Taking on New Materials
Here in Ishikawa Prefecture, we are experiencing the cycle of three cold days and four warm days. However, the temperature swings are quite large, so I am being careful to maintain my health. Miso making is also halfway through. And finally, I have succeeded in the long-pending task of electrification. I have also consulted with the JA and placed orders for this year's rice farming materials.
Hayashi-sanchi's Aguraguchi Story - 2021 February Issue No. 4
New products "Chokotto Genmai" and "Age Kakimochi" are now on sale
https://www.hayashisanchi.co.jp/shop/omochi/kakimochi/?maga20210224
Sharing some of Hayashi-sanchi's adzuki beans
https://www.hayashisanchi.co.jp/shop/daizumiso/daizu/?maga20210224
Please enjoy Hayashi-sanchi's Hishi Mochi for the Doll's Festival!
https://www.hayashisanchi.co.jp/shop/omochi/hishimochi/?maga20210224
1. Hayashi-sanchi this week... Taking on new materials
The first materials I order for this year's rice farming are seed rice and seedling nursery soil. I purchase about 2 tons of seed rice and about 60 tons of nursery soil every year. Recently, various types of lightweight nursery soil have been sold to reduce labor. Materials such as rock wool mats and rice husk charcoal are used. However, seedlings are so important in rice farming that it is said that "seedlings are half the work." Therefore, it is truly scary to change the materials for seedlings. But I have reached an age where the weight of the seedlings is taking a toll on my body. So, last year, since the lightweight nursery soil I tested at the recommendation of a nursery soil manufacturer was indeed light and easy to use, I decided to try using lightweight soil for the entire last round of the five sowings this year. Even though it is called light, when I measured it, it went from 7550g to 5620g, a weight reduction of 1790g, or about 24%. However, it felt like half the weight.
Video of the lightweight soil test: https://youtu.be/V0hNGzw1uTw, starting from 6:46.
In terms of unit price, it is more expensive than regular nursery soil, but since the amount used is two-thirds less, the cost ends up being almost the same. So, I decided to take the plunge and use it for an entire round of sowing. The test last year went well, and I pray that it will go well this time too. Furthermore, for many years, I have been using a naturally derived microbial material called Eco-Hope for seed rice disinfection. However, starting next year, Eco-Hope will be changed from a liquid agent to a powder agent. In other words, this year will be the last for the liquid type I have been using. Like the COVID vaccine, the liquid type is unstable, requires refrigeration until use, and has a short shelf life, so it was delivered by courier every time I used it for the four sowings. This powder agent is stable and can be bought in bulk, making it easier to handle. However, the price is about 10% higher. I hesitated a bit, but I decided to switch to the new Eco-Hope starting this year.
In terms of cost, there was a way to use the old type for one more year, but actually, I was one of the first to use this Eco-Hope when it came out as a prototype in 2003. This is because for several years before that, I had been struggling desperately to make seedlings without using synthetic chemical pesticides. Eco-Hope was the savior that solved that problem. I have experienced that it is best to use good materials as soon as possible. Another example of this is the color brown rice sorter "Pika-Sen." When I purchased it in 2010, it was a machine that had just been released in February of that year. Well, I decided to purchase the 3 million yen machine, which I didn't know if it was good or bad, on the spot. Since I don't use insecticides or fungicides, I was suffering from damaged rice caused by stink bugs and discolored rice, so I was grabbing at straws. And that summer, there was a massive outbreak of stink bugs, and farmers everywhere were scrambling to buy Pika-Sen, leading to a battle for them. Watching that commotion from the sidelines, Hayashi-sanchi spent the autumn without any problems.
Ten years have passed since then, and last year, the new color sorter "Success Knight" was finally released. However, the old Pika-Sen is still working without any problems for now. The super mechanic also said that since he had just replaced several internal parts before autumn, it might be usable for another 2 or 3 years. But in negotiations with the manufacturer, early booking is cheaper, just like last time. If I am going to sell the current old Pika-Sen as a used item, the sooner I do it, the less the value will drop. From experience, now is the time to let it go while the super mechanic can still fix it. There are several machines that have become scrap metal after being thoroughly repaired many times. Considering the drop in rice prices due to COVID and two consecutive years of poor harvests, it is a painful investment, but I decided to purchase it believing that making more delicious rice will lead to profits. I pray that this challenge with several new materials and machines will be successful.
2. Miso making: Finally, electrification success
The long-pending electrification of miso making. I received an electric miso chopper from a fan who knew about it, but it had been left alone because it could not be disassembled and cleaned. But finally, the super mechanic put his back into it and attempted to disassemble it. However, this was truly difficult. It is a commercial-grade so-called "meat chopper" that butchers use to make mince, but even after researching various things, only simple drawings and images came out. Well, I guess disassembling this is the manufacturer's job. So, I started working by trial and error without knowing the details of the structure. However, the screw inside, which I expected to come out easily, just wouldn't come out. It wouldn't come out no matter how much I hit or pulled it. I doubted many times that it must have been welded.
And I tried pulling out the forbidden motor side. I felt like something flew off, but anyway, I was able to take out the male part of the screw shaft and the female part where it is contained. However, even from here, the male and female parts would not separate. But the excitement when I managed to remove it! I was really happy. The reason it wouldn't come out was that the male and female parts had rusted and seized, but this was the first time I had seen such stubborn seizing. However, the miso chopper, which took a whole day to disassemble, was a puzzle to assemble, taking another whole day. But what surprised me was that there was a manufacturer's sales office nearby, and their advice helped me a lot. Furthermore, this commercial machine, which would cost nearly 300,000 yen if new, was well-made and did not crack or warp despite being hit so hard, so the super mechanic was also impressed.
The difficult disassembly of the miso chopper - The path to electrifying miso making is steep - 2021
https://youtu.be/dzhOXyxFhz8
And finally, the first day of electric miso making. Since the flow is completely different from the manual turning I had been doing, there was a lot of fuss until the start, but even in the temporary test run, it was fast! The mixer time was one-fourth of what it used to be! The whole process was finished in half the usual time. However, I also realized that because it is fast, I need to have enough personnel to keep up. And even if I want to increase production, the steaming of soybeans and the production of koji cannot keep up, so I felt that it is not that simple even if only the miso chopper becomes faster. But the time saved can be used for other tasks, and with some ingenuity, I should be able to reduce personnel. It was quite a struggle, but since I was able to electrify it for free, I am truly grateful to the fan.
Miso chopper repair complete - Snow removal not as good as the super mechanic - 2021
https://youtu.be/InCmjsrCTzQ
This is the state of Hayashi-sanchi as it approaches spring while repeating the cycle of three cold days and four warm days. Just when I think there was a good day where I could even fly a drone, the next weather is a silver world. Well, every day I don't have trouble with video material, but I want to hear the voice of spring soon. ＼(^o^)／
Got a ditch cutter! - Drone shooting to commemorate the completion of Kakimochi Aurora - 2021
https://youtu.be/Djb1IE73Qac
Great cold wave hits! Snow removal resumed - Koji is also fermenting in full development - 2021
https://youtu.be/gcrh9jObicU
The morning after the winter storm - Miso chopper preparation OK - 2021
https://youtu.be/qgkIg798Bik
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