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Former ARI Volunteer Yoshihiro Kimijima Featured at the 3rd National Organic School Lunch Forum

The 3rd Organic School Lunch Forum is coming to Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture, on Saturday, July 25th, and Sunday, July 26th! This inspiring event will feature an incredible lineup of speakers, including Hiroyuki Tateno, the President of the Rice Research Center, along with various sectional meetings and organic farm tours showcasing cutting-edge organic school lunch and environmental initiatives from Japan and South Korea.

We are especially thrilled to announce that Yoshihiro Kimijima (Kimiji)—a former ARI volunteer from the class of 2010—will be a featured speaker alongside his peers!

Kimiji wears many hats: he runs “Tsukinoco,” a cozy farmhouse stay and natural yeast bakery in Motegi-Machi, Tochigi, while also inspiring the next generation as a Garden Teacher for Edible Schoolyard Japan and serving as an official “Life with Agriculture” Advisor for Tochigi Prefecture.

Sectional Meeting: “Edible Schoolyard: How Can We Create Learning Opportunities About Food, Agriculture, and the Environment with Children?”
Time: Saturday, July 25th, 16:00 – 18:00

Advance registration is required to attend. For more details and to sign up, please visit the official website:
https://www.city.oyama.tochigi.jp/sangyou-sigoto/nougyou/page008968.html

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Men's Dormitory & Guest House

Participants and volunteers live in separate dormitories for men and women. The dormitory includes shared lounges, kitchens, showers, and laundry facilities. Wi-Fi is not available.

Poultry House

The poultry facilities include free-range chicken coops and a brooding house. More than 400 chickens are raised, producing over 80,000 eggs and approximately one ton of chicken meat each year.

Pig Pen

Participants learn a variety of pig farming techniques through hands-on practice. Both deep-litter and concrete-floor systems are used, and manure is recycled into biogas and fertilizer.

Goat House

Goat milk (over 200 liters annually) and meat are used for food, while manure is used as fertilizer. During the day, the goats roam freely in the pasture.

Forest

The forests surrounding the campus are managed through selective thinning for firewood and charcoal production. Leaves and other organic materials are collected for use in agriculture.

Fields

On 2.5 hectares of farmland, approximately 100 varieties of vegetables and crops are grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The entire community helps manage the fields as part of its commitment to learning and self-sufficiency.

Rice Paddies

Rice is cultivated in paddies both on and off campus. Various organic rice-growing methods are studied and practiced, including weed control and fertilization using ducks.

Workshop

The workshop is a space for repair and recycling activities. It contains machinery, welding equipment, woodworking tools, and a variety of materials.

Feed Mixing Room

Livestock feed is produced here using both manual and mechanical methods. Continuous efforts are made to improve feed quality and sustainability.

Administration Building

The first floor houses the reception area and administrative offices, while the second floor contains staff offices and the Director’s office. The Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room) is located adjacent to the building.

ARI Shop

The shop offers ARI-grown produce, processed foods, books, and handicrafts from the home countries of ARI graduates.

Farm Shop (Agricultural Training Room)

The facility serves as the hub of agricultural activities at ARI. It includes classrooms, storage for tools and farming materials, and facilities for drying and storing crops.

Oikos Chapel

Originally a 100-year-old traditional farmhouse, the chapel has been renovated into a place of worship. Daily morning gatherings are held here, along with meditation, dialogue sessions, gospel choir practice, and other community activities. Oikos is a Greek word meaning “home.”

Manna House (Food Processing Room)

This facility is used for producing and storing processed foods such as cookies and jam. The ground floor also contains a poultry processing facility.

Fish Ponds

Fish are raised for both food and agricultural purposes.

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