たまたま頼まれたこと。新車（48万円もする！こんなに
出しても葡萄の作業を続けたいという、勤勉な方が
多いのです！）から半年使用の中古車を30万円で売りたい
とのこと（バッテリー2個は新品にするそうです）。
どなたか買いませんか？

Non-farmers would never be able to imagine
what it is. It is called under trellis vehicle. Most
of the users are very aged farmers. They can do
vineyard work while sitting on the vehicle. The saddle
moves up and down so that most of the vineyard
operations which require to hold up both hands can
be done without holding up hands. I don’t know how a
rider feels because I have not ride on one.

From time to time, I can see a grandma doing pruning
to bunch thinning and wrapping on the vehicle in her
vineyard.

I was asked to announce that used one is available for sale.
New one costs 480,000 yen per unit but the one used only
for six month is offered at 300,000 with two brand new batteries.
How industrious the farmers are ! There are some who
want to continue to work even on such a vehicle after the
they feel the works become tough.

Is anybody interested?

今年は裂果もすくなく、順調な生育状況なのだが
錆が多発しているようだ。パープルの出荷初日は
9月10日で、旬の短いパープルの出荷の最後は
10月上旬になりそうだ。

We had a pre-ship meeting for Naganopurple grapes today.
The growers were given instructions about the packing
and the shipping. I was amazed at the number of the
growers. They came from Suzaka, Takayama and Obuse
area, altogether called as Sukoh, which produces almost
90% of the total production.

This year, we have sound growing of the grape without
berry splitting which often happens to the variety but
the surface scratches are often found this year. The
first shipment is set on September 10 for JA. Naganopurple
grape has shorter harvest time which starts in early
September and ends in first part of October. The season is
very short.

（撮影中)

巨峰の試し採りをもしてみたところ、やや標高の高い
畑のはかなり良いでき。色も申し分ないし、
味もまた濃厚。これなら明日から収穫を始め
ようかな。バックログが大分たまってきて
しまっている。

A cameraman called me saying he wanted to
take photographs of NaganoPurple grapes. He
visited me in the vineyard and I opened wrappings
to show the bunches. I tried one bunch. It tasted very
good. I may be able to start harvesting now. JA shipment
was set on September 10.

I harvested some of Kyoho grapes for trial, too. The grapes
in the relatively higher altitude are getting ready for
harvesting. The color is dark enough and it tasted very
condensed. I have to take care of the orders already getting
stuck up.

研究会としては、野菜や果物なども持って行きます。
もちろん他の市町村も出てますよ。

こんなねぎやら枝豆やらも。

I will be coming to Tokyo on September 17 and 18 (Fri.& Sat.)
at Azabujuban shopping street. It is a tiny event called Nagano
Local Product Festival and is held at Patio Juban square.
I will join the event as a member of Suzaka Green Tourism
Study Group and will bring my wines, grapes and processed
produces. Comparing with the great Azabujuban Summer Festival
in August, it maybe a quieter event under cooler weather with
fewer visitors. So you can be able to relax and enjoy our local
delights there. Please come and enjoy to take a look. There will
be around 10 temporary shops from only Nagano Prefecture.
Don’t miss it!
Time: 10am – 4pm.

Our group will bring season’s vegetables and fruit, too.

おすそ分けのおすそ分けでプルーンを
頂いた。通称グランドという品種。
須坂一帯は、全国でも有数のプルーンの
産地で（多分生産量日本一）、早生から晩生
まで結構長期間に渡り楽しめる。

(表面の粒は水滴です）

As we have had very hot days for long time already,
we have unusual harvest for kyoho grapes. The darkening
of the fruit color is very much delayed which causes the
delay of harvesting and shipping. However, the ripeness
seems to have advanced than usual and the stem color
changes much more quickly than usual year.
It changes to dark brown in only three days. Therefore
the appearance is not good but the taste becomes so sweet.
It tastes good but it does not look good. That is the question.

Today I was given a few pieces of prunes. It is called ‘Grand’
around here. Suzaka area is actually a prune area and the
production is ranked number one in Japan. As many kinds of
prunes are grown here, we can enjoy many kinds of the fruit
for long time.