Grow your own rice to eat! Rice Revolution to Protect Rice, Food and Farmers in Japan 10 yen/hour wage project to run until July 30, 2012

Sabaidii Natural Farming Garden (Representative: Hitomi Ebihara) in Yamagata Village, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, has launched a project on the crowdfunding site "CAMPFIRE" until July 30, 2025, to expand a new system of rice cultivation in order to "grow the rice you eat by yourself" amid a rice shortage and an aging farming population. The project will run until July 30, 2025 on the crowdfunding site "CAMPFIRE.

Crowdfunding page: https://camp-fire.jp/projects/850230/view

Ears of rice hanging down on the day before harvest

Project Summary

Reclaim idle, dilapidated farmland and create an innovative system that enables even inexperienced farmers to grow rice while working together under the supervision of a manager. By purchasing additional mowers and renting goats, the project aims to realize efficient and eco-friendly mowing, reduce labor costs for farmers, and increase take-home pay by selling directly to consumers.

Cultivation work

■Background of the Project

Rice cultivation in Japan is in such a severe situation that it is said to pay "10 yen per hour," and the average age of farmers is over 70 years old. Under such circumstances, Ebihara, the representative of the project, a woman in her 40s with 10 years of experience working for a pharmaceutical company and 2 years of experience in Laos as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer (JOCV), took on the challenge of starting a new farming business. She and her colleagues are working together to revitalize rice paddies and rice cultivation, aiming to create a sustainable agricultural model.

What we want to achieve

A system whereby farmers only need to be involved in weeding and mowing a few times during the 4-month period from rice planting to harvesting in order to obtain rice for their own consumption.

Provide genuine domestic new rice that can be stored for a long period of time in unhulled rice.

Creating an environment where even inexperienced farmers can participate in rice cultivation through joint work

An eco-friendly and healing weeding system with the help of goats

Rice planting on May 24, 2025

Goats borrowed two years ago

■Use of support funds (target amount: 100,000 yen)

One mower: 30,000 yen

Fuel and replacement blades for mower: 10,000 yen

2 goats rental x 2 months: 10,000 yen

Goat shed: 30,000 yen

Crowdfunding fee: 20,000 yen

Returns (example)

Naturally grown rice 1kg-3kg + sweet potato set

Sponsor's name displayed on the goat shed

Naming rights for rental goats

Summer vegetable and potato harvesting experience + souvenir

Mayan calendar certificate

Naturally grown onion and garlic set

Naturally grown vegetables

■Schedule

July 9: Crowdfunding starts

July 30: Crowdfunding ends

August 2: Returns shipped

Late September Rice harvest

Early October Threshing

Profile of Representative

After graduating from an agricultural university, Hitomi Ebihara worked for 10 years in product development at a pharmaceutical company in Toyama Prefecture, and then spent two years teaching Japanese in Laos as a Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer. After returning to Japan, she studied and practiced natural farming while working as a member of the Yamagata Village Community Development Cooperation Volunteers, and established Sabaidii Natural Farming Garden in November 2024. She is also active as a Mayan calendar appraiser and coordinator of the Nagano Agriculture Department of the Sanseito Party.

Company Profile

Company name: Sabaidii Natural Farm

Representative: Hitomi Ebihara

Location: Yamagata Village, Higashi-Chikuma-gun, Nagano Prefecture

Establishment ： November 2024

Business description: Production and sales of naturally cultivated rice and vegetables, joint rice cultivation and agricultural experience

Capital ： 1 million yen

URL ： https://www.shizennouhou.com/

We will start our challenge to protect rice, farmland, and the environment in Japan, aiming for a "New Jomon Society" and the realization of a recycling-oriented society in which people, animals, and the environment are in harmony with each other. We sincerely look forward to your support.