchen provides on-site food preparation.

Training and networking opportunities like this are important for 2HJ. They help us understand that our struggles are shared by other food banks and that we can offer assistance to other food banks as they start operations in their own country.

Well-chilled warm-hearted deliveries

2008-05-06T01:57:00Z

Since Nu Skin Japan’s generous donation to 2HJ of a freezer/refrigerator vehicle in December of 2007, as mentioned in an earlier newsletter, 2HJ’s ability to deliver food to facilities has increased in both volume and scope: now we can deliver refrigerated items, a fact that has delighted our recipients.

The new vehicle has made it possible for us to accept donations of frozen and refrigerated food, from frozen vegetables and beef to ice cream and other cool snacks. Frozen food lasts a long time, making it very valuable, but in order to deliver it, one must pass the strict standards of frozen food companies. The vehicle donated by Nu Skin Japan passes these standards easily. We have already successfully accepted donations from a range of frozen food makers without any difficulties.

In March, Executive Director Charles McJilton and new staff member Masahiro Otake drove from Tokyo to Miyazaki, over 1,000 kilometers, dropping in to make deliveries at facilities in Osaka, Kobe, and other places along the way. Their final destination and inspiration for the trip was a Miyazaki orphanage that had recently rebuilt one of its buildings. Charles and Otake arrived in time to deliver some celebratory ice-cream on the day of the building’s rakusei-shiki (completion ceremony). The refrigerated van kept the ice cream and other items safe all the way, as the children were delighted to confirm.

Offers to donate frozen food to 2HJ are still coming thick and fast, and thanks to everyone’s support we are able to take up these generous offers in an efficient and organized manner. We look forward to more “warm-hearted deliveries of well-chilled food.”

Writer: Yusuke Wada

2HJ daikon harvesting event: Straight from the fields to 2HJ recipients

2008-04-21T13:23:00Z

Pull, cut head, turn over, cut tail, set down. Pull, cut head, turn over, cut tail, set down.

What sounds like a streamlined slaughtering ritual, in reality is the daikon (i.e., Japanese white radish) harvesting routine of the 20 or so volunteers that answered 2HJ’s call to Okabe on Sunday February 24. They collected over 2 metric tons of daikon (from about 10 tons available on the field), all of which had been delivered to 2HJ’s recipients by February 27, only three days after the volunteers harvested them!

The following Sunday, March 2, a team of children (and their caretakers), aged from elementary to high school, took their turn and pitched in to harvest over 1.5 additional tons of daikon from the field. Coming from several of the homes to which 2HJ provides food, the children enjoyed the rare opportunity of harvesting their own food and eating it fresh from the field. The staff from the various participating children’s homes brought back a bounty of daikon to supplement meals at their agencies.

For 2HJ, it was the first time in its history that the organization literally lived up to its name by harvesting a field of donated vegetables. Due to this year’s early frosts, the usual daikon harvest period was cut short, leaving entire fields of the vegetable to the plough. Fortunately, one field of high-quality, mouth-watering daikon remained for 2HJ to gather.

Looking back, 2HJ’s Executive Director Charles McJilton stated: “I always wanted to bring such an event to life.” But the idea only gained momentum when 2HJ’s staff member Haijima-san revived the connection he had made with Mr. Karasawa (the main driver of this event on the Okabe community’s side) while working for a farmer in Miyazaki, Kyushu, before joining 2HJ. When the two met again after Haijima-san’s return to Tokyo, conversations about the details of vegetable cultivation eventually lead to reflections on if and how there might be opportunities for farming communities to contribute in their own way to 2HJ’s activities.

Farmers invest a tremendous amount of time and effort in growing crops and vegetables, “much like parents raising and educating their kids,” as Mr. Karasawa explains. It gives them a rather nauseous feeling watching the results of their efforts go to waste, be it because there are not enough hands available for harvesting all of it, or due to some follies of the change in season. Consequently, joining forces with 2HJ seemed like an optimal way to kill two birds with one stone: Not only did some of the yet unharvested daikon get harvested, but also there were people happily looking forward to such a highly valued addition to their menu.

Tired, cold, excited, covered from head to toe in soil blown upon us by the marrow-chilling wind and looking forward to dropping by the nearby onsen (i.e., local hot spring) before returning to Tokyo, all volunteers agreed that working in the fields and harvesting daikon with our own hands had taken the stress of city-life, at least temporarily, away from us. And, if only for a few hours, we had made the somewhat surprising discovery that country life was not all about sweet strawberries and gorgeous green meadows. The life of a farmer can be tough—and the strong winds, blinding us at times, forcing us to swallow more than the odd grain of soil and sand, served as a good example of how tough that life can be.

As the first time ran so smoothly and was a positive, educational and last but not least fun experience for all participants, 2HJ hopes to continue this newly set up collaboration with the Okabe agricultural community, and maybe even set up links to other communities in the future.

And, as 2HJ is now looking into converting this originally one-off event into a regular, maybe twice-a-year activity, I am looking forward to another of those rare opportunities where I get to work with my hands. Maybe I will be allowed once more the occasional glimpse to the panorama of the snow-covered Northern Alps rising at the horizon. No doubt at the end of another such day I will again fall into my bed with a rare but soothing, satisfactory feeling of having accomplished a truly productive day.

Writer/Photographer: Pamela Ravasio