Date: July 8
Location: Hachioji, Tokyo
Participants: 24 campers, 9 care workers, 7 LITs, 7 Mirai no Mori staff, 20 sponsors 

Sponsor: Morgan Stanley

Program:

On a cool mid-summer day, blessed with a beautiful weather, we held a dairy farm program at Isonuma Farm, a famous farm located in Tokyo for its animal welfare.

It was a very lively day with many people coming together to form a total of eight teams.

The theme for the day was “How Milk Reaches Your Table.” Each team explored the farm and asked questions to Mr. Isonuma and other farm workers to solve the mystery.

One of the LITs took the lead in preparing curry for lunch and lassi for dessert, which were made with ingredients harvested at the farm. We all enjoyed the food, and also felt more grateful for the food.

In the afternoon, it was time to milk the cows! After a lecture on how to milk a cow, each team tried their hand at it. After petting the cows gently so as not to startle them, campers slowly squeezed the cows using one finger at a time, starting with the thumb of their dominant hand. Even the campers who didn’t get it right the first time got the hang of it eventually and tried the natural “milk lotion” in their hands. 

Afterwards, each team presented their “How Milk Reaches the Table” in front of everyone. It was great to see how they noticed the various steps and people involved in the process, such as “the cow eats pineapple,” and “Toshi delivers the milk to the campers at Summer Camp.”

“I tried milking the cow for the first time and learned for the first time how warm the milk is! I was surprised at how firm the cow’s muscles were too!” by a camper

“I enjoyed feeding the sheep and cows and petting the calves. They were so cute!” by a camper

“Before we started, many campers were afraid to touch the cows, but when we actually met them, I was surprised at how many campers enjoyed the challenge of feeding and gently petting them!” by LIT

“I thought I knew the value of life when I eat everyday, but today, when I actually got to taste some of the cows raised on the farm in curry and some milk for lunch, I realized for the first time how precious life really is.” by care worker

“This is the second time that I have participated in the program at the farm, and we were blessed with great weather and had as much fun as the campers!” by a volunteer

Thank you to everyone at Isonuma Farm, our sponsors, and everyone who made this weekend memorable!