My second year of farm life has begun.

Starting last year, I rented a plot at a nearby farm and began my long-awaited life as a gardener.

At first, I didn't know left from right, and I was doing my best just to follow the instructions of the veteran farmers.
It was a first year that flew by as I desperately tried to keep up.

Back then, I didn't have the luxury of keeping records, but this year I want to take a moment to pause and carefully document the growth of my vegetables.

Looking back, the first year was a treasure trove of lessons learned (laughs).

For example, I got greedy and planted two cucumber seedlings.
I underestimated their growth speed in the summer and ended up with "monster cucumbers" many times...
Learning that "one seedling is enough for the family to eat" was a lesson I learned the hard way.

I was so happy to harvest carrots and radishes that I dug them all up at once, only to struggle with where to store them at home.
I should have just let them wait for their turn in the soil.

Conversely, with the corn, I was greedy and waited to harvest it at the "most delicious moment," only to have the bugs beat me to it...
I've made up my mind to definitely use the trick of boiling and freezing them next year.

The summer heat is honestly tough, but when I touch the soil, I have a strange feeling that reminds me of my childhood. The excitement when the sprouts appear, the thrill of the harvest, and the time spent searching for recipes to decide "how should I cook this?"
The field brings a pleasant sense of fulfillment to my daily life.

Well then. The 2026 farm life starts with "making ridges"!
Last year, I was at the level of "what is a ridge?", but this year, with the help of my husband, who is in charge of the heavy lifting, we worked on it as a couple.
It's far from the beautiful ridges of the veterans, but I feel like we got it done much more efficiently than last year.

This month, I plan to plant carrots, komatsuna, turnips, and spinach.

And I also planted potatoes, which were a huge success last year and made everyone happy.

Five seed potatoes turning into over 50 potatoes by summer... I simply take my hat off to that vitality.

The onions and garlic I've been planting since the end of last year are also growing steadily toward the spring harvest.

This year, too, I want to enjoy it one step at a time while being grateful for the gifts from the soil!