This is a series of articles started by the Domingo editorial department that tells the stories of Hokkaido's rich "food" and "people"! We asked chef Maie Matsuda, who is particular about Hokkaido's ingredients and has many connections with producers, to guide us on a food-related journey.

This time we interviewed Mr. Iwao Fuchino, a farmer who runs a direct sales shop "Price Goro Ichiba" selling freshly harvested vegetables and processed goods in Kuriyama-cho and is also a farmer himself at "Yuchi no Oka Shizen Farm" (Natural Farm on Yuchi Hill).

We will talk about his commitment to "value market," where you can "see," "hear," and "eat" the deliciousness of vegetables grown in the rich environment of Kuriyama-cho.

Value Market
(Date of interview: September 10)

The Value Market is a direct sales shop run by farmers.

Mr. Fuchino's motto at his farm is to carefully grow his produce in harmony with the rich natural environment and deliver it to as many people as possible without stressing them.

At the "Value Market," Fuchino purchases and sells delicious vegetables not only from his own farm, but also from other farmers in the town of Kuriyama with whom he has relationships. The number of farmers they deal with is said to be more than 60.

The appeal of this market is that it "delivers" to customers not only the characteristics and taste of the vegetables sold, but also the commitment of the farmers who produced them.

You can buy vegetables after seeing, tasting, and getting to know them.

Because the shop is run by farmers, you can feel their love for their vegetables even more strongly.

We want to deliver to our customers what the farmers are committed to and what they are thinking about when they grow their produce.

The farmer's ingenuity in delivering vegetables to customers can be seen here and there in the store.
For example, the atmosphere and layout of the store make customers want to pick up the vegetables. Inside the bright and homey atmosphere of the store, there are pop-ups that tell customers about the vegetables.

The staff's knowledgeable knowledge of vegetables and their creators is another attraction of the price market.
Leave it to us to know what vegetables are in season and the farmers who grew the vegetables being sold at the time. If there is anything you want to know, just ask the staff.

One of the most wonderful points is that they offer lunches and boxed lunches using the seasonal vegetables sold at the market.

In fact, you can actually eat the vegetables transformed into seasonal pizza, vegetable curry, set meals, etc., and buy what you like to take home.

Incidentally, the boxed lunches at Price Goroichi are not only sold directly at the market, but are also popular with the employees of the Kuriyama Town Office.
They offer them at a reasonable price of 600 yen in order to let people casually enjoy delicious seasonal vegetables.
Now that the state of emergency has been declared and the eat-in restaurant has reopened, why don't you enjoy their pizza, bento box lunches, set menus, and other items of your choice?

The "Value Market" began 18 years ago when a direct sale was held in a park.

It was 18 years ago that the "Value Market" began.
It started when we opened a stall in a park outside of town at a direct sales event held at the time, an event where about 20 producers had stalls, and we held it every Friday.

Then Mr. Fuchino decided to set up store in another location and begin operating a direct sales shop that would be open daily.
As he did so, other producers started asking him, "Will you put out vegetables for us?" He says that this is because, especially during the summer season, the vegetables are sold at a higher price. This is because cucumbers, tomatoes, and other vegetables grow so fast, especially in the summer, that they would grow too fast if they had to wait for the once-a-week direct sales event.
This is how the market evolved into the current "Kuriyama-machi's delicious food gathering" price market.

Subsequent activities and daily efforts

At the market, we emphasize the importance of "communicating" when selling vegetables.
The vegetables sold here are purchased by Mr. Fuchino and his staff directly from growers in the town. Because they know what kind of vegetables they are growing and how they are eating them, they can sell them with peace of mind and communicate this to their customers.

The first thing I became aware of that day was the type of eggplant.
There were two types of eggplants with different shapes, and when I asked them about them, they told me that they were different types.
The one called "Minori" is really soft and delicious! He tells me, "That kind is really soft and tasty.

Mr. Fuchino says that as a producer, he is happy to hear the voices of his customers.

When deciding what vegetables to grow this year, I appreciate hearing from people who have actually eaten the vegetables and know what they are talking about. There are a lot of things you can't understand even if you look at a crop catalog. For example, "The ET pumpkins I bought here last year were so delicious and crunchy! And so on. By conversing with them, I can make fans of the vegetables that he grows.

Even in an age when you can find out everything by looking things up, there are things you can't understand just from information.
By communicating with customers and producers, a good relationship is created through vegetables, and people become fans because they feel "I want to buy his delicious vegetables at a reasonable price, even though they are more expensive than those at the supermarket! and the number of customers who became his fans increased.

Mr. Fuchino is not only particular about the products he handles. In order to make the market even more popular with customers, he takes his staff to visit other direct-sales stores several times a year.
He visits direct sales shops and producers in Hokkaido as well as in Japan that he is interested in, and sometimes adds products to be handled at the market.

We sometimes stock items that we think are really tasty and that we would like to recommend," he says. We want the market to be a place where people can find delicious food when they come to the market.

We also refer to the customer service of other stores. In addition, by connecting with other direct sales outlets, products from Kuriyama-cho and other areas are sometimes sold at each other's outlets.
By introducing and selling good products from each region to each other, customers are able to learn about new things and the region, creating a good cycle.

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

While many direct sales stands are open only during the summer when vegetables are in season, the price market is open from April to December, making it unique in its long business period.

During winter sales, the market mainly sells processed products such as handmade miso, pickles, and cut pumpkins made from Kuriyama-cho soybeans and koji.
The reason for the long opening period is not only to sell Kuriyama's delicious products in winter, but also to provide employment.
By operating a direct sales shop that sells delicious products from the town, the company creates employment in the town. I felt that I could see a future in which the economy circulates in Kuriyama and the market will continue to exist together with the town and its customers.

I would like to create more opportunities to interact with customers in the future.

Mr. Fuchino's love for Kuriyama-cho is second to none! Mr. Fuchino says, "My love for Kuriyama-cho is second to none!

What is symbolic of Kuriyama-cho is that there are 93 different species of butterflies. This is because the area is truly rich in natural environment. Also, there are many hard-working mothers in the town, so even vegetables that require a lot of work to grow are grown with the cooperation of the whole family. That's why we are able to deliver delicious vegetables to so many customers at the market.

Because many people support each other in the house and in the town, they are able to take on new challenges.

What are your future plans? I asked,

I want to draw out the potential of the vegetables. I would like to pursue further the maximization of each vegetable's flavor.
I also want to interact more and more with customers. Customers who tell me how delicious it was when I cooked it this way, or who comment on how delicious this variety of pumpkin is, are much closer to me than my relatives whom I see only occasionally. I would like to increase efforts to interact in various ways with the people who eat our products in this way.

Currently, they are engaged in a variety of activities, such as a hands-on miso-making workshop and a drawing contest for children, but once the Corona Disaster is settled, they would like to increase their efforts to interact with customers.

Mr. Fuchino values the land of Kuriyama and communication with his customers, so we highly recommend the "Value Market" run by Mr. Fuchino, so please stop by.