HMF Project Update: Tomato-chan keep going!

Our Tomato-chan is keep growing. In this picture, it looks like Tomato-chan is touching the moon. She is getting taller & taller.















Her flower is out! Because of her weed origin, her flower is pretty plain.
















"Real" tomato flowers are blooming, too. Soon I can show you THE tomatoes, I hope ;-)

HMF Project Update: Giant Tomato-chan!

Plants @ Hibino is getting bigger and bigger.
Tomato is doing super fine.
Basil wasn't doing great (bit sick), but they started to have new leaves coming out. Phew.



















Our Tomato-chan has become a Giant.
May be it is because of her weed-nature. She over grew other "regular" tomatoes.















Here's Tomato-chan's buds. I have no idea what kind of flowers Tomato-chan would have. I'll keep you posted!















Other "regular" Tomatoes started having buds, too. This one, I kind of know the outcome. If all is well, we'll have tomatoes very soon ;-)

HMF Project: Basil Adoption

Our basil got big enough to be adopted.
So we had an "adoption day" on last Thursday.














Again, they were waiting for their future parents by the window.

All the basil had found new homes. (hooray!)
Here's some of the kind people who adopted our basil.










































Basil look little wilted, but don't worry. With water, Sun and more soil, they'll grow even bigger! We may have to serve little Italian Tapas (!) once Tomato & Basil are ready to be harvested ;-)

HMF Project: WANTED!!!

WANTED!
Foster parents for our Baby Basil Plant

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

If you’d like to grow a Basil at your home,
please come in to pick up the pod!
We have a bunch of baby basil plants
in need of new home.

Now you are a Micro Farmer, too!

HIBINO Micro Farmer Project

HMF Project Update: We are watching you!

Even when Hibino is closed, we are here watching you pass by. We think of our brothers and sisters. How they would be doing at their new homes. Some may be staying at the window sill as we are. Some would get planted in the garden.














Because now we have more space to spread out, we are getting bigger faster! Our dear friend, "Tomato-chan" is getting taller, too.














Our neighbor Basil's are also getting ready for their adoption day.














Say hello to us when you pass by!

HMF Project: Adoption day - Hello, Good Bye

This is what we kept.
3 baby Tomato plants & Tomato-chan (probably a weed).
Today we said lots of "Good Bye."














Yet I can still say "Hello" to Tomato-chan!



Baby Tomato plants were being adopted much quicker than we expected.
(We thought it'll take 2-3 days to find home for every plants)
So, there were a few people who came after all the tomato plants were gone.
We are sorry, but here's a good news!
In a week or two, we'll put our Basil for adoption.
(Now they are still too small to leave home)
Please check our blog, and came back to claim your Basil!

HMF Project: Adoption day - Proud New Parents

Our baby Tomato plants were selling like a hot cake! They were being adopted one by one to a new home.



I'd like to introduce some of the new proud parents for baby Tomato plants.
Yes, they are official(?) Hibino Micro Farmers!














(I think her red coat & red bag are really cool!)














They already are parents of a human baby, but generous enough to add our Tomato plant as their new family member.














Our neighbor!
He was very happy to get a baby Tomato plant.
We were very happy Tomato plants found lots of new homes.

HMF Project: Adoption day - Prep.

The day has come.
Our baby Tomato plants (many of them) are leaving home...














We kept 4 baby tomato plants (and of course, Tomato-chan!).
Rest are separated into about 20 pods.




























They are ready to be adopted.
Hope they'll find great new home...

HMF Project: WANTED!!

WANTED!
Foster parents for our Baby Tomato Plant

If you’d like to grow a Tomato at your home, please come in to the restaurant and pick up the pod!
(I will separate the baby tomato plants this morning)
We have a bunch of baby tomato plants in need of new home.

Now you are a Micro Farmer, too!

HMF Project: In Need of Foster Parents

Finally, we (human kind) can feel the Spring, too.














Basil had a late start, but it is catching up.














Both "Tomato-chan" and real Tomatoes are getting bigger, too.

But sometime this week, I have to do a painful task.
I have to pluck out many of the sprouts -- so chosen some would have more soil and sun to grow. (May be I can wait a little more for Basil, but Tomatoes have to be taken care of, soon...)

Hmmmm, how should I make a choice?
I know I'll keep Tomato-chan.
May be I can bring "un-chosen one" to my home, so they can also grow.

Even in human world, sometimes you encounter this kind of situation.
When you are a chosen one, yes, life is great.
But when you end up on the other side of the soil, you could feel a bit sad & miserable.

I have an idea!
I'll talk to our staff and look for foster parents for these sprouts.
So each of them have a chance to grow!
(and our staff would have his/her own Tomato & Basil at their own home)

HMF Project: Tomato-chan Update!

Hello, Tomato-chan!

When I took photos yesterday, I wasn't thinking about Tomato-chan.
After the fact, when I was writing this blog, it occurred to me:
"Where was Tomato-chan?"
So this morning, I took a closer look.
Yes, Tomato-chan was there!














But it is getting more and more clear that Tomato-chan is not a Tomato... She is a different kind of plant or a weed. Other guys have hairy stem, and have leaves in different shapes. Also other guys started smell like Tomato. Well, I repeat myself. I still love you, Tomato-chan!

HMF Project Update: Where's my Tomato-chan?

Though it is still chilly, spring is knocking the door.
Ton, ton, ton (this is the sound of knocking in Japanese).
Plants are feeling it.














Tomato is growing & growing.
We can see actual leaves apart from the seed leaves.














Basil is catching up, too. It is still in its seed leaf, but it is getting taller.














But where is Tomato-chan???
Could this be my Tomato-chan? I'll take a closer look tomorrow morning...

HMF Project & Today's Helper

Hibino's construction is almost over. We still have small projects/installations to be completed, but all the major work is done! Phew!!














This is not a final conclusion, but I believe more and more that Tomato-chan is a weed... Other spouts' stem has lots of hair, but Tomato-chan's stem is bold. Well, well, well... As I said before, I still love Tomato-chan.














Basil leaves are growing slowly, but surely.














This is today's helper Mukai-kun.
You might not see him that much, but he's one of the most-frequent-helper of Hibino. He comes to help during the prep time quite often. Thank you, Mukai-kun. We all appreciate your generous help!

HMF Project: Sunday, April 9th

Our plants are growing!


















Basil seeds finally woke up.














Tomato forest??

HMF Project Quick update & Yoji-kun

Sprouts of Tomato are growing!
?????
But they look different from my "Tomato-chan."
Could my cute little "Tomato-chan" have been a weed?
Well, I'll keep eyes on both "bunch of sprouts" and MY "Tomato-chan."
Tomato-chan.
Even if you were a weed, I still love you!














Yoji-kun from YT Design came over on Saturday night (not to work but to eat!). They had Shrimp Toji Maki, Warm Tofu, Eel Croquette, Beef Kakuni, Kyoto Hakosihi & Anago Hakosushi. Yum, Yum!

Hibino Micro Farmer Project

We planted tomato & basil on March 29th.













This was the first step of Hibino Micro Farmer Project. (HMF project, in short)














A Tomato seed has sprouted!
(we were so excited!!!)














This was a shot from last night. We named this first sprout "Tomato-chan." Hope she grows & grows. One day she might be in your salad!














This is our Tomato-chan this morning. She is getting taller!!

"shoku ju shiki" — Planting Ceremony

Today, we had a "Planting Ceremony."
We planted the seeds of basil & tomato. We want to watch their growth as we try to grow and improve ourselves.

We will water the plants. Sun shines on them. The seeds will grow.
(and we might be able to serve "local farm" products to you :-)
You come to our place. Eat our food and tell us what you think. We will grow.

We are not perfect (which we fully realize), but we are willing to make changes.
Please do tell us what you think. Your comments are always always appreciated!














From left:
Masaru (chef), Chiaki (chef), Hinata (manager), Hirohisa (chef), and Kuu (server).