When: April 26th 2023, 6-7pm PT

Where: Zoom links will be sent out too registrants a week before and day before presentation

Japanese turnips have gone from obscurity to popularity at local farmers markets, and varieties such as Hakurei and Tokyo Cross are regularly included in seed catalogues. In this session, we’ll take a look at the diversity of Japanese turnip varieties, tips for growing a great crop and avoiding potential problems and ways to enjoy eating the bounty. Come learn from a farmer who has been growing Japanese turnips for over a decade at a farm where these tasty treats are one of the main crops.

About the farm and presenter: Umi Nami Farm is located in Coast Salish territory near Victoria, BC. The owner Yoshiko and her partner Tsutomu (Tom) originally started the farm in Iwaki, Japan and moved to Canada in the mid-1990s at the invitation of their friend Madoka, who helped them establish the farm at its new location in Metchosin in order to provide vegetables to the Japanese community of Victoria and beyond. Umi Nami Farm now produces a wide range of Japanese vegetables, as well as some Western produce and various fruit. We grow organically and year-round using both outdoor fields and unheated greenhouses. Heather first visited the farm as a volunteer (WWOOFer) in 2009, returned in 2010 as an apprentice, stayed on as an employee and eventually became a partner in the farming business. She loves growing vegetables and exchanging gardening lore.