29.We participated in Nakagawa district "sweet potato digging experience party"!

　On October 24, the Nakagawa district "Sweet potato digging experience meeting" was held on a sunny Sunday in the clear blue sky. This event is hosted by the Japan National Council of Social Welfare in the Nakagawa District, which was implemented as part of the Satoyama Dream Project. The “Satoyama Dream Project” is an initiative that promotes health promotion, purpose of life, and the creation of leaders through vegetable production with the catchphrase "Everybody, everyone's hometown!" Starting in 2016, in addition to regular work every Tuesday, as an annual event, we have held "potato digging experience meeting" and "potatoi party" so far. (The Imoni-kai was canceled this year.)
　More than 200 people, from children to the elderly, participated in this experience session, and those who run it screamed, saying, "Is there enough sweet potatoes?" Until last year, there were about 50 participants, and there were few events due to the effects of the new coronavirus infection, but it was a sight that realized that the "Satoyama Dream Project" had become established in the area.
　In the actual experience, both adults and children worked together to dig sweet potatoes from the soil. I am surprised to find a lot of potatoes on the stem and dig a sweet potato larger than my face! Cheerful voices echoed throughout the fields, and it was a time full of smiles for both participants and the operating staff. Projects, please continue to work hard while making delicious vegetables for the local people.

November 1, 2021 Atsuko Fukagawa, Mayor of Izumi