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The
perfect soil was available to Aijiro and Koukichi.However,a
big problem quickly arose,that of agricultural chemicals and
fertilizers.Certainly if you are to maximize your crop then
fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals are going to be
necessary.However,this pollutes the surroundings and may,above
all else,affect the human body."Can't we make tea without using
any fertilizers of any kind?"Yet out of this turmoil Koukichi
found one way the might just succeed,'organic agriculture'.Now
Organic Agriculture is a phrase we come across often in today's
society but at that time Japan was at the peak of its economic
growth boom.Chemicals were used in abundance to increase the
production rate of crops going completely against an organic
agriculture ethos.But these two men challenged that generation
head on in their way of thinking. |
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one concept of Organic Agriculture was awfully difficult to
get off the ground.The most important aspect of it was the use
of compost and for the tea crop we needed specially prepared
organic compost.” |
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The
compost was a totally organic fertilizer that was laid down
for over a year to allow it to completely ferment.The compost
made the soil soft and tender.It took in oxygen and within the
soil itself organisms began to greed and liv actively.Due to
this naturally maintained ecosystem in the soil no chemicals
were necessary and a ahealthy wholesome crop was successfully
cutivated.
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| Aijiro
and Koukichi used the compost and began their organic agriculture.But
when they attempted a atrial on the new field the orchard suffered
a reaction.The switching to organic materials had left the orchard
with withdrawal symptoms.A sudden conversion from using chemical
fertilizers to using no fertilizers at all resulted in an unusual
reaction.The orchard began to wither.Moreover the men had ignored
their friends in the tea production industry and hadn't participated
in association activities leading to them being shut off from
vital sources of information for tea production.These two had
been hoping for the tea orchards to grow quickly and thrive. |
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May
is the tea-harvesting season.Aijiro and Koukichi's young buds
grew and matured.The tea,which had been brought up with the
utmost care and attention,was gathered in while the two watched
on.Of course due to the organic agriculture used the harvest
yield was nowhere near that of a usual tea field.But the tealeaves
grown in this unspoilt environment were luch,with a natural
strength flowing through their fibres. |
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any tea that is picked goes on to be procuction material and
then final procuct.At Nagata Chaen's first factory the unrefined,coarse
tea is arranged by shape and length,and then stems and powders
are removed:while at the second factory the product is inspected
for impurities.The product's taste is of utmost importance and
this is created of course without using any artificial additives
of any kind. |
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