Santa Cruz Farm

In 2004, Shumei established a 22-acre Natural Agriculture farm located in the mid-mountains of Santa Cruz. This was the first official Shumei-operated farm outside of Japan. It is managed by Shumei Natural Agriculture farmer Masaharu Noda along with five other staff members. They are California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), cultivating more than 20 kinds of vegetables including lettuce, broccoli, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, soybeans and pumpkins using the Natural Agriculture approach. There are also peach, apple, orange, lemon and mandarin orchards on the farm property.

Since 2006 the Santa Cruz farm has been selling fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets and supplying fresh produce to grocery stores and restaurants in the area. They also participate in a nationwide ‘Farm to School’ program that connects farms with local schools to improve student nutrition. The program includes classroom presentations on health, nutrition and agriculture, and field visits to the farm, where students are able to participate in planting and harvesting crops. In addition to the school program, Shumei also organizes educational events for the local community, including an Annual Open Farm event during Labor Day weekend.