FAQs

Q. How are your chickens kept and what do they eat?

Our chickens are kept in a large earthen walled coop with an attached chicken run where we have a composting operation for all green waste from the farm. We use the chickens as a nutrient cycling system by building compost piles in the run, the chickens aid in the decomposition while adding nitrogen and feasting on insects, worms and microorganisms in the compost system. They also have access to an adjacent free range area where they forage for bugs, seeds and vegetation.

That being said  we also supplement with corn based feed and fermented tofu by product/okara from local tofu production.

I can’t speak to the exact Omega 6-3 balance but I have yet to find chickens kept in Japan in conditions as nice or better than ours. If you know of any farms with natural egg production please let me know as I am always open to innovate and improve our operations for a higher quality product.

There are many predators in Japan which attack chickens so in my experience its always a challenge and a balance between providing free range space for them and not getting them killed in the process.

Q. Can you ship items to me non-cooled so I can save money on shipping?

A. Yes, you can, when the items in your box are only things such as eggs and potatoes, which don't need to be refrigerated. Also, when it is during the cool seasons (Dec~March), upon request, you can also get other veg delivered non-cooled. But as the producer, we do recommend all green veg to be shipped cooled, to reduce the risk of the deterioration of the vegetables.

Q. Can we come and visit your farm?

A. Yes, you can. However, we are always working on the farm and have a schedule so you will need to contact us in advance to set a time and date. We also do scheduled in-depth tours upon request for a group of 4 or more people for people who spend the night at Yokomura Eco-lodge, our boutique hotel that is walking distance from the farm. Please visit https://www.facebook.com/yokomura.ecolodge/ for more info about the hotel.

Q. Can I come and help out on the farm?

A. Yes, you can. We have been a WWOOF host since 2012 and have welcomed over 200 people come from about 20 countries to come and stay on the farm to work, learn about organic farming and keeping chickens, permaculture, sustainable and off-grid living, and natural architecture/ building of coops and houses in addition to farming.  We also have people who live in Japan who come up consistently on their day off. Please contact us by email if you are interested.