A Day Entrusted Before the Rain → A Morning of Garlic Harvest
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
The morning air waiting for rain
This morning, the sky looked as if it might start raining at any moment. However, soft sunlight occasionally broke through, marking the beginning of a quiet and peaceful day. In the air typical of the rainy season, it felt like a morning that asked how I would spend this day.
Harvesting during a precious break in the weather
On such a morning, we harvested garlic at Hidamari Farm. The weather forecast predicts rain again starting tonight, and there is even a typhoon forecast for a few days from now. This brief sunny spell was truly a 'now or never' moment.
The garlic harvested at 7:00 AM was moist from last night's rain, but the incoming sunlight gradually dried it out. It is work that involves staying close to the rhythms of nature.
Drying and field maintenance
Between drying sessions, I also proceeded with weeding the first, second, and third tiers of the field, as well as the approach. As the sound of the brush cutter echoed, seeing the field being tidied up gave me the feeling that preparations for the next task were falling into place.
In the afternoon, I moved the harvested garlic to the greenhouse at home to continue the drying process. Tomorrow, I plan to move on to the steps of cleaning off the mud, bundling them with string, and hanging them up.
What the difference in seeds teaches us
This year's garlic grown from the seed bulbs I raised last year grew large, had little bolting, and turned out very well.
On the other hand, the commercially available Chinese garlic was somewhat smaller and more advanced in bolting. From these differences, I am once again reminded of the importance of the power of seeds and their compatibility with the land.
Even in work that looks the same every year, there are always new discoveries to be made.
Thoughts connecting to the next season
Selecting seeds, growing them, and harvesting them. In that sequence of events, the time spent farming while constantly facing nature is truly profound and full of interest.
This year, it looks like I will be able to carry over the home-saved garlic seeds to the next season. Imagining what kind of harvest awaits—I finished today's work with that future in mind.
