2nd year MRJ workshop kicks off

On January 15, 2025, members of My Regenerative Journey (MRJ) gathered in Oketo Town, Okhotsk, Hokkaido. The second year of the workshop began with participants from all over Hokkaido, Tohoku and Kanto, as well as online participation.

At the beginning, Raymond said that this group is our group and it belongs to everyone, so he asked everyone to join with an open mind.

Regenerative agriculture is not just a farming method, it's a mindset rather than incorporating technology into conventional agriculture, we need to understand how nature works and how we can imitate nature in our agriculture. How can we farm by borrowing the power of our neighbors who live under the soil? Raymond has been studying and practicing the world's most cutting-edge regenerative agriculture for the past six years. If he were to describe regenerative agriculture in words, he would use two words: life and relationships. This time, the workshop was an opportunity to learn more about the life in the soil and its connections.

Members from Hokkaido, Fukushima, Oita, and Miyazaki Prefecture participated online.

The first step in regenerative agriculture is to change from a conventional mindset to a new mindset. After that, we learn the principles of soil health. When carbon from plants is sent to the roots, rhizosheath is created, and symbiosis with microorganisms and an eco-cycle are formed.

This time, we learned a lot, such as the fungal to bacterial FB ratio, the role of microorganisms, and stable carbon in soil. The latest information was that rhizopathy, in which plant roots take in microorganisms, provided a deeper understanding of the symbiotic relationship between plants and rhizosphere microorganisms.

MRJ also placed emphasis on sharing the members' thoughts, and on the second day, each member commented on the "Peak Moment" that had made the biggest impression on them during the workshops and social gatherings on the first day. This mutual understanding is also connected to the community as a safe place that Raymond and Akiko cherish.

A video of the two days' events will be archived and shared among members.

We were blessed with good weather and the two-day workshop ended without any problems, but it seemed like there was still much to discuss. We are looking forward to welcoming new members and making our second year a year full of learning, excitement, and discoveries.

There will be four online courses from February to April, followed by exciting on-site workshops in June and July.