On July 9, the Aomori Blackcurrant Association began harvesting blackcurrants at Hayashi Farm (Kodate, Aomori City).

Cassis is one of the berries native to Europe, and is also called black currant. It can be eaten as is, but it can also be processed into jams, purees, and juices.

Aomori Cassis was transplanted from Germany in 1965 by a researcher who thought it would be suitable for a climate with a cool temperature difference, and cultivation began mainly in Aomori City. In 1985 (Showa 60), the association was organized mainly by a group of producers, and since then it has been producing and selling Aomori Cassis. Aomori Cassis continues to be cultivated naturally without pesticides, preserving the original species from that time without any intervention such as breeding.

According to Kenji Hayashi, chairman of the association and representative of the farm, the best time to harvest cassis is in mid-July, when the fruit begins to ripen, about a week before the temperature rises to 30 degrees Celsius. Cassis is sensitive to heat, and if the temperature exceeds 30 degrees Celsius for a long time, the fruit will become wrinkled and fermented. The fruits have thin skins and cannot be harvested by machine, so they are hand-picked one by one. Mr. Hayashi says, "It takes a lot of time and effort to harvest everything by hand in a short period of time, but we are able to harvest with the help of people who help us every year and volunteers."

"Four years ago, for three years in a row, there was no rain in June and July, and the drought continued," recalls Hayashi. The trees were weakened, the flowers fell off and the fruits did not grow large, and the harvest amount fell from about 700 kilograms to about 200 kilograms every year. “For a while, we were at a loss, but last year and this year there was a lot of rain, and we managed to recover.

Masaki Suzuki (3rd grade), who came from Hachinohe with her mother as a harvest volunteer, says that this year will be her fifth time participating. As for the tips for harvesting, Masaki says, "Big, black berries are sweet. Small berries are sour, so look carefully and choose carefully." "It's fun to catch bugs and find cicada shells," he says with a smile.

Mr. Hayashi has been cultivating cassis since his father Toshio passed away in 2011. “There are times when it is difficult to protect the original species, such as pruning branches and making compost, and being affected by the weather. It's fun to be able to harvest while interacting with everyone in July.The fact that Aomori Cassis is connected to everyone's smiles and good health motivates me to continue cultivating," he said with a smile. "I want you to taste the rich, sweet and sour taste of the original cassis."

Harvest until July 16th.