Densho Digital Archive - Nob Koura Interview (denshovh-knob-01-0004)

<Begin Segment 4>

FK: So what was farming like at that time? It sounded like you and your brothers had to work on the farm, huh?

NK: Yeah. Well, things were done by horse and hand cultivators until after we moved to that area, what is that area?

FK: Meadowmeer area?

NK: Pardon?

FK: Meadowmeer area?

NK: Yeah, where we live now. That was called... what the heck was that area called? I forget. Meadowmeer area now. The folks bought some land there and started to grow quite a few strawberries for a number of years.

FK: So what do you remember about the cannery that was at the end of Weaver Road?

NK: Well, we used to deliver strawberries to there, and they used to process it, process berries right there on belts. Until about, I forget what year, they finally pulled it out. And we had to, if we wanted... we had to haul it into Seattle, I think. By about then, I think we quit.

FK: So did the community build that cannery?

NK: Yeah, the Japanese, they'd been farming berries on the island for way back, from when we used to raise berries. They used to ship a lot of it to Seattle, but then they started that cannery, I guess, and started to process it there, and then take it by boat in cans to Seattle, freeze it over there, I guess.

FK: How did it work to start the farms? How did you get your plants and how did you... did you have to borrow money to do that kind of stuff or what?

NK: You had to borrow money from R.D. Bodle company and stuff. I guess that's how our parents started, borrowed from R.D. Bodle company. And then about the time we got out of high school, I don't know if R.D. Bodle was still involved at that time or not. The cannery was still running, too, but we'd also take a lot of fresh berries to the market, put it, like Western Avenue.

FK: Do you remember what companies?

NK: Most of... the bulk of the berries I think used to go to the cannery. Most of the berries just had to go to the cannery. The fresh market couldn't handle all of them.

FK: Did you ever bring any to the Pike Place Market or anyplace like that?

NK: Yeah, but very little.

FK: What companies on Western Avenue did you bring the berries to?

NK: I don't know, right up to the market there. Delivering some fresh berries up to there with the hulls still on it so they could sell it on the fresh market. But not, the bulk of it went to the cannery.