Cold climate farming

This morning, I made it out for a walk before the rain started and took some photos of the farmers' fields along the way. I don't know if it's because I grew up in a rural area or for some other reason, but I always find farming practices interesting.

Misawa is a small city at the eastern edge of one of Japan's important agricultural regions, and a large variety of crops are grown here, from apples and cherries to carrots and daikon to rice.

The cold climate means a very short growing season. There is also the challenge of the near-constant rain that falls in June and July. As soon as the snow melted, we began to see farmers out working in the fields, turning over soil, plowing rows, and over the last week or so, planting.

Last year, this field was of carrots. I wonder what it will be this year.

To keep the warmth in, they cover the rows, either with this gauze-like fabric:

or with plastic-covered arches, like little, low greenhouses.

My guess is that they have planted daikon under the arched row covers in the rear field.

It's still too early for rice. They haven't opened the irrigation to flood the fields yet,

but the rice plants are starting to grow in greenhouses.

I hope to get photos of rice planting this year. If I do, I'll share them with you.