This newly redeveloped ranch is located in a lush valley along the Atsubetsu River under the foothills of Mt. Kabari, which is one of the most blessed places in Hokkaido for farming. Minimal snow allows animals to stay in their field houses all winter. Spring arrives early, and warm moist winds from the Pacific bring regular reliable rain during the growing season.
Remodeling the old horse ranch by hand started in 2016 and the introduction of livestock began in 2018 with our drove of 4 pigs and 7 sheep and 13 goats. As well as remodeling we have had to introduce new farming styles to ensure our livestock enjoy a healthy and happy time with us.
Deer and bear proof fences surround the perimeter of the farm and new roads traverse the farm so animals and humans can safely walk from barn to their homes in the fields. The pig fields are an island surrounded by pasture and crops on the perimeter.
Depending on the weather and physical condition, the layout is designed to allow the livestock to spend as much free time as possible, whether they spend the day lazing in the barn, wallowing in a water hole or grazing on the pasture.
We want to keep the farm artisanal in nature and in addition to our Heritage Berkshire Pigs, our target is small herds of milk goats and sheep to produce cheese and dairy products and later Scottish Highland cows to graze the rough land across the river.
CURLY FLATS is a magical mysterious place where you can escape the unpleasant mood of the world. CURLY FLATS FARM is named after one of the characters in one of the ranch owner’s favorite cartoons. Mr. Curly, who spends a slow life at CURLY FLATS, has a restless friend named Vasco Pajama who travels often but returns to Curly Flats to cure his travel fatigue arising from his adventures in far off exotic places.
The owner resembles both of these two characters and loves to fly around (restlessly) on aimless journeys and sometimes work, but always returns to the ranch to heal his tiredness and restore his soul.
This ranch was supposed to be the owners semi-retirement slow life, but he is finding himself physically working harder now than he did as a 20 year old, and enjoying it. Every day sees new challenges and problems to be solved while learning about natural cycles of nature, nurturing the animals, regenerating the soil and putting new farming systems in place.
Rural Hokkaido is going through a serious aging and depopulation crises with land being abandoned and left to go fallow. Farming and food is vital to a nations security. An average person needs a lawyer 3 times in his life but needs a farmer 3 times a day. This farm is partially a research project with the aims of blending NZ style grassland farming, regenerative agriculture and Hokkaido farming systems to hopefully provide some solutions. It is a work in progress and there have been many examples of trial and error with perhaps more errors along the way.
The farm has a long history being sited on an old Ainu village and is one of the oldest Japanese farms in the area, with each generation leaving some trace of their style of farming in the barns. Sitting around the fire of a summers night we can sense the people who came before us and feel they are supportive of us trying to leave the place in good condition for those who will follow.
We class ourselves as beyond organic in that we use chemicals and medicine sparingly and also practice a permaculture style recycling-based agriculture in which a wide variety of livestock contribute to soil health and grass growth.
