Many large corms grew this year. Two new corms grow from one corm from last year. Last year’s corms shrink and are removed, completing their tasks to give lives for the new corms.Akaito Estate is at the terraced rice field in the mountains in the Hayanose district of Kashima City, Saga Prefecture. The combination of favorable conditions such as terroir of the volcanic andosols, sunshine, wind, and water allows large corms to grow without pesticides.Mr. Nishi is a valued member of Akaito and a master saffron grower. Farming is a battle with the weather. Saffron corms are particularly susceptible to rotting if exposed to long rains. Nishi-san leads the work of digging up the saffron corms, deciding the timing and pace of the work. This year, we had sunny days at the right timing and could finish the farm work quicker than we expected.We dig up the corms, hang them in bunches, and let them dry until summer. The corms are then placed in pots to go dormant and wait for the fall blooming. We are looking forward to seeing what kind of saffron we will harvest this year, and our hut will be filled with the scent of saffron during the November blooming season.
