Gamba Farms: Oyakata Asparagus & Okuaizu-Gyu Beef Lunch Tour

From salesman to asparagus farmer

Farmer Hiroyuki Suzuki of Gamba Farms used to work as a technical salesman for a camera-making company. He grew up in a household that produced rice in the Goka-area of the city of Shirakawa in the southern part of Fukushima, but did not particularly dream of taking up farming himself.

But when the company he worked for went under, he was presented with a new opportunity. During a visit to Nagasaki, he tried some of the locally-grown asparagus in a restaurant, and was blown away by its juiciness and texture, which was almost fruit-like. That’s when it hit him: “This is it! This is what I want to do: growing asparagus like these.”

His wife worked at the same company, meaning they were in the same boat. The idea of owning their own business, and working at their own pace sounded very appealing to her and won her over, leading to the two to make a fresh start together as asparagus farmers.

A once-in-a-lifetime meeting

Farmer Suzuki made a great leap in becoming a farmer, despite his usually apprehensive, careful nature. The deliciousness of asparagus was not, after all, the only reason for his move. When working as a salesman, he also gained experience in management, in an environement where things like calculating cost prices, and managing production and quality are extremely important. Therefore, he was well-aware of the importance of not getting involved in a business without future prospect. Looking at it carefully as an outsider, he realized that asparagus are a vegetable that sells at a relatively high price point, and lends itself well to add value as a farmer. Also, competition in the Tohoku-area is relatively scarce, leading him to believe that – as long as he could produce a good product –  he could take the initative in the local market. There was more than enough ground to justify taking the leap.

Nonetheless, even though his parents are farmers, Suzuki himself was what would be considered an amateur. Neither were there other asparagus-farmers in the area. So he decided to apprentice under the farmer that produced the asparagus that moved him so in the first place: farmer Toshimatsu Takeshima in Nagasaki – one of Japan’s biggest asparagus-producing areas.

Meeting up with farmer Takeshima reaffirmed Suzuki’s conviction.

Farmer Takeshima – already a well-known figure in the asparagus farming world – taught Suzuki all the ins-and-outs of asparagus; about the vegetable itself, the characteristics and peculiarities of their development, and their cultivation process. Suzuki was inspired by farmer Takeshima’s love for asparagus, the pride he took in his work, and the man’s character and way of life. “I was drawn even more to Mr. Takeshima than to asparagus by that point,” says Suzuki, who strongly feels that his meeting with farmer Takeshima was one of the most important meetings in his life.

Although farmer Takeshima has given up the reins of his farm due to old age, Suzuki still refers to his way of farming as ‘the Takeshima Farming Method,’ and maintains his master’s method to this day.

And so, ‘Oyakata Asparagus’ was born

After starting to farm asparagus in 2010, the first batch was sold during a sales event held at the second-hand car dealership owned by one of farmer Suzuki’s local acquaintances. Many local residents showed up to purchase his first crop, and the response was great. Soon, orders started coming in from restaurants, and even after the 2011 disaster and during the COVID-19 pandemic his market proved steady and robust.

The name ‘Oyakata Asparagus’ has found its footing. But why the name Oyakata? When asked this very question, Suzuki regales a story, sporting a big grin on his face.

A shorot while after taking up farming, Suzuki joined a meet-up for local farmers. When one of the members, who was fond of giving people nicknames, was asked about Suzuki, he responded: “Who? Oh, you mean Oyakata?”
In sumo-wrestling, Oyakata is the word used for the stablemaster: former wrestlers who run and manage sumo stables. The other people attending the meet-up felt like the nickname worked well for Suzuki, and so the name stuck, leading to Suzuki’s asparagus to be called ‘Oyakata asparagus’ from then on. A friend created the cute, welcoming illustration, which was then adopted for all his packaging.

What makes Oyakata’s asparagus so great is the level of care put into them, says Suzuki. He makes sure to check on the state of the asparagus every single day without fail, and tries to get the most mileage out of his vegetables as possible. Using his own homemade fertilizer and as little pesticide as possible, he tries to really let the asparagus’ inherent quality shine through.

Suzuki admits that he secretly held the aspiration to host FoodCamp someday. “All the farmers and producers featured at FoodCamp are wonderful. I am not sure if I deserve to join those ranks, but if my doing so can be beneficial for the local restaurants that have been so good to me, I will gladly give it a shot!”

Undoubtedly, Suzuki is set to gain some new fans during this edition of FoodCamp!

Fukushima Prefecture is home to only relatively few asparagus farmers. In general, asparagus grown domestically can be hard to get by, as it tends to be rather pricy. Regardless, around four years ago, Chef Hayashi first learned about a Gamba Farms – a producer able to consistently ship high-quality asparagus – from fellow restaurant proprietor Shinoya.

Chef Hayashi, when asked about his first impression of Gamba Farms’ asparagus,  he replies: “They’re juicy, with a good balance of sweet and bitter, making them a good fit for any preparation-style or combination with other ingredients. I was very excited and surprised to learn that asparagus of this quality were being grown in Shirakawa.”

Asparagus goes well with beef in general, but that’s doubly true for the combination of the deep-flavored Okuaizu-gyu Beef and Oyakata Asparagus, making it a no-brainer for chef Hayashi to adopt the vegetable into his menu.

A man of (com)passion

When the chef first learned about Gamba Farms’ asparagus, he set out to meet the man behind the product. Although his appearance and presence matches his nickname of Oyakata – meaning a former sumo-wrestler – he comes across as very sweet and even mischievous. It was also clear to the chef that Suzuki is an exceedingly considerate man, with a great deal of passion for his farming and his products; a man of passion and compassion.

Chef Hayashi recognized right away that these asparagus are as good as they are because of the man who grows them. As Suzuki himself says: character is more important that pure skill. This is why his farm is always abuzz with people.

Bringing out the deliciousness of Oyakata Asparagus

April is peak season for asparagus. At FoodCamp, we are dedicated to do justice to the deliciousness of asparagus when they are at their best. We always collaborate with the best farmers, and hope that you will enjoy a taste of Oyakata’s dedication and passion, delivered on a plate.