A series started by the Domingo editorial team that tells the stories of Hokkaido's rich "food" and "people"! Maeda Matsuda, a chef who is particular about ingredients in Hokkaido and has many connections with producers, will guide us on a food-related journey. The person we spoke to this time was Fuchino Iwao, who runs "Nigoroichi," a direct sales store in Kuriyama Town that sells freshly picked vegetables and processed foods, and is also a farmer at "Yujinooka Natural Farm." We will explore the affordable market's commitment to allowing you to see, hear, and taste the deliciousness of the vegetables grown in the fertile environment of Kuriyama Town. Affordable (Interview date: September 10th)

Aigoroichi is a direct sales store run by farmers.

The motto of Fuchino's farm is to produce crops carefully and stress-free in harmony with the rich natural environment, and to deliver them to as many people as possible. At the direct sales store "Aigoroichi," he not only buys and sells delicious vegetables from his own farm, but also from farmers he has connections with in Kuriyama Town. He apparently does business with more than 60 farmers. The appeal of the Igoroichi market is that it "delivers" to customers not only the characteristics and deliciousness of the vegetables being sold, but also the commitment of the farmers who grew them.

You can see, taste, and learn about the vegetables before you buy them.

Because Aigoroichi is a direct sales store run by farmers, you can really feel their love for vegetables. "I want to convey to our customers the attention to detail and passion that farmers have in producing their produce." The ingenuity put into delivering to customers can be seen all around the store. For example, the store's atmosphere and layout make you want to pick up vegetables. The bright, homey atmosphere is accented with posters explaining the vegetables.

Another attraction of Baragaro Market is that the staff are knowledgeable about vegetables and the people who grow them. If you want to know more about the vegetables that are in season now and the farmers who grew them, you can trust the staff. One particularly great thing about this place is that they offer lunches and bento boxes made with seasonal vegetables sold at the bargain market.

You can actually try the vegetables that have been transformed into seasonal pizza, vegetable curry, set meals, and more, and buy your favorites to take home. By the way, the Aigoroichi bento boxes are not only popular at the direct sales store, but also among the staff at Kuriyama Town Hall. They offer it at the reasonable price of 600 yen because they want people to be able to enjoy delicious seasonal vegetables easily. The state of emergency has been lifted and dine-in services have resumed, so why not come and enjoy your favorite menu items, including our signature pizza, bento boxes, and set meals?

The "Affordable Market" started 18 years ago with a direct sale in the park.

Now, this bargain sale started 18 years ago. Apparently, it all started with setting up a stall at a direct sales event that was held in a park outside the town at the time. The event was held every Friday, with around 20 producers setting up stalls. Mr. Fuchino then set up shop in another location and began operating a direct sales store that is open every day. As a result, other producers began asking him if they could sell their vegetables. This is because vegetables such as cucumbers and tomatoes grow quickly, especially in the summer, so if they wait for the weekly direct sales event, they will end up overgrowing. Through these efforts, the market began to handle products from well-known fellow producers in the town, and evolved into the current affordable market that brings together the delicious foods of Kuriyama Town.

Subsequent activities and daily efforts

At Value Market, we place great importance on "communicating" when selling vegetables. The vegetables sold here are procured directly from local producers by Mr. Fuchino and his team. Because they know and eat the vegetables that the producers grow, they can sell them with confidence and communicate that to their customers. On this day, I became aware of the different types of eggplant for the first time. There are two different shaped eggplants, and when I asked, I was told they were different varieties. "That type of seaweed is really soft and delicious!" she tells me.

Fuchino says that as a producer, he is happy to hear from his customers. "When I'm deciding which vegetables to grow this year, I'm grateful to hear from people who have actually eaten vegetables and know about them. There are many things you can't understand just by looking at a crop catalog. For example, "The ET pumpkin I bought here last year was piping hot and delicious!" By talking to them, you can gain fans of the vegetables that someone has grown." Even in this age where you can find out anything by researching, there are some things that you cannot understand with information alone. By communicating with customers and producers, a good relationship was formed through the vegetables, and more and more people became fans, thinking, "It's more expensive than buying it at the supermarket, but I still want to buy that person's delicious vegetables at the bargain sale!" Fuchino-san is not only particular about the products he sells. In order to make Igoroichi an even more popular direct sales store for customers, he arranges for him and his staff to visit other direct sales stores several times a year. We visit direct sales outlets and producers that catch our eye, not only in Hokkaido but all over Japan, and add new products to the bargain market.

"We do purchase things that we think are really delicious and that we would like to recommend. We want the market to be a place where people can come and find delicious things." They also refer to the way customers are treated at stores. In addition, by connecting with other direct sales outlets, they sometimes sell products from Kuriyama Town and the local area at each other's direct sales outlets. By introducing and selling the best products from each region, customers can learn about new products and regions, creating a virtuous cycle.

A rare farm shop that is open not only in summer but also in winter

While many direct sales stores are only open during the summer vegetable season, Aigoroichi is unique in that it has a longer opening period, from April to December. During the winter, the store mainly sells handmade miso made with soybeans and koji from Kuriyama Town, pickles, cut pumpkin, and other processed products. The long business period is due to the desire to sell delicious products from Kuriyama Town even in winter, as well as the fact that it serves as an employment measure. By operating a direct sales store selling delicious local produce, we are creating jobs for the town. We can see a future where the economy of Kuriyama-cho is circulating and Agakariichi will continue to exist alongside the town and its customers.

I want to increase the opportunities to interact with customers more in the future.

Fuchino says that his love for Kuriyama Town is unmatched! "What's symbolic about Kuriyama Town is that there are 93 different kinds of butterflies. This is possible because the area is so rich in nature. Also, the town is full of hardworking mothers, so families work together to grow the labor-intensive vegetables. That's why we're able to provide delicious vegetables to so many customers at the Agaoka Market."

He says that it is because many people support each other at home and in the town that they are able to take on new challenges. When asked what his future plans were, "I want to bring out the potential of the vegetables. I want to continue to pursue ways to make the most of the deliciousness of each vegetable. I also want to have more interactions with customers. Customers who give me feedback like, "It was delicious when I cooked it like this," or "This variety of pumpkin that Mr. Fuchino grew is really fluffy and delicious," are much closer to me than relatives that I only see occasionally. I want to increase the number of initiatives that allow me to interact with the people who eat my food in various ways like that." Currently, they are carrying out various initiatives such as holding miso-making experience sessions and drawing contests for children, but they said that they would like to increase the number of opportunities for interaction once the COVID-19 pandemic has calmed down. "Agoroichi" is run by Mr. Fuchino, who values the local area of Kuriyama and communication with his customers, and is highly recommended, so be sure to stop by.